Overview

Skate Canada recognizes that coaches are an important resource for the advancement of skating in Canada.  The Coach Membership Procedure outlines the requirements that must be followed for maintaining an in good standing status with Skate Canada throughout the current registration season.

Definitions

Certain terms used herein may not be capitalized; however, for the purposes of this procedure, the following terms herein have the ascribed meanings as set forth below. In addition, all references to the singular include the plural and vice versa.

Board, pursuant to the Bylaws, means the board of directors of Skate Canada

Bylaws means the bylaws of Skate Canada as amended and which are, from time to time, in force and effect

Club, pursuant to the Bylaws, means a not-for-profit organization that is operating for the general purpose of providing Skate Canada programs and is managed by a volunteer board of directors

Skating School, pursuant to the Bylaws, means an organization other than a Club that is operating for the general purpose of providing Skate Canada skating programs.

Coach, pursuant to the Bylaws, means a skating expert with the required National Coaching Certification Program qualifications to provide a remunerated service at Skate Canada sanctioned clubs and skating schools, both on and off-ice. These individuals shall have registered, provided full payment, and have met all coach registration requirements as set annually by Skate Canada

Registered means full payment of registration fees and insurance premiums as determined annually by Skate Canada and conditions of good standing are met.

Good Standing: means to be a Skate Canada coach in good standing, the following is required:

• Registered as a coach
• Hold a Skate Canada NCCP status
  • Subject to NCCP Maintenance of Certification Policy
  • Subject to Skate Canada NCCP Certification Deadlines as outlined in the NCCP pathways
• Hold a valid First Aid certificate
• Obtain a clear screening through Skate Canada approved company - BackCheck™
• Complete Skate Canada’s Code of Ethics eLearning module
• Complete Respect in Sport Activity Leader Training.

Procedure Scope/Applicability

This procedure applies to all coaches, as defined in this procedure.

Procedure Steps/Requirements

Registration Fees

Skate Canada Coaches must register with Skate Canada and pay the following annual fees:

Coach Registration Fee (15-64 years old) (plus applicable tax)

Coach Fee:National	$93.60
Coach Fee:Section	$23.40
Safe Sport Fee	$5.00
Coach Insurance Program (Liability, Accident, and Weekly Indemnity Insurance)	$74.50

Coach Registration Fee (65+ years old) (plus applicable tax)

Coach Fee: National	$93.60
Coach Fee: Section	$23.40
Safe Sport Fee	$5.00
Coach Insurance Program (Liability and Accident Insurance)*	$65.05

*Coaches 65+ are not eligible for the weekly indemnity coverage (loss of wages). 

Registration for any given year can be completed via the Coach Dashboard on the Membership Site. Click on the "Coaching" tab and then "View/Update Membership Records" to complete registration. Once the annual fee is paid, Skate Canada may not provide refunds. 

Good Standing Requirements

National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Status

Skate Canada trains and certifies coaches through the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) in partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC).

Skate Canada coaches must hold one of the following three (3) NCCP Skate Canada status at either a CanSkate, CanPowerSkate, Regional, Provincial or National level to be in good standing.

1. In-Training status
2. Trained status
3. Certified status

NCCP CanSkate Coaches, CanPowerSkate Coaches, and Regional Coaches must be certified within three-years of their In-Training status to continue coaching beyond this date. Coaches who surpass this deadline are:

• Subject to re-training, additional fees and/or expenses
• Considered not “in good standing”

NCCP certified coaches are required to renew their certification through a collection of professional development points as per the CAC Maintenance of Certification Policy. Coaches who do not renew their certification will:

• Have “not renewed” next to their NCCP status in the Locker
• Will be required to fulfill the missing number of PD points to be considered in good standing
• Skate Canada’s Coach Eligibility Tool does not track Maintenance of Certification. This must be verified through the public Locker transcripts

Skate Canada coaches, clubs and skating schools are responsible for ensuring coaches are qualified for the sessions and skaters they are coaching. Skate Canada coach NCCP qualifications can be verified through the public Locker transcripts using the coach’s name and NCCP number.

Minimum qualifications for coaching at events can be found in the Minimum NCCP status for Coaching chart.

It is the coach’s responsibility to show proof of their current NCCP status upon request from club board members, skating school representatives, and/or competition volunteers. Coaches can refer to their Locker transcript for their NCCP details.

First Aid Certification

To ensure a safe skating environment and in case of an emergency, all Skate Canada Coaches must hold a valid First Aid certification to be considered in good standing. Skate Canada outlines the following requirements for First Aid training:

• Course length is minimum 6-hours
• Primarily First Aid related, CPR only is not an acceptable format
• Must include a practical, hands-on, in-person component and a written exam
• The certificate has an expiry date of no more than three years from date of completion

Note: Blended course combining online theory and in person hands on practical evaluation are acceptable formats.

Skate Canada Coaches who are currently licensed in a profession that practices First Aid (or equivalent) as a requirement of their career (e.g. fire fighters, nurses, police officers, paramedics) are not required to complete an additional First Aid course. To meet the First Aid requirement, these individuals must provide proof of their current employment licenses and certificates outlining applicable expiry dates. In some cases, Skate Canada may ask for a letter from the licensor stating that completion of First Aid (or equivalent skills) is a requirement of being licensed.

Coaches are responsible for submitting their First Aid certification information to Skate Canada, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,  to ensure timely updating of their online profile. When submitting, please include the following:

• ‘First Aid’ in the subject line.
• The Skate Canada number of the individual who took the First Aid course in the body of the email.
• Attach the First Aid certificate.

Screening

Skate Canada Coaches are in a leadership role and in a position of trust with Skate Canada stakeholders. To help ensure the safety and well-being of our stakeholders and their families, Skate Canada requires that all coaches 18-years of age or older complete a screening every three years to be considered in good standing.

All fees associated with completing the screening is the responsibility of the individual coach.

All screenings must be conducted by BackCheck through the unique portal set up for Skate Canada Coaches. No other organizations’ results will be accepted as a valid screening document.

Backcheck screening results are shared directly with Skate Canada and results of a clear screen will be updated in the coach’s profile by Skate Canada.

Skate Canada reserves the right to refuse a membership application or to identify an individual’s status as not in good standing based on the outcome of an individual’s screening.

Skate Canada coaches have an obligation to immediately disclose any circumstances or the occurrence of any events to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. that could reasonably be determined to change the results of the screening status.

Please note the following:

• The screening criteria does not absolve Skate Canada clubs and skating schools from their responsibility of following a detailed recruitment process (including reference checks) for hiring/contracting coaches.
• Coaches who are under 18-years of age are required to complete a screening once they turn 18-years of age. Until their 18^th birthday, a temporary expiry date will be inputted into their Skate Canada profile that will expire one month after their birthday. The one-month grace period will allow coaches who have just turned 18 to complete the required screening.

Skate Canada Code of Ethics

At Skate Canada, every individual is entitled to a safe, professional, inclusive and respectful environment that treats individuals with fairness, dignity and respect in support of our core values, whereby all participants are entitled to feel and know they are safe and in an environment that is free from misconduct, which includes all forms of abuse (including but not limited to sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, abuse of authority), neglect, bullying and/or abuse behaviour, harassment, and discrimination.

Skate Canada coaches are required to complete The Code of Ethics: Coaches eLearning module annually. This is to be completed through the Coach Dashboard on the Skate Canada Membership site.

Respect in Sport Activity Leader Training

Respect in Sport Activity Leader Training is training provided by the Respect Group Inc and is designed to provide practical tools to be better leaders. With the same reasons outlined in the Skate Canada Code of Ethics section, Skate Canada Coaches are required to complete the Respect in Sport Activity Leader Training to be in good standing. A coach must re-certify every 3-years.

The Respect in Sport Activity Leader Training can be completed through the Coach Dashboard on the Membership Site.

Non-Resident Coach

A non-resident coach is a resident of a country other than Canada. A non-resident coach may coach on Skate Canada ice for one continuous period of two months or less within a Skate Canada registration year (September 1 to August 31).

Regardless of the amount of coaching time they wish to do within the allotted timeframe, non-resident coaches are subject to the requirements as stipulated in the Skate Canada Coach Membership Policy and the associated procedure, without having an NCCP status.

Registration for Non-Resident Coaches

Non-Resident Coaches should contact Skate Canada’s Safe Sport Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to complete an international coach screening with Sterling Backcheck. Once the screening is cleared, a profile will be set up for the non-resident coach to complete the following requirements on the Membership Site prior to providing a service in Skate Canada clubs/skating schools:

• Pay the coach registration fee
• Complete the Code of Ethics: Coaches eLearning module
• Complete the Respect in Sport Activity Leader Training.
• E-mail proof of valid First Aid certificate

All Non -Resident coach requests must be reviewed and approved by Skate Canada Safe Sport and the Performance Excellence Department prior to paying the annual coach registration fee and coaching on Skate Canada ice and at qualifying Skate Canada competitions.

Compliance

This Procedure does not prevent temporary and/or immediate discipline, the imposition of a sanction or membership revocation from being applied as reasonably required by Skate Canada, including and up to suspension or expulsion from Skate Canada pending the outcome of the investigation and resolution process. Further discipline may be applied according to this Procedure and/or the Policy that supports this Procedure.

Violations may result in a warning, reprimand, restrictions, suspension, or other disciplinary actions up to and including expulsion, as applicable and appropriate, and/or as permitted by the Bylaws of Skate Canada. A violation may also result in a status change to ‘not in good standing’ or such other status as may be in place from time to time.

Controls and Monitoring

Coach eligibility can be monitored by using the Coach Eligibility Tool available through the Skate Canada Membership Site. A direct link to the coach’s NCCP transcript can be accessed by clicking on the NCCP number on the Coach Eligibility Tool.

Note: Coaches who acquire the required PD Points after their deadline may appear not in good standing as the dates for expiry in The Locker are reset on a yearly basis.  In this situation, the PD points requirement can be verified by accessing the public Locker transcripts.

Roles and Accountabilities

Skate Canada is responsible for taking all the reasonable steps as outlined in this Procedure.

Skate Canada coaches are responsible for complying with the content of this Procedure.

Clubs and skating schools are responsible for ensuring that Skate Canada coaches are members in good standing while actively coaching. When utilizing individuals who are not Skate Canada coaches for on/off-ice seminars and or off-ice classes, clubs and skating schools are responsible for ensuring proper insurance is in place.

Related Documents

This Procedure is an organizational procedure that should be read in conjunction with the following directly and/or indirectly related policies:

• National Safe Sport Program
• Coach Membership Policy
• National Coaching Certification Program Procedure
• Code of Ethics
• Trans Inclusion Policy
• Online Criminal Record Check Procedure
• Privacy Policy

Questions/ Contact Information

For questions, please email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.