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The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) was developed in 1974 to provide training and certification to coaches in more than 60 sports. The NCCP is competency based which means the educational experiences are interactive and involve more than rote information (what you know). They also focus on the “how” of coaching and the implementation of your knowledge (what you can DO with what you know). A significant focus of the NCCP is accessing coaches’ prior knowledge and engaging their expertise in dialogue, practice, and interaction. In this way, even experienced coaches with an extensive knowledge base can glean important skills, networking, and self-evaluation opportunities through the NCCP process.

Basic Registration Requirements

Basic Registration Requirements begin with creating a free account with the Coaching Association of Canada. This will give you an NCCP number for use in all your coaching courses. Then complete a Criminal Records Check (CRC), the CAC’s Making Ethical Decisions module (MED) and SafeSport Training (or Respect in Sport).

You also have the option to become a Triathlon Canada Registered Coach, and complete Triathlon Canada’s Rules for Community Coaching. This is an optional add-on to the required NCCP basic requirement, for coaches looking to further their knowledge directly through Triathlon Canada’s coaching portal and to be part of the National Triathlon Coach Registry. Becoming a Triathlon Canada Registered Coach is only required for National Team coaches, and is not required for certification of NCCP pathways.

Community Coaching Pathway

The Community Coach (youth or age group) wants to help new athletes and support age group club athletes by teaching basic triathlon skills and introduction to events. The Community Coach is focused on safe participation, teaching skills and technique, and fun. This context is designed for coaches of athletes moving from FUNdamentals to Learn to Train and Train to Train stages of long term athlete development (LTAD).

Competition Pathway Coaching

A Competition Coach wants to train and support athletes who are interested in moving into the High Performance pathway. The Competition Coach focuses on refining skills and technique, physical training, sport psychology and all aspects of the daily training environment in order to develop strong practice and competition skills. This context is designed for coaches of athletes in the Train to Train, Train to Compete and Train to Win stages of LTAD.

Coach Developers are the leaders and the ambassadors of the NCCP program, providing standardized program delivery across Canada. For certified coaches looking to pursue Coach Developer status,  please click HERE.

Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM)

Coaches have many responsibilities, one of them is to ensure they provide a safe environment for their athletes and themselves. When athletes and athletes’ parents entrust a coach as a leader they assume they have taken steps to become a responsible coach.

In 2017, Triathlon BC took the Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) pledge, showing its commitment to positive change in sport.  The RCM is a call to action to implement policies and processes to ensure athletes are safe. Coordinated by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, it highlights three key areas:

• Rule of Two
• Background Screening
• Respect and Ethics Training (Respect in Sport or Safe Sport)

These concepts are preventative tools to protect the organization, the coach and to reduce the instances of negative sport experiences related to bullying, abuse, unethical coaching, etc.

Parents have the right to speak with the coach or the coach’s supervisor if they have questions or concerns about interactions with their child.

Triathlon BC currently uses myBackCheck.com for criminal record checks.  All coaches working with athletes under the age of 19 are required to complete a check.  Haven’t gotten a check completed yet? Email programs@tribc.org today to get more information.

RCM Resources to help your Club meet the Pledge can be found below.

• Program Leader Training: Respect in Sport(Activity Leader) – Respect Group ($30 per user)

• Parent Empowerment: Respect in Sport (Parent Program) – Respect Group ($12 per user)
• Program Leader Training: Commit to Kids – Canadian Centre for Child Protection ($12 per user)
• Creating Guidelines and Reporting Proceedures for Child Sexual Abuse – Canadian Centre for Child Protection
• RCM Implementation Resources for Sport Organization – Coaching Assocation of Canada
• Webinar Recording of Rule of Two Implementation Strategies (June 2017)
• Coach’s Game Plan: Guidelines to Creating a Safer Environment – Government of British Columbia
• Criminal Record Check for Volunteers