BC/Canadian Coaching Certification/Licensing

[Gaffa]

Given that much has been posted on the HPL threads with regard to the standard of coaches in BC, I was wondering what peoples views are with regard to our preesent coaching courses.

I suspect many of us here have attended several of these courses and I'm interested to get peoples feedback/opinions. Could it be an area that should be improved? Do they cater for ALL levels of coaches. Do B and A license coaches have to do continuing education courses in order to maintain their license? Should they have to?

Interestingly I see Jeff Tipping recently resigned from his job at NSCAA. He was the driving force behind the development of many of their coaching courses that are now respected worldwide. The CSA don't have a TD at present (as far as I know) and if I were them I'd be getting in touch with him asap. He was a guest coach at the last BC Soccer Conference and was superb. He would be the man to overhaul our present coaching syllabus if you ask me.

Look forward to your input.

 

[bettermirror]

Is Jeff Tipping a soccer guy? If not he has no business being a technical director of CSA. besides, isn't Stephen Hart the TD? I am not sure if he has the dual role or not.

The certification courses....it's been a few years! No opinion...

BUT, what CSA and BCSA are seriously dropping the ball on is ongoing coach-education. Have webinars, free weekend (1 day) courses. They can easily contract these out to the local full-time head coaches. These guys are qualified and could certainly provide a wealth of knowledge to the coaches in the region. There should also be strictly online coach education, resources etc. The education needs to be ongoing, not just the "please give us $500 for your certification..... And we won't give you any kind of course ahead of time to LEARN the requiremements of the test beforehand so you had better have your own experience and knowledge to learn it without our help". Coaches are left to their own devices and hope their club TD puts on some clinics. Point Grey is putting on an excellent clinic free to all coaches pretty quick. That is exactly what needs to be done.

 

[Gaffa]

Yes, Tipping is a soccer guy. A very experienced one at that. Hart was the TD prior to becoming the Nats head coach. I'm not sure he is now and if he is...what has he done for us lately? Good guy, don't get me wrong, but he shouldn't have to do both jobs.

 

[bravedart]

BC Soccer just posted the following...

BC SOCCER

I know for a fact that they did not offer one of the female coaches a position on the course until she contacted the Executive Director with the questions "why?". The coach fits in with everyone of the candidate selection criteria (she is a professional coach working full time in the community and at the college level).

I would not care too much about this if I knew it was an active approach to get female coaches certified however it is not. BC Soccer sits back, denies capable and qualified females the opportunity to get certified and then, when their hand is slapped by anyone higher up, they claim it was their idea all along.

Can anyone here actually state what the purpose of the technical department is and what they have done for us lately?

I am very interested to know where the $200k over 3 year for the Whitecaps will go? Perhaps toward the prestigious gastown office space they lease from Kerfoot.

 

[Mr Base]

Gaffa tell me something. Do you think a coaching license is going to make you a better coach? It only protects the guys from other coaches thath would like to coach but do not have liecense. If you go through some of the select clubs you can see coaches do not have the levels. One must know the game before one gets a peace of paper that sas he or she knows how to coach.
It takes ten to fifteen years of coaching to learn how to coach. Any guy that steps in and thinks he knows the game is just asking for trouble. As you know you do not have an insurance as a coach but you do as a ref. Lots of guys are opening little soccer schools with out a license and insurance. In my opinion very fullish. By going through the levels one might pick up few pointers to help him coach and no more. Most of the coaches teaching the coarses played div four soccer. It is all money grabing and control.
Most in control never played the game. My advice to all is go and do it to see why you coach.

 

[British Bulldogg]

BC Soccer just posted the following...

BC SOCCER

I know for a fact that they did not offer one of the female coaches a position on the course until she contacted the Executive Director with the questions "why?". The coach fits in with everyone of the candidate selection criteria (she is a professional coach working full time in the community and at the college level).

I would not care too much about this if I knew it was an active approach to get female coaches certified however it is not. BC Soccer sits back, denies capable and qualified females the opportunity to get certified and then, when their hand is slapped by anyone higher up, they claim it was their idea all along.

Can anyone here actually state what the purpose of the technical department is and what they have done for us lately?

I am very interested to know where the $200k over 3 year for the Whitecaps will go? Perhaps toward the prestigious gastown office space they lease from Kerfoot.

Did any of you go and watch the B national course that was on this week? Go and see what the level is actually like not that you think this person and that person should be on.. Not anyone can be a doctor and coaching is the same it’s a profession not everyone is cut out to do it.

 

[bravedart]

BB - no doubt about it...even at the B Provincial level far too many people pass who should not.

The problem is there is no actual coach education process in BC. Coach development is not even done at most club levels. Coaching development for the average individual is a mentorship and accountability process. Coaches need to show improvement over the mid to long term and evaluated in their natural environment...not assessed over a weekend and then not followed up on. I have seen too many coaches "pass a course" and then not apply their certification toward their coaching.

 

[Mr Base]

License just lets coach. Head guy from back east does not know what kid of a coach you are, even if they use kids for drills. It is impossible to push kids after they get totaly draind. First three guys going for a ticket are OK rest will do noting due to kids empty tanks. Again system is a boddy system. You all know that lots of guys should not be there. Again it is not up to us to talk who makes it and who does not. Few guys head soccer camps for last fifteen years. I am glad they are finaly taking a course.
Our country is looking for young coaches. I can tell you only one thing a mistake that is hard to correct. Just look at our upper level sides and it will be clear to you all. No head coach can change us. We are the only ones that can change it,if we do kids will benifit.
Soccer is changed to more pace and faster movment, we have to do the same. We all should be thank full for Clark and his partner comming out to BC.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

It's great to say that a coach is a "this level or that license' but at the end of the day the ability to communicate to your players.....the ability to make adjustments in a game/training session to suit the players and what they are trying to accomplish is much more difficult than running a drill. Licenses and levels do NOT show this ability in coaches.

 

[British Bulldogg]

It's great to say that a coach is a "this level or that license' but at the end of the day the ability to communicate to your players.....the ability to make adjustments in a game/training session to suit the players and what they are trying to accomplish is much more difficult than running a drill. Licenses and levels do NOT show this ability in coaches.

I completely agree that license do not determine a good coach but I think they are an integral part of anyone who considers them self a coach as a profession or a top youth coach. Like any job you have to have a certain level of qualification and taking the courses is part of that. Yes you will learn some things on the course; most of the learning is done through the groups of coaches that take these courses and the bouncing around of ideas and opinions. As a coach everyone develops their own style. But nothing can beat practical experience coaching on the field and learning.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

I completely agree that license do not determine a good coach but I think they are an integral part of anyone who considers them self a coach as a profession or a top youth coach. Like any job you have to have a certain level of qualification and taking the courses is part of that. Yes you will learn some things on the course; most of the learning is done through the groups of coaches that take these courses and the bouncing around of ideas and opinions. As a coach everyone develops their own style. But nothing can beat practical experience coaching on the field and learning.

No arguments here, British Bulldog.........but it is VERY easy to use the Internet as a learning tool and all of the above can do this beyond the one course. Communication with coaches should be ongoing not just during the 'courses'. I never once said you don't learn anything from these courses. But to say these 'licenses' are very important to be a very good coach is up for debate.

 

[Mr Base]

Shamrock it is good to get the tickets. Atleast it gives you bit of input on things. Internet has all the info one neads. But BC Soccer is in charge of the Youth Soccer and Senior Soccer. It is their rules one must follow to be part of the group. Sure some clubs do not care and try to run their own things it only gets to heart them when it realy counts. With out set rules clubs would be all over the place. This way atleast we have a gide to improvment.
Good coach is one that spends hours learning new things and works on improvment of each player and him self. Sure wins are important jet biggest problem in youth development.

 

[zimdollar]

I am sick to my stomach to listen you guys here disregarding coach education. You can learn how to coach on the internet??? That is rubbish.

You learn how to coach on the field with feedback from others. The same way you as a coach want your players to listen to your feedback.

How many of you would send their kids to an uncertified teacher at school? Does the BEd make them a great teacher?? I would arque same that there are better teaxched that don't teach - so should we allow them to just walk into our schools and teach our kids?

Get youer heads out of your a** and educate yourself. For the record I played 33 times for my Mantional team and played 6 Champions League games and was at the Olympics playing football.

I have done coacghing courses with BCSA and now have UEFA A license but value every time I get to go to a course because it does make me a better coach.......

 

[knvb]

larrson?

 

[johnnybluenose]

Mantional Team?

~intrigued...

 

[bettermirror]

Zim....no one is saying the courses aren't valuable. At least I am not. What I am suggesting is 1) These aren't courses, they are tests and 2) BCSA/CSA need to offer "for educational purposes only" courses and thus....people are left to learn on the internet......and whatever scraps they can get their hands on.

Webinars are not suggested to be THE learning tool, but A learning tool.

Zim....did you even read this thread?

 

[Scottyshell]

What's a Mational team??

Cheers!

 

[Captain Shamrock]

I am sick to my stomach to listen you guys here disregarding coach education. You can learn how to coach on the internet??? That is rubbish.

You learn how to coach on the field with feedback from others. The same way you as a coach want your players to listen to your feedback.

How many of you would send their kids to an uncertified teacher at school? Does the BEd make them a great teacher?? I would arque same that there are better teaxched that don't teach - so should we allow them to just walk into our schools and teach our kids?

Get youer heads out of your a** and educate yourself. For the record I played 33 times for my Mantional team and played 6 Champions League games and was at the Olympics playing football.

I have done coacghing courses with BCSA and now have UEFA A license but value every time I get to go to a course because it does make me a better coach.......

Can I have your autograph?

 

[jojo13]

You should have gone to one of those certified teachers!

 

[Captain Shamrock]

You should have gone to one of those certified teachers!

Yes. Awesome point.