A Diploma
The A Diploma focuses on developing and refining the student coach’s capacity to meet the demands of coaching elite youth and top-level senior amateur players in a performance environment. The A Diploma was designed for those coaching Elite Youth, College, University and/or Professional players. Priority acceptance will be given to those actively coaching in those environments.
Pre-Requisite:
- Valid Canadian B Licence or approved International Equivalent that has been held for a minimum of 12 months
- Currently coaching a team in the context noted above
- Valid Criminal Record Check
Start Date:
August annually
Course Duration:
12 months
Coach Commitment:
Coaches can expect to commit up to 300 hours to complete the A Diploma excluding any instances where work needs to be revised and re-assessed.
Learning Environment:
- 2 x 4.5 days
- In-person (classroom & field)
- Independent online learning (asynchronous)
- Collaborative online learning (synchronous)
- Collaborative group learning (mentor supported)
- Reality-based learning (i.e. in the coach’s specific context)
Attendance:
Coaches must attend 100% of the in-person and online sessions to be licensed.
In-person sessions will occur in August & January each year. On-line sessions will be held twice per month typically on Monday evenings.
Licence Validity:
Upon successful completion of the A Diploma, the coach will receive a coaching licence valid for three (3) years. The licence may be maintained by following the Canada Soccer Maintenance and Renewal Process.
Course Fees:
The course fee of $4,200 (as per Canada Soccer) covers a range of benefits, including mentor support throughout the program, access to all course content, in-person classroom and field rentals, tools for in-person and online sessions, and Canada Soccer-branded Nike equipment (excluding boots and trainers). Coaches are responsible for additional fees related to travel, accommodations, meals during in-person sessions, and any costs associated with video recording of practical coaching sessions.
Application Process:
The application window is open from January to March 31 each year. The application form will be turned off at the end of the business day on March 31. No applications received after this time will be eligible for consideration. The review process takes place in April and May with responses provided to all applicants by May 31 at the latest.
Note: if necessary, applicants will be interviewed to finalize course selection. Selected candidates have 30 days to accept their place and fully submit the course fee. If a selected candidate rejects their place on the course, it will be offered to the next suitable candidate.
If you aspire to achieve the Canada Soccer A Diploma certification, we encourage you to express your interest promptly. Please contact NWT Soccer, this is a crucial step in the application process, and it ensures that you are on the radar for the upcoming A Diploma Coach Education Course.