The goal of Volleyball Canada's National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) is to:

• plan and develop technical coaching manuals
• prepare education materials to support technical manuals
• design the system for delivery of coaching programs
• develop coaching resource material to assist the regular programs
• promote the NCCP
• develop programs and resources to improve the skill level of volleyball participants

The program includes 4 certification streams and each stream contains steps for completion.

Click here for a short video from the Coaching Association of Canada as well as a full overview of Volleyball Canada's new delivery pathway.

Already started on your journey of becoming a certified coach and have taken a NCCP course or certified and would like to continue to the next stream?
Click here for some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for clarification on the new pathway.

Development Coach (DC)

For novice coaches (both indoor and beach volleyball) who need to be able to teach basic skills and tactics, and prepare athletes for low-level competitions. Athletes are generally trained on a seasonal basis. Fun is an important part of the athletes’ sport experience. Specialization is not a priority at this stage, and sport experiences generally provide an opportunities to teach values and develop social skills. 

Advanced Development Coach-Indoor, Advanced Development Coach-Beach (ADC)

Upon completion of Development Coach certification, the coach will choose between two different coaching certification routes - beach volleyball or indoor volleyball. For both disciplines, the ADC builds upon the concepts presented in the DC Volleyball Certification Program. ADC help athletes refine basic skills and tactics, teach more advanced skills and tactics, and prepare them for provincial or national level competitions. Athletes are usually training several times a week on a seasonal or annual basis to improve performance. Although having a good time remains an important part of the athletes’ sport experience, the outcome of competitions is of greater importance, as athletes may have to meet pre-determined performance standards. Major concepts dealt with are skill variation, advanced team systems, position specialization, running cohesive practices, and seasonal planning and periodization concepts are introduced.

Performance Coach-Indoor, Performance Coach-Beach (PC)

The Performance Coach again builds upon the concepts presented in the DC and ADC volleyball coaching programs with separate education, training, and certification pathways for indoor and beach volleyball coaches. These are advanced volleyball coaching programs and are intended for coaches who aspire to develop athletes and teams which will be competitive at national level competitions (i.e. national championships) and who desire to pursue coaching as a profession.  As a general rule, these coaches work with advanced athletes between the ages of 17 – 24. They help athletes refine advanced sport skills and tactics, and prepare them for national and, in a few instances, international competitions. Athletes perform a high volume of specialized training on an annual basis in order to improve or maintain performance. Although having a good time still remains an important part of the athletes’ sport experience, the outcome of competitions becomes very important. The athletes endeavour to reach their full potential and attain optimum performance levels. Major components of this program are advanced skill development concepts, volleyball program management, detailed seasonal planning, and the effective sequencing of training sessions.

Advanced Coaching Diploma

The Advanced Coaching Diploma of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) represent the highest components of coach education available in Canada.  The goal of the NCCP at this level is to provide coaches with advanced applied training opportunities that meet the highest education and evaluation standards.

As a result of their certification, coaches will demonstrate a thorough understanding of their sport and its demands - from developmental up to the elite or international level.  They will also be able to plan, implement, and evaluate a variety of programs and activities aimed at providing an environment which is optimal for the overall development of the athlete, including those who aspire to and have the potential for international levels of performance.

The Advanced Coaching Diploma program will enhance the quality of the coach's interventions in the areas of technical, tactical, physiological, and psychological athlete preparation, as well as his or her managerial competence.  The coach's pedagogical, analytical, critical, and conceptual skills will also be refined, and he or she will provide leadership at all levels of the sport system.  This, in turn, will translate into a better sport experience for athletes, including more consistent and superior performances.

Contacts associated with coaching certification:

Volleyball Canada-Coaching Centre (Pre-workshop e-learning modules - click "Register Now")
Coaching Association of Canada (NCCP, The Locker, Multi-sport courses)
Coaching Nova Scotia (Multi-sport courses: classroom, home based, on-line)
Canadian Sport Centre-Atlantic (National Coaching Institute-Atlantic)