So you’ve been asked to complete a youth sports coaching certification before you can start coaching the team. Or maybe you’re extra diligent and seeking out a coaching certification before you’ve been asked to. For whatever reason, we want to help you get yours quickly. Keep reading as we explore the top youth sport coaching certifications we deem you’ll gain the most benefit from.
There is no one youth sports coaching certification course or training program in which all coaches must complete. Some clubs may demand you complete one from organizations like National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), while others will leave it up you. Certification courses vary in price, access, material, target audience and renewal policy.
According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association from data collected in 2017, “Only 36 percent of youth coaches are trained in effective motivational techniques” (source). Shocking I know. Our kids deserve better. Let’s see how you can get involved to not only alter the statistics but truly make a difference.
What is a Youth Sports Coaching Certification?
A certification in youth sports is a specific type of training where you learn how to best coach and mentor kids to participate in sport.
While there are an abundance of different training programs out there, all offering slightly varied modules and activities, it’s safe to assume they have one thing in common – to help kids continue to play sport longer by providing a fun, safe and rewarding experience for all involved.
As a beginner or veteran youth sports coach, you may not have the choice about which course you need to take as the organisation has requested a specific one for you. But in some situations you may have a choice. When selecting which one is right for you we wanted to give you a few points to consider which can be easily missed;
- Where does the course take place? If it’s online, do you have a functioning device? Generally, a desktop computer / laptop is best for this type of training. If you need to travel, are the trainings within a close distance to you?
- What is the expected time of completion for the course? 1 day vs 6 weeks / months?
- Does the course offer a sports-specific section or is it a general course about youth sports?
- If you coach girls and are unfamiliar with how they differ to coaching boys, is this information offered?
- How long do you have to complete the course? Is there ongoing access to the online course information?
- At the course completion, what do you get? What is the certification called? Is this what the organization has asked you to obtain?
- What do the reviews say? Is the course reputable? Have any friends around the club completed the course?
- How much is the course? Are there any ongoing fees such as obtaining your certificate upon completion?
- How long does the certification last? Do I need it renew it after a few years and if so, how?
I know those questions are a bit to get your head around so we will endeavour to answer as much as we can below.
The interesting thing about a youth sports coaching certification is that the need for one is not consistent across all sports. It is not a legal requirement for coaching kids, well that is in countries like the United States and Australia. Some specific sports or organizations demand that their staff, volunteers or not, complete a youth sports certification while others don’t.
While you may have you own opinion over the need for a youth sports coaching certification, I suppose it can’t be a bad thing to learn a bit more about kids health, what motivates them and how their bodies are developing to prevent injury.
Comparing Youth Sports Coaching Certification Courses
| Course Title | Who runs it? | Location | Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAYS Coach Training & Membership Program | NAYS | Online/On site | $20 | 3 hours |
| ACA Coaching Certification Program | ACA* | Online | $197 | 8 hours |
| Certified Sports Administrator/CSA | NCYS* | Online | $99+ | 3 months |
| How To Coach Kids | Multiple. See below. | Online | Free | NA |
| Youth Performance Coach Certification | Spencer Institute | Online | $250+ | NA |
*NCYS – National Council of Youth Sports
*ACA – American Coaching Academy
NAYS Coach Training & Membership Program
The NAYS Coach Training & Membership Program, according to the website, “is the most widely used coach training program in the nation, having trained more than 3 million coaches since its inception in 1981”.
The course is delivered online and features familiar and respected names coaches such as Mike Krzyzewski, John Harbaugh, Joe Maddon and Vivian Stringer.
This training program is set up in two parts. The first being the “coaching youth sports” section and the second being “sports specific” section where you are entitled to choose one out of the 12 sports on offer to study. See the full list here and what to do if your sport is not listed.
Topics covered:
- What It Means to Be A Coach
- Youth Sports Violence
- Conducting Practices
- Game Day
- Injury Prevention
- Nutrition and Hydration
- Changing trends in youth sports
- Plus more
How long does the certification take to complete?
Approximately 3 hours of online training.
The course is also offered on site, hosted by a local NAYS Member Organization. This face-to-face training allows for interaction, role-playing and networking however they are currently suspended due to COVID-19.
How much does it cost?
The training course costs $20.
After completing the course you will automatically become a member of NAYS for a year. After this time, if you want to continue being a member you’ll need to renew your membership for $20. Discounts are available if you pay for multiple years at a time. See this link for more details about memberships.
As a member you will receive the following:
- High-quality membership card with key tag. Cards include the member’s name, membership ID, each sport completed and expiration date.
- $1,000,000 excess liability insurance coverage
- Access to a members-only section of the NAYS website, full with coaching resources and additional training opportunities such as Concussion Awareness, Bullying Prevention, Protecting Against Abuse and Coaching Children with Mental Health Challenges.
- Access to corporate discounts and offers
Note* If you coach multiple sports you will need to complete additional training modules for those sports in order to be fully covered from an insurance perspective. This will cost you $5 per sport.
What set’s this course apart?
- Reputation. NAYS has been around for 35 years and have trained more than 3 million coaches since its inception in 1981.
- Affordability
- Short to complete
- Connection with community sport. This certification is offered on-site in more than 3,000 communities nationwide
- Upon completion you receive insurance and ongoing access to resources and education
If you want to sign up and dive right in, click here.
ACA Coaching Certification Program
The American Coaching Academy (ACA) Certification Program is all about helping youth sports coaches, “Be The Coach That Communities Treasure, Teams Celebrate, And Athletes Cherish For The Rest Of Their Lives!”
ACA was established in 2003 and has since provided training and coaching education to youth and high school sports coaches in all 50 states (and 18 different countries).
ACA is aware that majority of youth sports coaches today have not received any formal training and they endeavor to change that.
Their course is broken down into eight interactive modules each taking around 1 hour to complete. Though this course in theory can be completed in one day, ACA recommends taking your time and completing it over 2-3 days.
The topics, which we have listed below, use scenario-based learning to walk you through the real-life challenges faced by every coach.
Topic Covered:
- Coaching Philosophy and Ethics
- Teaching & Communication
- Safety & Injury Prevention
- Athlete Growth & Development
- Nutrition and Physical Conditioning
- Sports Skills & Tactics
- Organization & Administration
- Program Evaluation
What You’ll Get
- 8 Interactive, Scenario-Based Modules
- 8 Exams (one for each module)
- Exercises, Handouts, and Printables
- Upon Completion: Printable Certificate Suitable For Framing
How much does it cost?
Regular tuition costs $197, discounted from $297. You can also pay in three monthly instalments at $67 each.
What sets this course apart?
- Do-able in one day
- 100% Tuition Refund Guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with the courses, notify them within 60 days of your date of registration and we will return your tuition, in full.
- If you are unsuccessful in passing the exam after three attempts, ACA will allow you to take the course again free of change. After this time you are given the opportunity take the exam again.
- You can stop and start the program any time you like.
Certified Sports Administrator / CSA
National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS) and The George Washington University (GWU) School of Business have come together to develop 6 flexible and educational Certified Sports Administrator programs. Unlike NAYS, they don’t have one big course but rather a series of smaller ones so you can choose the content relevant to you.
Courses on Offer:
- Risk Management For Sports Administrators
- Management and Leadership of Sports Organizations
- Funding Sports Organizations
- Sports Marketing
- Sponsorship
- Sport Event Management
How long do you have to complete the course?
3 months to complete each course.
Course cost:
$99 for each course for NCYS members and $189 for non-members.
If you want to learn more about their memberships, click here
What sets this course apart?
- The George Washington University (GWU) School of Business is an internationally renowned University
- You don’t have to study areas of youth sports which are not relevant to you. This makes “studying” a lot more enjoyable.
- Though you have three months to complete the course, you can exit and re-enter the course when it suits you.
Find out more about the Certified Sports Administrator / CSA course here
How To Coach Kids
The How to Coach Kids training program has been a huge team effort approach. It was co-created by the United States Olympic Committee and Nike, whilst being inspired by Aspen Institute Project Play.
Taking one look at their website and you quickly feel the organizers behind this training program know what they are talking about. It’s fresh, direct and helpful.
How to Coach Kids are a series of training programs that provide the information coaches need to coach any kid in any sport. (source) It is focused on getting kids moving and having fun whilst developing the motor skills they need to transition into strong adults.
The courses targets coaching kids under 14 years of age.
Topics covered:
- How to coach kids
- Coaching girls
- Coaching kids age 2 – 6
- Coaching kids age 7 – 11
- Coaching kids age 12 – 14
How much does the courses cost?
They are free!
How long are the courses expected to take?
30 minute or less.
What sets this course apart?
- The courses are free
- They have an app. They understand that most coaches are not sitting around behind a computer so they have made access to their courses easy. Click here to download the app.
- Unique coaching girls section of the website
- After creating a profile, you are also given access to their other online free resources such as: Social and emotional coaching resources, sport-specific resources, and topic-specific resources.
- Multiple small courses rather than one large course so can choose your own adventure.
For more information visit this link
Youth Performance Coach Certification
These two youth sports coaching courses are delivered by the Spencer Institute. A coaching / training website launched in 1992 which helps coaches achieve high levels of success in a variety of areas – not simply sport.
Participating in their youth sports courses allows you to expand on your knowledge of youth sports whilst addressing some issues that can be challenging in sport and youth coaching of any type. Such things include poorly trained coaches, volunteer assistance or even overbearing and demanding coaches – who jeopardize the quality of the sporting experience for players.
At the conclusion of this course you’ll become a Certified Youth Performance Coach (CYPC) which is valid for two years.
Types of Courses:
Youth Performance Coach
- Teaching Sports Skills Effectively in a Positive Sports Environment
- Using Post-Sessons Coaching Reflections
- Game / Event Coaching
- Pre-competition Mental Preparation
(source)
Speed, Agility and Quickness Specialist
- Learning technique, training protocol, and proper biomechanics for speed, agility, and quickness development
- The importance of testing and having a plan that will produce results
- Speed training videos utilizing bodyweight, sleds, bands, and more
- Agility, utilizing lines, ladders, cones, and more
- Quickness, balls, cones, partners, and more
- Creating personalized, comprehensive SAQ training programs
- Proper progressions or regressions based on the athlete and setting
(source)
How much does the course cost?
- Youth Performance Coach – $297 USD
- Speed, Agility and Quickness Specialist – $250 USD
- See here for special bundle deals and payment plan options
What you can expect from the course:
- Online format of materials including comprehensive video training, detailed digital manual and non-proctored online exam.
- On average, this course takes 20 hours of study
- You may take up to one year to complete the program through most students finish within 4 – 6 weeks.
- Exam: 50-question (multiple choice) / Must obtain results of 70% or higher. Three attempts at the exam are given. Results are known immediately. Reset fees are $95.
What sets this course apart?
- Comprehensive.
- Multiple training methods/tools used
- Upon purchase, you will also receive their Online Coaching and Training Course and Business System.
- The Spencer Institute is accredited by The Certification and Accreditation Board of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). They are a professional accrediting association that recognizes traditional and non-traditional programs in the USA and around the world.
For more information about these courses, click here
Other Specific Youth Coaching Courses We Found:
- The Science of Training Young Athletes. If you’re after a university qualification centered around youth sports, this could be what you’ve been looking for. It’s not specifically for coaches though. However it does teach you “how to design the type of training that takes advantage of the plastic nature of the athlete’s body so you mold the right phenotype for a sport”. Take a look at the course here.
- CrossFit Kids Certificate Course. This course is a live and interactive webinar that provides safe, effective and age-appropriate methods for teaching CrossFit to children and adolescents, aged 3-17.
- Free concussion training course for coaches run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See here for more information. The same organization also runs a heat-related illness course which may be relevant for a lot of youth sports coaches.
- Human Kinetics Coach Education Center has partnered with NCYS to provide a bunch of individual youth sport coaching courses that are worth a look here.
- Kids Coaching Connection – This course is not specifically for sports coaches, but the skills taught here can help you build confidence and allow you to see a different perspective when interacting with kids.
- Go Kids is an impressive youth sports website founded by Ruth Nelson which is jam-packed with courses and information for volleyball coaches.
- Youth Sports Knowledge (YSK) are firm believers in the volunteers who help youth sports exist. They currently run three different courses in cheerleading, football and parents. Check out this link for more information.
- Become a USA Basketball licensed coach! Click here for more information
- Academy for Youth Sports Administrators hosted by NAYS. Though not coaching specific, this academy training may be just what your local facility needs.
So, How Do I Become A Certified Youth Sports Coach?
Ask yourself, what are you looking to achieve from being a certified youth sports coach? Have you been asked to complete a specific course or are you being proactive? Courses vary greatly in regards to cost, topics covered and delivery system so having a goal in mind is useful to choose.
Though most youth sports coaches are volunteers and are usually lacking time and resources, most of the courses listed throughout this post are affordable and can be completed within a single day.
Though our kids may not initially recognize a certified coach from the next, they will quickly begin to feel and understand the difference as they develop both physically and mentally. Plus, as a coach, it pays to be officially recognised for the knowledge and theory behind your practice and why you do the things you do.
Happy Coaching.
