Getting Started as a Coach
All coaches must complete Rowing Canada Aviron’s (RCA) Every Coach Certified components before beginning to coach. This includes the four components outlined below:
All coaches must complete a Criminal Record Check and/or Vulnerable Sector Screen once every three years. Check with the local rowing organization you will be coaching for to find out their process for obtaining and reviewing Criminal Record Checks.
Developed by the Coaches Association of Canada, Coach Initiation in Sport is an online National Coach Certification Program (NCCP) module developed to introduce new or experienced coaches to the foundational skills in coaching, such as: long-term athlete development, ethics, coaching motivation, and athlete safety and wellness. The Coach Initiation in Sport module will also introduce coaches to the NCCP, a valuable tool for preparing for a coach’s first in-person NCCP workshop.
How to complete this requirement:
- Make an account, or log in to an existing account, in the Coaches Association of Canada Locker HERE
- Look for “Coach Initiation in Sport” under the elearning tab in the Locker
- Pay the $15 fee and allocate ~1 hr to completing the module
- Your completion will be recorded in the Locker and added to any other coach education records you have (for rowing or other sports)
Developed by RCA, Rowing Essentials equips coaches to provide a positive and safe experience for all rowers. This course will introduce you to the RCA Athlete Development Pathway preparing coaches to identify the athlete development stages and be a framework for developing programming. Rowing Essentials will inform coaches on the RCA Safety Guidelines, RCA Safety Video, and prepare coaches to identify strategies and implement plans to minimize rowing safety risks.
How to complete this requirement:
- Make an account, or log in to an existing account, in the Coaches Association of Canada Locker HERE
- Look for “RCA Rowing Essentials” in the Rowing section under the elearning tab in the Locker
- Pay the $20 fee and allocate ~1 hr to completing the module
- Your completion will be recorded in the Locker and added to any other coach education records you have (for rowing or other sports)
Developed by the Coaching Association of Canada, Making Ethical Decisions (MED) training is a cornerstone of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), and leaves coaches with no doubt as to what to do when the going gets tough.
By successfully completing the MED training, coaches will be fully equipped to handle ethical situations with confidence and surety. MED training helps coaches identify the legal, ethical, and moral implications of difficult situations that present themselves in the world of team and individual sport.
After you have taken the module, you can access the NCCP Make Ethical Decisions online evaluation free through the Locker. Successful completion of the evaluation is necessary for coach certification in any NCCP program.
How to complete this requirement:
- Sign up for an upcoming virtual or in-person Making Ethical Decisions module through viaSport BC
- Following completion of the module, make an account, or log in to an existing account, in the Coaches Association of Canada Locker HERE
- Look for “Making Ethical Decisions Evaluation” in the elearning section of the Locker
- Allocate the required time to complete the evaluation
- Your completion will be recorded in the Locker and added to any other coach education records you have (for rowing or other sports)
For more information about the support available from Rowing BC for coaches anywhere along the pathway, contact us.
Coach Education Workshops and Evaluations
Coach education and development opportunities are structured around the athlete demographic each coach will work with. Learn more about each coach education stream below:
The RCA Learn to Row Coach Workshop is intended for coaches who will be working with beginner athletes (those in the Learn to Train stage of Long Term Athlete Development).
In this workshop you will learn about and discuss: safety, analyzing the rowing stroke, Long Term Athlete Development, lesson planning, skills analysis, teaching and learning, rigging, para rowing, and modifying Learn to Row lessons to meet the needs of your club and the participants.
Note: The RCA Every Coach Certified components are required before taking this workshop. In addition, coaches are expected to have a Pleasure Craft Operator’s Card.
After completion of this workshop you will be “RCA Learn to Row Coach Trained”.
After successful completion of the evaluation, you will be “RCA Learn to Row Coach Certified”!
The RCA Coach Workshop is intended for coaches who will be working with athletes interested in regional and provincial competition (those in the Train to Train and Learn to Compete stage of Long Term Athlete Development).
This workshop is divided into two weekends of learning – RCA Coach Weekend 1 Workshop and RCA Coach Weekend 2 Workshop. In general, it is encouraged that coaches leave a gap between taking these workshops in order to develop their portfolio and use the knowledge gained from the first workshop before returning for the second one.
In these workshops you will learn about and discuss: Long Term Athlete Development, analyzing rowing technique, analyzing rigging (including adaptations for para athletes), designing a sport program, movement screens, planning a practice, supporting athletes in training, testing and monitoring athlete performance, and supporting competitive experiences.
Note: The RCA Every Coach Certified components are required before taking this workshop. In addition, coaches are expected to have a Pleasure Craft Operator’s Card.
After completion of these workshops you will be “RCA Coach Trained”.
After successful completion of the evaluation, you will be “RCA Coach Certified”!
In the past, there was a dedicated workshop for coaches working with para rowers. Now, para rowing components are woven into the RCA Learn to Row Coach and RCA Coach workshop materials. The stage of the para athletes who you will be coaching will determine which of the workshops will be the most relevant to you.
The RCA Coastal Coach Workshop is intended for coaches who will be working with coastal rowers.
This workshop is built on the foundation of the RCA Coach Weekend 1 Workshop. Interested coaches must first complete the RCA Coach Weekend 1 Workshop, and can then sign up to complete the RCA Coastal Coach Workshop virtual component and in-person component.
In the coastal workshops you will learn about and discuss: coastal rowing safety, training and race skills, boat handling, rigging, and Rules of Racing.
Note: The RCA Every Coach Certified components are required before taking this workshop. In addition, coaches are expected to have a Pleasure Craft Operator’s Card.
After completion of these workshops, you will be “RCA Coastal Coach Trained”.
After successful completion of the evaluation, you will be “RCA Coastal Coach Certified”!
The RCA Performance Coach Workshop is intended for coaches who will be working with athletes interested in provincial and national competition (those in the Learn to Compete and Train to Compete stages of Long Term Athlete Development).
This workshop is offered directly by RCA and admission is based on an application process.
Be sure to sign up for RCA communications to be alerted of upcoming opportunities to take this workshop.
RCA Performance Coach includes a series of NCCP multi-sport modules coaches complete through the Locker in addition to a weekend of rowing-specific learning. Find out more HERE.
After completion of these workshops you will be “RCA Performance Coach Trained”.
After successful completion of the evaluation, you will be “RCA Performance Coach Certified”!
Additional Resources and Opportunities for Coaches
Inclusivity is one of Rowing BC’s foundational values. Underpinning Rowing BC’s Mission that “All British Columbians are able to discover, pursue and enjoy the sport of rowing” is the belief that female coaches are essential to a vibrant and effective sport system, and that they are particularly important as visible role models for girls and young women.
Rowing BC is committed to bringing change to the current state that only 25% of coaches in Canada are female.
Relevant Resources:
Coaching certifications through the NCCP have requirements to maintain the certification status. Check your Locker account to determine your Professional Development Points. Points can be earned through NCCP workshops and courses, active coaching, and some non-NCCP courses and events.
- NCCP – Sign in to your Locker account. Look under “E-Learning” and on the “Calendar” for subjects that are relevant for you. Many “Multi-Sport” courses are free or inexpensive.
- Active Coaching – From your Locker, look at your “Profile” and from there, choose “Self-Report”. You can record years of Active Coaching, as well as any self-reported coach development activities.
- non-NCCP – Many coach development activities can earn points. If an event or course is asking for your NCCP, make sure to include it so that the available points end up in your Locker account.
Workshops and Courses are an important part of professional development as a coach, but sometimes it is important to have conversations with a person who has experience in the areas in which you would like to grow. Rowing BC has developed a Coach Mentorship program that will help you make that connection. Here are some things that both mentor and mentee could gain:
- New network connections
- Shared learning
- NCCP points to maintain certifications
The Rowing BC Mentorship Program connects mentor and mentee based on location and interests. From there they use the Rowing BC Mentor Guide and Rowing BC Mentee Guide to help guide their mentorship relationship. (These guides were developed using materials created by the Coaching Association of Canada. The original documents can be found HERE if you are interested in more detail.)
To participate in the program as a mentor or mentee, please contact us and share your coaching location and goals for mentorship.
Resources for you to make your coaching better and for sharing. Contact us if there’s a resource you would like to see here.
Guest Coaching is an avenue through which rowing organizations can access additional coaching resources for one-off or repeating events. This is an opportunity to bring in a coach to the training environment who has different skill sets or experience than the regular coaches, or to temporarily fill a coaching gap that exists in the organization. In most instances, the guest coach will be visiting from their regular coaching duties at another organization, but in some cases may be able to expand into taking on additional responsibilities beyond the arranged guest coaching sessions.
If you are interested in being a guest coach, or you represent an organization that would like to bring in a guest coach, please reach out to discuss options.
For more information about the support available from Rowing BC for coaches anywhere along the pathway, contact us.