Softball Ontario – What it Means to be a Coach

There are many reasons why people get involved in coaching a sport. As a parent, you are able to not just watch your child play a sport you both love, but get to bond with them in an unmatched, active way. It is a spectacular way to get involved in the community, meet other like-minded parents, and have a sense of fulfillment from volunteering. As previous athletes it is a way to pursue your passion in a different direction, as well as give back to the sport.  Being a coach at any level involves helping others to be better, both in life and sport. Becoming a coach encompasses planning useful practices, helping athletes identify how to improve their performance by providing guidance and knowledge, enable safe participation by creating a safe environment, teaching others how to respect the sport, each other, and themselves. There are many aspects to be a coach that are satisfying as a Parent, Fan, Athlete, Teacher, or an individual. However, not everyone knows what steps to take to become a coach or improve as a coach. Here’s a great foundation on how to begin.
 

Learn to Coach Clinic (8 Hours)
This clinic is designed for softball coaches with U6, U8, and U10 either in House League or House League Select, as well as other variations of the game, including learn to play, blast ball, coach pitch, and 5-pitch. The focus of this course is learning and developing your coaching philosophy, making ethical decisions, understanding the rules and equipment of softball, teaching the basic skills of softball, and modifying a pre-designed practice.

Community Coach Clinic (16 Hours)
Coaches who coach U12, U14, U16, U18, House League and House League Select should attend this clinic.  This clinic aims to help coaches be confident on the field as a community coach. The goal is to help you understand the needs of the athletes you will be coaching (typically ages 10-18); plan purposeful practices and lead your team in safe and age appropriate drills; to properly teach fundamental softball skills and position-specific skills; apply an ethical decision-making process to situations that may arise throughout the year; and prepare your team for game situations using basic defensive and offensive strategies with an understanding of the game.

Competition Introduction- Softball
Softball coaches who coach U14, U16, U19, U21, intermediate, senior, and masters competitive and representative divisions should attend this clinic.

Weekend #1- teaching the ‘what’ of coaching softball
The objective of weekend one is to teach you to understand the needs of the players you are coaching; plan effective, safe, and age appropriate practice; to properly teach and strengthen softball skills; apply a six-step ethical decision-making process; and learn to prepare your team
for game situations using pre-game warm-ups, basic defensive and offensive strategies, signalling, and the proper application of the rules of softball.

Weekend #2- teaching the ‘how’ of coaching softball
Weekend two aims at properly teaching and reinforce position-specific skills; prepare your team for game situations, including defensive and offensive tactics; learn how to make coaching interventions that promote learning; and to detect and correct common errors in the performance of technical skills and position-specific skills of your players.

If your park or program is interested in hosting a clinic please check out the Softball Ontario website: https://softballontario.ca/coach/#tab-id-2

If you have any questions please contact me Holly Perry, Softball Ontario’s Coaches Committee Member via email at hollyperry4202@gmail.com .

Happy Coaching!

Yikes I need PD Points!

Dear Steph- how can I get PD Points by December 31? Asking for a Friend of course…

SO let’s say I know a Coach who was NCCP Certified in 2015 (needing 20 points in 5 years) and recently received an email from the Coaching Association of Canada saying that said Coach was required to Log into the Locker to check out the PD Point situation as the deadline was coming close.

Here are some quick solutions that you may not have thought about to obtain your required PD Points to maintain your NCCP Certification but also ensure that you are current in the Canadian sport system.

8 Ways to obtain 5 Points with the shot clock running:

1. Actively Report your Coaching- for any sport! You receive 1 point for every season coached.  Simply log into your Locker – Click on Certification, Click Self Report, Click Record Active Status Coaching and fill in the dates accordingly.

2. Record Professional Development- You can receive up to 3 points for recording any training that you have may have taken at work that is related to Coaching or a First Aid/CPR Clinic. Again, simply log into your Locker- Click on Certification, Click Self Report, Click Record Professional
Development and fill in the information as required.

3. FREE E-Learning in the Locker- Log into the Locker and click on the E-Learning Tab. There you could access Multi-Sport online modules including Make Ethical Decisions (Free if you have taken Weekend #1), Making Head Way in Sport (Concussion Awareness). Each of these E-
Learning can earn you 5 PD Points each.

4. E-Learning in the Locker- Take the NCCP Emergency Action Plan module. It is takes an hour to complete to earn a FREE 1 PD Point.

5. On-line Education- the Locker has two (2) 5 PD Point opportunities for a minimal cost. Be sure to check out Coaching Athletes with a Disability ($16.95) and Coaching Initiation in Sport ($15.00). Sometimes there are special promotions offered by the Coaching Association of
Canada and the Coaches Association of Ontario where both opportunities are offered for Free!  Keep an eye out!

6. Softball specific PD Points- Softball Canada has converted the CANpitch DVD resource over to an online format for a 1 PD Point for $16.95. The beauty of this PD Point is you can then go back at any time to watch the drills for a Pitcher and become an excellent resource! Next PD Point
Opportunity is called the Foundations of Coaching which can be found in the Locker. This clinic provides an overview of LTPD, appropriate skill development, safety considerations and working with players and their parents. This 5 PD Point opportunity costs $16.50.

7. Go to a Softball Ontario Drills, Drills, Drills or Hitting4Coaches 3 PD Point Clinic. For a listing of clinics; check out this link for where and when they are being offered:

8. Cruise other sport websites to see what PD Point opportunities that they are offering. There are some great resources that can be translated to into softball speak!