Step 1: Courses for all Coaches (assistant and head coaches) – Whether you are a new or seasoned coach, the following three trainings must be up to date in your record:
Step 2: Becoming a Certified Coach – within a year of working with a program a volunteer coach should consider becoming certified in one of two ways:
Step 3: Continuing Education – this training is for certified coaches. Coaches must receive continuing education training every 3 years to maintain their certification. There are two types of continuing education:
A Coach is an individual who assumes responsibility for athletes, actively trains athletes and coaches them in competitions.
SOPA Policy – In order to bring athletes to sectional or state-level competitions, a local program must have at least one Certified Coach (as defined by the SOPA Coach Education Program ) for each team competing in team sports* and one Certified coach for each individual sport. Coaches must be Certified in the sport in which they are bringing athletes to that competition. An individual may count as a Certified Coach for only one sport per competition and the Head of Delegation cannot serve as a Certified Coach for purposes of meeting this requirement. (Team sports are flag football, soccer, softball, floor hockey, volleyball and basketball.)