Coaching Courses | Coaching Policies | Coaches Code of Conduct

Coaching Courses in BC

Squash BC has partnered with the Coaching Association of BC and SportsFunder to bring more coaching courses to BC and at a lower price. The technical courses that are organized by Squash BC will be subsidized by 75% this year. That means where Squash BC members used to pay $150.00 for Coaching Foundations course you will now pay $39.75 GST included. Non members will add $20.00. The same ratio will apply for the Introduction to Competition. These courses will never get any less expensive and there is no telling how long the funding will last.
For more information on all the courses, click the link above or contact Kevin Kydd at 604 737 3084 or kkydd@squashbc.com.

Coaching Policies

• Coaching certification is offered to anyone participating in squash coaching, paid or volunteer. This broad spectrum includes parents and/or higher calibre juniors, as well as part-time or full-time club professionals.
• The National Coaching Certification Program (N.C.C.P.) is designed at the National level and administered provincially, and its development ensures a consistency in the level of coaching throughout the country.
• There are various levels and streams offered. Up to Levels 4 and 5 the program is geared towards volunteers, full-time and provincial coaches respectively with Levels 4 and 5 designed for coaching high performance (national and international) athletes.
• Each level comprises three components. The Technical and Assessment components are sport-specific and are conducted through Squash B.C. They involve the presentation of the various skills and techniques (Technical) and offer the opportunity for coaches to have their knowledge evaluated in a real-life coaching situation (Assessment). The third component, Theory, is generic and coordinated through the Provincial Sport Services Branch. Theory addresses the general principles of coaching. Once all components at a particular level have been successfully completed, an N.C.C.P. passport is received, acknowledging full certification.
• The Coaching Program is, for the most part, self-supporting. Honoraria/travel expenses are paid to Course Conductors which, in turn, is reimbursed through participant fees. Squash B.C. makes a continued effort through the Coaching Committee and Office to encourage all coaches to complete their certification. Incentives are built into some levels for both Course Conductors and participants. Education of member clubs of the benefits of hiring well qualified, certified coaches to administer their squash programs is also ongoing.
• There will be some funding for coaches travel and to help with assessment costs.
• Juniors must be certified Foundations coaches to receive funding in their last year of Juniors and they must be 15 years of age to take a Squash BC technical course.
• All BC Winter Games coaches must be a certified Competitions coach.
• Coaches are also invited or information is disseminated on the various educational opportunities provided through the affiliated coaching partners (i.e., National Coaching Institute and Coaches Association of B.C.).
• All coaches are requested to keep their education current. The course they take should be related to coaching. This could be an N.C.C.P. course, first aid, nutrition, C.P.R., or attend a Coaching Seminar put on by C.A.B.C. Squash B.C. or other such body. The coach level will determine how often a course should be taken: Level 1 = 1 course every 3 years; Level 2 = 1 course every 2 years; Level 3 = 1 course every year.
• All coaches are strongly encouraged to recognize and conduct themselves in a manner that demonstrates the standards established in the Coaching Code of Conduct developed by Promotion Plus Women in Coaching Committee in conjunction with the Ministry and Coaches Association of B.C.

Code of Conduct for Coaches

The athlete/coach relationship is a privileged one. Coaches play a critical role in the personal as well as athletic development of their athletes. They must understand and respect the inherent power imbalance that exists in this relationship and must be extremely careful not to abuse it. Coaches must also recognize that they are conduits through which the values and goals of a sport organization are channeled. Thus how an athlete regards his/her sport is often dependent on the behaviour of the coach. The following Code of Conduct has been developed to aid coaches in achieving a level of behaviour, which will allow them to assist their athletes in becoming well-rounded, self-confident and productive human beings.

COACHES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO:

1. Treat everyone fairly within the context of their activity, regardless of gender, place of origin, colour, sexual orientation, religion, political belief or economic status.
2. Direct comments or criticism at the performance rather than the athlete.
3. Consistently display high personal standards and project a favourable image of their sport and of coaching
   
   • Refrain from public criticism of fellow coaches, especially when speaking to the media or recruiting athletes.
   
   
   • Abstain from the use of tobacco products while in the presence of her/his athletes and discourage their use by athletes.
   
   
   • Abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages when working with athletes.
   
   
   • Discourage the use of alcohol in conjunction with athletic events or victory celebrations at the playing site.
   
   
   • Refrain from the use of profane, insulting, harassing or otherwise offensive language in the conduct of his/her duties.
     
4. Ensure that the activity being undertaken is suitable for the age, experience, ability and fitness level of the athletes and educate athletes as to their responsibilities in contributing to a safe environment.
5. Communicate and cooperate with registered medical practitioners in the diagnoses, treatment and management of their athletes' medical and psychological problems. Consider the athletes' future health and well-being as foremost when making decisions regarding an injured athlete's ability to continue playing or training.
6. Recognize and accept when to refer athletes to other coaches or sport specialists. Allow athletes' goals to take precedence over their own.
7. Regularly seek ways of increasing professional development and self-awareness.
8. Treat opponents and officials with due respect, both in victory and defeat and encourage athletes to act accordingly. Actively encourage athletes to uphold the rules of their sport and the spirit of such rules.
9. In the case of minors, communicate and cooperate with the athlete's parents or legal guardians, involving them in management decisions pertaining to their child's development.
10. In an educational institution, be aware of the academic pressures placed on student-athletes and conduct practices and games in a manner so as to allow academic success.

COACHES MUST:

1. Ensure the safety of the athletes with whom they work.
2. At no time become intimately and/or sexually involved with their athletes. This includes requests for sexual favours or threat of reprisal for the rejection of such requests.
3. Respect athletes' dignity; verbal or physical behaviours that constitute harassment or abuse are unacceptable (definition of harassment attached).
4. Never advocate or condone the use of drugs or other banned performing-enhancing substances.
5. Never provide under age athletes with alcohol.