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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. What is NCCP?
A. The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) is a coach training and certification program for 65 different sports across Canada. The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) is the National governing body of the program and each province has a representative coaching organization to aid in the delivery of the NCCP and to support the development of coaches in their province.
NCCP workshops are designed to meet the needs of all types of coaches, from the first-time coach to the head coach of a national team. The NCCP is the recognized national standard for coach training and certification in Canada. As part of the program, all coaches are trained in ethical decision-making and sport safety.
While continuing to equip coaches with the tools they need to become successful community leaders, the program itself has undergone a number of changes in recent years. In response to an extensive evaluation, the CAC has adapted the NCCP to fit today’s coaching environment. Among these important changes has been a shift in emphasis from “what a coach knows” to “what a coach can do”.
The new NCCP model is made up of three streams and a total of eight contexts, each with its own coaching requirements.
Program Overview [221 KB] - Fact Sheet outline the New NCCP
The New NCCP Model [1.8 MB] - 11 x 17 Diagram of the New NCCP
New NCCP PowerPoint [6.3 MB] - narrated PowerPoint Presentation about the new NCCP model
Training versus Certification?
Through the NCCP, coaches have the opportunity to participate in training, which will help them to improve the sport experience for their participants. Coaches who choose training will have opportunities to acquire or refine the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to coach more effectively.
However, coaches may also choose to be evaluated on their ability to be a better coach. Successful evaluation will result in the coach becoming not only a trained coach, but a certified one as well. Coaches are evaluated on their competency in several areas, which may include: program design, practice planning, performance analysis, program management, ethical coaching, support to participants during training, and support to participants in competition.
A coach is described as:
• In Training – when a coach has completed some of the required training for a context
• Trained – when a coach has completed all required training for a context
• Certified – when a coach has completed all evaluation requirements for a context.
Certified coaches enjoy the credibility of the sporting community and of the athletes they coach because they have been observed and evaluated “doing” what is required of them as a competent coach in their sport. They are recognized as meeting or exceeding the high standards embraced by more than 60 national sport organizations in Canada. Fostering confidence at all levels of sport, certification is a benefit shared by parents, athletes, sport organizations, and our communities.
Q: How does the new program help me to become a better coach?
The new NCCP has been specifically designed to train coaches to be able to meet the needs of the specific participants/athletes they are working with. Coaches will participate in training opportunities that will enable them to return to their coaching environment with specific skills that can be implemented immediately. Coaches will learn to plan safe and effective practices, design meaningful season plans, teach appropriate sport skills to athletes, and many other important aspects of coaching. The true beneficiaries of the changes to the NCCP will ultimately be the participants, when their coaches are trained and certified based on the things they need to be able to do to best support those they coach.
Q: Name the four outcomes approved by Softball Canada that will be evaluated for certification in the Competition- Introduction context in the new NCCP.
A: 1. Make ethical decisions,
2. Provide support to athletes in training,
3. Plan a practice,
4. Support the competitive experience.
Q: What are the core competencies of the NCCP?
A: Problem-solving, Interaction, Leadership, Valuing, and Critical Thinking.
Q: Is evaluation for certification a required component of Softball’s Community Sport – Initiation Program (LTP)?
A: No
Q: After how many years will it be necessary for a coach to become “re-certified?”
A: 5 years after certification
Q: Name one way for a coach to become “re-certified”
A: Take a course (first aid, ISCS etc) and send proof of certification to Coaches Association of Canada.
Q: I have the old NCCP levels 1 and 2, what do I need to do to get my certification for the new NCCP?
A: You need to take the Make Ethical Decisions evaluation.
Q: How will the Make Ethical Decisions module be evaluated for the Competition-Introduction context?
A: On-line
Q: Where can I find the Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation?
A: http://nccpeval.coach.ca
Q: What level of certification do I need?
A: Squirt A/B, Pee Wee B/C, Bantam C, Midget C – minimum Community Sport- Ongoing Participation with completion of Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation (online)
Midget A/B, Bantam A/B, Pee Wee A – minimum Introduction to Competition (clinic 1 and 2) with completion of Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation (online)
Q: What certification do I have need to coach a team at Provincials? Westerns?
Specific certification requirements are also noted in the 2009 Softball BC Handbook
12.5 - A) Squirt "A & B", Pee Wee "B & C", Bantam "C" and Midget "C" - minimum NCCP Community - Sport On-Going Participation with completion of Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation Midget "A & B" Bantam "A & B" Pee Wee "A" - minimum NCCP Introduction to Competition training (i.e. attended clinic 1&2 with completion of Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation
Q: I have no certification, what course do I take?
Community Clinic 1-LEARN TO COACH Initiation Clinic: Recommended if you are coaching children ages 5-10 years of age
Community On-Going Participation Clinic (OGP) - Recommended for recreational "C" or house level coaches
Competition Clinic 1 & 2: Recommended if you are a REP or Division A coach
Q: I'm a certified Level 1 coach, what is the next step to advancing my training?
The next step is to take the Competition-Clinic 2. A coach is also required to complete the on-line Making Ethical Decisions Module. This module can be found at the Coaches Association of Canada website or by clicking here.
Q: Don't I have to take a theory course along with the Softball Technical course?
The new courses designed by Softball Canada incorporate Theory and Technical information so there is no additional Theory Course required. You will be required to complete an online Ethical Decisions evaluation following participation in Technical course.
Q: I have heard that in 5 years I will lose my certification. Is that true?
In the new program, coaches will be required to continue to actively coach and to access professional development to ensure they maintain and/or update their skills, knowledge, and attitudes. When coaches become certified in the new program they will have to meet specific requirements, determined by each sport, over the course of 5 years, in order to maintain their certification. If coaches don't participate in required professional development activities, or don’t remain actively coaching, they will be required to repeat the evaluation process to ensure that they still possess the necessary skills to effectively meet the needs of the athletes/participants they are working with or that they intend to work with. The five-year limitation is linked specifically to certification. Coaches will continue to possess credit for all training activities they have completed. Please note that five years is the minimum national standard for re-certification and some sports may require coaches to become re-certified more frequently.
Q: Why do I need to be evaluated to be certified now when I didn’t before?
True certification in other occupations and professions is based upon an individual’s ability to clearly demonstrate that he/she is capable of successfully doing what is required. In the old program, certification was almost entirely based upon a coach's participation in courses and the completion of a few assignments or practical coaching requirements. In the new program, coaches will be identified as "Trained" upon completion of these types of activities and will be identified as "Certified" when they have demonstrated that they are capable of integrating the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they have learned as part of their training into their specific coaching environment. In other words they have to demonstrate they can actually do what needs to be done to meet the needs of the participants/athletes they work versus just "knowing" what should be done.
If you have questions contact: programcoordinator@softball.bc.ca or call Sarah 604-531-0044
Q. What is NCCP?
A. The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) is a coach training and certification program for 65 different sports across Canada. The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) is the National governing body of the program and each province has a representative coaching organization to aid in the delivery of the NCCP and to support the development of coaches in their province.
NCCP workshops are designed to meet the needs of all types of coaches, from the first-time coach to the head coach of a national team. The NCCP is the recognized national standard for coach training and certification in Canada. As part of the program, all coaches are trained in ethical decision-making and sport safety.
While continuing to equip coaches with the tools they need to become successful community leaders, the program itself has undergone a number of changes in recent years. In response to an extensive evaluation, the CAC has adapted the NCCP to fit today’s coaching environment. Among these important changes has been a shift in emphasis from “what a coach knows” to “what a coach can do”.
The new NCCP model is made up of three streams and a total of eight contexts, each with its own coaching requirements.
Program Overview [221 KB] - Fact Sheet outline the New NCCP
The New NCCP Model [1.8 MB] - 11 x 17 Diagram of the New NCCP
New NCCP PowerPoint [6.3 MB] - narrated PowerPoint Presentation about the new NCCP model
Training versus Certification?
Through the NCCP, coaches have the opportunity to participate in training, which will help them to improve the sport experience for their participants. Coaches who choose training will have opportunities to acquire or refine the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to coach more effectively.
However, coaches may also choose to be evaluated on their ability to be a better coach. Successful evaluation will result in the coach becoming not only a trained coach, but a certified one as well. Coaches are evaluated on their competency in several areas, which may include: program design, practice planning, performance analysis, program management, ethical coaching, support to participants during training, and support to participants in competition.
A coach is described as:
• In Training – when a coach has completed some of the required training for a context
• Trained – when a coach has completed all required training for a context
• Certified – when a coach has completed all evaluation requirements for a context.
Certified coaches enjoy the credibility of the sporting community and of the athletes they coach because they have been observed and evaluated “doing” what is required of them as a competent coach in their sport. They are recognized as meeting or exceeding the high standards embraced by more than 60 national sport organizations in Canada. Fostering confidence at all levels of sport, certification is a benefit shared by parents, athletes, sport organizations, and our communities.
Q: How does the new program help me to become a better coach?
The new NCCP has been specifically designed to train coaches to be able to meet the needs of the specific participants/athletes they are working with. Coaches will participate in training opportunities that will enable them to return to their coaching environment with specific skills that can be implemented immediately. Coaches will learn to plan safe and effective practices, design meaningful season plans, teach appropriate sport skills to athletes, and many other important aspects of coaching. The true beneficiaries of the changes to the NCCP will ultimately be the participants, when their coaches are trained and certified based on the things they need to be able to do to best support those they coach.
Q: Name the four outcomes approved by Softball Canada that will be evaluated for certification in the Competition- Introduction context in the new NCCP.
A: 1. Make ethical decisions,
2. Provide support to athletes in training,
3. Plan a practice,
4. Support the competitive experience.
Q: What are the core competencies of the NCCP?
A: Problem-solving, Interaction, Leadership, Valuing, and Critical Thinking.
Q: Is evaluation for certification a required component of Softball’s Community Sport – Initiation Program (LTP)?
A: No
Q: After how many years will it be necessary for a coach to become “re-certified?”
A: 5 years after certification
Q: Name one way for a coach to become “re-certified”
A: Take a course (first aid, ISCS etc) and send proof of certification to Coaches Association of Canada.
Q: I have the old NCCP levels 1 and 2, what do I need to do to get my certification for the new NCCP?
A: You need to take the Make Ethical Decisions evaluation.
Q: How will the Make Ethical Decisions module be evaluated for the Competition-Introduction context?
A: On-line
Q: Where can I find the Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation?
A: http://nccpeval.coach.ca
Q: What level of certification do I need?
A: Squirt A/B, Pee Wee B/C, Bantam C, Midget C – minimum Community Sport- Ongoing Participation with completion of Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation (online)
Midget A/B, Bantam A/B, Pee Wee A – minimum Introduction to Competition (clinic 1 and 2) with completion of Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation (online)
Q: What certification do I have need to coach a team at Provincials? Westerns?
Specific certification requirements are also noted in the 2009 Softball BC Handbook
12.5 - A) Squirt "A & B", Pee Wee "B & C", Bantam "C" and Midget "C" - minimum NCCP Community - Sport On-Going Participation with completion of Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation Midget "A & B" Bantam "A & B" Pee Wee "A" - minimum NCCP Introduction to Competition training (i.e. attended clinic 1&2 with completion of Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation
Q: I have no certification, what course do I take?
Community Clinic 1-LEARN TO COACH Initiation Clinic: Recommended if you are coaching children ages 5-10 years of age
Community On-Going Participation Clinic (OGP) - Recommended for recreational "C" or house level coaches
Competition Clinic 1 & 2: Recommended if you are a REP or Division A coach
Q: I'm a certified Level 1 coach, what is the next step to advancing my training?
The next step is to take the Competition-Clinic 2. A coach is also required to complete the on-line Making Ethical Decisions Module. This module can be found at the Coaches Association of Canada website or by clicking here.
Q: Don't I have to take a theory course along with the Softball Technical course?
The new courses designed by Softball Canada incorporate Theory and Technical information so there is no additional Theory Course required. You will be required to complete an online Ethical Decisions evaluation following participation in Technical course.
Q: I have heard that in 5 years I will lose my certification. Is that true?
In the new program, coaches will be required to continue to actively coach and to access professional development to ensure they maintain and/or update their skills, knowledge, and attitudes. When coaches become certified in the new program they will have to meet specific requirements, determined by each sport, over the course of 5 years, in order to maintain their certification. If coaches don't participate in required professional development activities, or don’t remain actively coaching, they will be required to repeat the evaluation process to ensure that they still possess the necessary skills to effectively meet the needs of the athletes/participants they are working with or that they intend to work with. The five-year limitation is linked specifically to certification. Coaches will continue to possess credit for all training activities they have completed. Please note that five years is the minimum national standard for re-certification and some sports may require coaches to become re-certified more frequently.
Q: Why do I need to be evaluated to be certified now when I didn’t before?
True certification in other occupations and professions is based upon an individual’s ability to clearly demonstrate that he/she is capable of successfully doing what is required. In the old program, certification was almost entirely based upon a coach's participation in courses and the completion of a few assignments or practical coaching requirements. In the new program, coaches will be identified as "Trained" upon completion of these types of activities and will be identified as "Certified" when they have demonstrated that they are capable of integrating the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they have learned as part of their training into their specific coaching environment. In other words they have to demonstrate they can actually do what needs to be done to meet the needs of the participants/athletes they work versus just "knowing" what should be done.
If you have questions contact: programcoordinator@softball.bc.ca or call Sarah 604-531-0044
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