This document outlines the accreditation procedures for Skate Canada Challenge, the Canadian National Skating Championships, Skate Canada Trophy, and Skate Canada Cup. The purpose of the Accreditation Guidelines and Procedures are:

• to ensure that the competition environment at Skate Canada events supports athlete success by managing access to all venue areas;
• to provide accredited individuals as outlined in the Individuals section, access that is aligned with their role and responsibilities while onsite at a Skate Canada Event;

Note: this document does not include athletes, officials, volunteers, guests, VIPs or Skate Canada staff.

Competition Environment

Competition venues have restricted areas, accessible only to accredited participants in accordance with the Coach Accreditation Policy and Events Procedures. These areas include:

• back of house
• dressing rooms and hallways, including medical room
• the perimeter of the skating rink/surface
• event panels (officials, music and announcer technicians
• kiss and cry
• competition designated warm-up spaces (both indoor and outdoor, as applicable).

Unacceptable behaviours:

• Coaching from non-accredited areas, such as the stands.
• Communicating or giving input from non-accredited areas during official practices and competition warm-up to accredited coaches and skaters within the competition environment.
• Coaching within the competition environment areas (as defined above) without proper accreditation or permissions.
• Accessing the competition environment areas (as defined above) without the proper accreditation tag.

Individuals

Sections may request accreditation privileges from Skate Canada for: Section Team Leaders, Synchro Team Managers, Section Chairs, Section Executive Directors, Section Technical Directors, Coaches, and Integrated Support Team (IST). All individuals (except IST) must be Skate Canada Registrants in good standing for the current season or be a current Skate Canada Section employee to be eligible to receive accreditation privileges.

Coaches

Only coaches that meet the requirements outlined in the Coach Accreditation Policy are eligible for accreditation privileges.

Integrated Support Team (IST)

Integrated Support Team Professionals (IST) are defined as athlete development experts that support coaches, athletes, and teams in areas of sport sciences and sport medicine and who have one of the following professional designations:

• Medical Doctor 
• Physiotherapist (Member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA))
• Athletic Therapist (Certified by the CATA)
• Sport Psychologist (Must be licensed by and in good standing with their provincial governing body; and/or a member in good standing of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association)
• Registered dietitian
• Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA-CSCS)

Accredited Access

The chart below outlines the areas and services accredited individuals have access to while on-site at Skate Canada Domestic Events.

Verification

Registrant Status

• The Section is responsible for verifying that the individuals are registered for the event and are Skate Canada registrants in good standing for the current season or a current Skate Canada Section employee.
• If a Section registers an individual that is not a Skate Canada registrant, in good standing for the current season or a current Skate Canada Section employee, a penalty may be applied.

Coach Accreditation

• The Section is responsible for verifying that all coaches they register for the event meet the requirements as outlined in the Coach Accreditation Policy .
• If a Section registers a coach that does not meet the requirements as outlined in the Coach Accreditation Policy, a penalty may be applied.

Integrated Support Team (IST)

• The Section is responsible for verifying that IST personnel meet the requirements outlined above.
• If a Section registers an IST personnel that does not meet the requirements outlined above, a penalty may be applied.

Maximum Number of Accredited Individuals

Singles, Pairs and Ice Dance

• Each competition entry may only have two accredited individuals for the event. The two individuals may be two coaches, or one coach and one IST personnel as defined in the Individuals section above.
• The names of the individuals requiring accreditation must be included in the competition registration process. Late applications may not be accepted.

Synchronized Skating

• Three individuals may be accredited per team and can include coaches, team managers, and IST.
• A maximum of two coaches can be included as part of the three accredited individuals and are subject to the requirements as outlined in the Coach Accreditation Policy.

Section Team Leaders

• Individuals accredited as a Section Team Leaders who are not executing the role of a coach for any competitors are not subject to the requirements as outlined in the Coach Accreditation Policy.
• A maximum of two Section Team Leaders per Section for up to ten entries can be accredited.
• One additional Section Team Leaders for every additional five entries can be accredited.
• Section Team Leaders requiring accreditation must be included in the competition registration process. Late applications may not be accepted.
• Requests for additional Section Team Leaders will be considered on an event-by-event basis:
  • The request must be submitted as part of the registration process.
  • The request must contain specific rational as to why the additional Section Team Leader(s) is(are) necessary.
  • Late applications may not be accepted.

Synchro Team Managers

• Individuals accredited as Synchro Team Managers who are also Skate Canada Coaches are subject to the requirements as outlined in the Coach Accreditation Policy. Exemptions may be considered on a case need basis.

Rinkside Access

All disciplines:

• Only individuals with a coach accreditation, per the Coach Accreditation Policy, will be permitted to coach athletes.
• Coaching shall only occur from official areas as defined by the competition announcement or Technical Representative(s).
• Only two people will be allowed at the boards as determined by the skater/team (e.g. one Coach and one Section Team Leader or two Coaches).
• A third individual may be in the Skater On or Skater Off area (e.g. Section Team Leader or Synchro Team Manager).

Synchronized Skating Only

• A Section Team Leader may be a fourth individual in the Skater On or Skater Off area, if the other three positions are filled by team coaches and managers.
• One alternate (skater) will stand at Skater On. The other alternates must stand near the Skater Off area (Kiss & Cry).
• All alternates should be dressed in costume.

The Technical Representative has the authority to alter the rinkside access based on the venue.

Accreditations

• Accreditations will be available for pick-up on-site at the event. The information on accreditation pick-up location and times will be communicated in advance of the event in the Information Package.
• The Section is responsible for ensuring the correct spelling of people’s names. Accreditations will not be reprinted on-site.

Compliance and Penalty

• The Technical Representative for an event has the authority to manage access to the Skater On and Skater Off/Kiss & Cry areas and may limit the number of people at the boards or in the Skater On/Skater Off/Kiss & Cry areas if they feel skater performance or safety is being compromised.
• Skate Canada has the authority to suspend an individual's accreditation privileges at a Skate Canada event should an accredited individual violate the Skate Canada Accreditation Procedures.
  • If an individual’s accreditation is suspended their accreditation tag will be removed.
  • That individual would be required to obtain event tickets should they want to watch the competition/event.
  • Skate Canada has the authority to apply additional sanctions post event, pending an investigation of the incident or actions that resulted in an individual’s accreditation being suspended.