The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) launched a new National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) on April 1, 2004, which has a significant impact on how coaches are trained and developed in every community across Canada. With these changes, the NCCP is moving towards a competency-based approach where coaches are trained specifically in job tasks relevant to the athletes they coach and are evaluated on performances to a specified standard.

DPC has opted to present the two course areas together - technical and theory. The goal is to enhance understanding of the theory of our sport.

Overview of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP)

• The program is moving towards a competency-based approach where coaches are:
• Trained in NCCP outcomes relevant to the participants they coach;
• Evaluated by demonstrating coaching outcomes to a specified standard.
• The core competencies of coaching are valuing, interacting, leading, problem-solving, and critical thinking. These competencies will be woven throughout all NCCP training and evaluation activities.
• Competency-based education trains and certifies coaches based on proven abilities to do certain things deemed important to meet the needs of the participants they coach.
• The three streams of the NCCP are Community Sport, Competition, and Instruction. DPC is involved only in Competition and Instruction.

The first level in the Competition section is ‘Introduction’ (Comp-Int), a series of multi-sport modules for coaches who train children or adolescents basic sport skills in a fun and safe environment and who are preparing them for local, regional and provincial competitions. These modules will replace the old levels 1 and 2 Theory and Technical courses as the first step towards a competency-based approach to coach education and training.

Coaches will receive training in the following areas for the course Competition Introduction (Comp-Int):

• making ethical decisions
• planning a practice
• designing a basic sport program
• analyzing performance
• providing support to athletes in training
• supporting the competitive experience
• managing a program
• equipment maintenance

The NCCP provides three stages of accreditation:

• In Training - Coach has begun training, however some training still to occur.
• Trained - Coach has completed all required training activities for a particular context.
• Certified - Coach has successfully completed all required evaluation activities for a particular context.