NCCP CanSkate Coach Participant Guidelines

The following information will define the expectations of all Coach participants before, during and after a NCCP CanSkate Coach Course.

BEFORE THE COURSE

Required pre-requisites:

• Must be a Skate Canada registrant
• Must be at least 15 years of age
• Must have passed one complete STAR 5 assessment
  • If you do not meet the assessment requirements, please contact your Section Course Administrator for further details on how to proceed.  

Additional recommended pre-requisites:   

• PA experience (recommended one to two seasons)
• Letter of recommendation from Home Club (if available) is submitted to the Section upon registering for a course. This is to ensure the Coach candidate interested in taking the course can fulfill the role of a CanSkate Coach per the expectations outlined in the CanSkate Coach Participant Checklist.  

DURING THE COURSE

• An In Training status is conditional upon full participation during the course per the expectations outlined on the CanSkate Coach Participant Checklist.

AFTER THE COURSE

• If a coach participant does not meet the listed criteria on the CanSkate Coach Participant Checklist, the Learning Facilitator will create an individualized action plan to support the development of the coach participant to the expected standard. To aid in this action plan, post course support can include but is not limited to virtual mentorship support, etc.

CanSkate Coach Participant Checklist

NCCP CanSkate Coach Learning Facilitators (LF) are responsible for training and assessing coach participants that are enrolled in CanSkate Coach courses. In doing so, LF’s must be consistent when looking at the coach participant’s skating ability, maturity, participation, enthusiasm, and interaction throughout the course. If the Coach participant does not meet the expectations and standards per the following checklist, a proposed action plan will be created for the coach participant to complete before the course is entered into their Locker.

• Coach participants are assessed on skating ability which includes the following:
  • FWD and BWD Crosscuts in both directions
  • FWD and BWD Outside and Inside Edges
  • FWD and BWD Outside and Inside Three Turns
  • FWD C-Steps
• Coach participants are fully engaged and participate throughout the entire course, including:
  • Group activities
  • Class discussions
  • Full participation during on Ice sessions
  • Is a team player, collaborates with their coaching peers to achieve the course outcomes.
  • Has demonstrated ability to listen and follow instructions
• Maturity
  • Prompt and on time per the course schedule
  • Passionate
  • Self-sufficient or efficient
  • Capability
  • Interaction with LF and other Coach participants
  • Leadership
    • Pro-active and takes charge during group activities, both on and off ice
  • Clear and concise communication (i.e. Coaching Voice)
• Live session key points
  • Organized
    • Knowledgeable on the role of a CanSkate Coach during the warm-up, circuit setup, lesson time, group activity, and cool down
  • Motivated and energized
  • Ability to adapt
  • Interaction with the CanSkaters
    • Ability to recognize and adapt to the level of CanSkater they are coaching
• NCCP Core Coach Competencies. Participants to model the following:
• Valuing
  The ability to choose an effective response to a specific coaching situation, that is consistent with principles of ethical practice defined within the NCCP. It may be understood as a two-step process:
  • Awareness of personal values
  • Awareness of values in Canadian coaching
• Problem Solving
  The ability to bring about a positive outcome to meet a specific coaching challenge. It may be understood as a four-step process:
  • Analyze the conditions in a specific coaching situation.
  • Identify possible coaching responses
  • Choose an effective response.
  • Turn decisions into action.
• Interaction
  The ability to interact effectively with individuals, groups or teams in a specific context. It may be understood as a dynamic interpersonal process performed with a clear purpose which requires the ability to:
  • Communicate effectively
  • Give and receive feedback
  • Interact with others both in coaching and in a social context
  • Intervene with others to manage and/or resolve conflict.
• Critical Thinking
  The ability to reflect upon and/or monitor the outcome of situations, experiences, decisions and/or actions in which one or others are involved, and to assess their relevance and importance as a basis for future action.
• Leadership
  The ability to influence others to accept, willingly, the leader’s purpose and goal to help bring about some better future outcome or result, and to work together, voluntarily, towards achieving that end.

Once the Coach participant has completed the proposed action plan successfully, an In-training status will be entered into the Locker. At this point the participant can coach CanSkate provided they are a Registered Skate Canada Coach in Good Standing.