Coaching information

The “C” IN BPEC

The Bachelor of Physical Education & Coaching (BPEC) believes in the development and education of coaches. In addition to the overall courses and curriculum offered in our Department, we provide the following opportunities for those students interested in a future full of coaching!

PART 1: NATIONAL COACHING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM (NCCP) & BPEC

The Douglas College Sport Science (SPSC) Department, the Coaches Association of Canada (CAC), and ViaSport have teamed up to integrate the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) multi-sport modules into BPEC courses. The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) was created in Canada to unify national/provincial/territorial sport organizations across the country.

FAQ's

The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) and the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) have three (3) Coaching Streams:

  • “Community” Sport Coach Training – this stream is for coaches often coaching at the community level or thinking about coaching. This includes parents with a child involved in sport, those who volunteer, or those who work with participants of all ages.
  • “Competition” Coach Training – this stream is for coaches who usually have previous coaching experience or are former athletes in the sport. They tend to work with athletes over the long term to improve performance, often in preparation for provincial, national, and international competitions. BPEC ‘trains’ students in this stream.
  • “Instruction” Coach Training – this stream is for coaches who already have sport-specific skills and training, whether coaching at the beginner or advanced skill levels. They teach or coach the sport in a variety of areas. Many are former participants in the sport.

For more information on the NCCP Coaching Certification Program, visit the CAC website.

As part of their BPEC journey, students must complete a series of non-academic requirements including a list of NCCP Competition Introduction and Development Modules. Graduating students will receive "trained status" in the following modules:

Professional Development ($15)

  • Fundamental Movement Skills (SPSC 1195)

NCCP Competition-Introduction ($75)

  • Basic Mental Skills (SPSC 2210)
  • Plan a Practice (SPSC 2210)
  • Teaching & Learning (SPSC 2210)
  • Design a Basic Sport Program (SPSC 2210)
  • Making Ethical Decisions (SPSC 2210) 
  • Making Ethical Decisions Online Evaluation - elearning Module accessed online via thelocker.coach.ca (Students must complete this on their own for the BPEC Non-Academic Graduation Requirements) 

NCCP Competition-Development ($75)

  • Developing Athletic Abilities (SPSC 4199)
  • Prevention and Recovery (SPSC 3276)
  • Manage Conflict (SPSC 3240)
  • Coaching and Leading Effectively (SPSC 3240)
  • Psychology of Performance (SPSC 4231)

Note: For more information on additional modules, visit the CAC website and contact your Provincial Sport Organization.

"Trained" refers to Coaches who have participated in training opportunities and/or workshops to acquire or refine the skills and knowledge required for a particular coaching context (i.e. Competition-Introduction).

"Certified" refers to coaches who are “trained” and have been evaluated by a Sport NCCP Learning Facilitator (LF), in an actual “live” sport practice/game. They must demonstrate an ability to perform within that context in areas such as program design, practice planning, performance analysis, program management, ethical coaching, support to participants during training, and support to participants in competition.

The benefits of NCCP Coach Education being integrated into post-secondary education include:

  1. The opportunities for assessment and extended application of the core competencies and skills. The combination of degree delivery and Fieldwork experiences provides student-coaches the chance to learn, apply and debrief with both Faculty and community Coach mentors - bringing the concepts of NCCP Competency Based Education Training to life in a post-secondary setting!
  2. The convenience of completing an industry standard certification within an academic degree. Students not only save the time, they also save money by paying a reduced NCCP fee due. This is due to the fact that SPSC Faculty are NCCP Learning Facilitators, meaning their fee is covered in student tuition.

PART 2: BPEC COACHING & FIELDWORK

All BPEC students must complete a minimum of four fieldwork placements. Those students who are interested in a coaching-focused career path may complete up to three (69 hours) placements in a coaching setting. Coaching-specific sites will offer supervised on-the-job coach training in all areas of athlete development: physical, mental, tactical and technical sport-specific training. In addition, the networking opportunities with coaches, teachers and athletes is a planned benefit of Fieldwork in that student-coaches are exposed to current innovative coaching methods and meet people who can help students navigate their career paths.

Learn more

PART 3: MEET YOUR BPEC STUDENT COACHING AMBASSADOR

Your 2021-2022 Student Coaching Ambassador is Bailey Cove.
 
Hello! I’m Bailey Cove and I’m a 3rd year in the BPEC program.

I’ve coached for about 11 years now and absolutely love it. Nothing can compare to seeing a child’s eyes light up when they understand a skill or reach a new goal. Growing up I played any sport I could get my hands, or feet on mainly focused on volleyball and soccer. I was a multi-sport athlete all through high school and received the district PE award for my achievement. My main sport is volleyball, although it was not an easy path for me as I battled with many concussions through my youth. I had some amazing coaches that helped me understand how to utilize my strengths and minimize my weaknesses.

In about grade 10 I started coaching soccer and volleyball with some amazing coaching mentors that helped me realize my passion for helping other kids gain confidence and skills. I realized very quickly that coaching, especially the early age groups, can have a major impact on their sports career and overall life experience. It isn’t just what I teach them at practice, but the vulnerability and openness I express that can help them learn in many aspects. As a coach now I thrive with working with kids in transition periods of their lives and put a high importance on life skills as well as sport skills. I help teams realize how to work as a group and how to translate that to outside the field or court. I still have a lot to learn but look forward to my future as a coach!

If I had any advice for people thinking about getting into coaching, I would tell them to DO IT! You don’t have to head coach a team to be an effective coach. It’s so rewarding and everyone has something to give.