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Requirements/Training for Coaches

Mandatory Requirements/Training


What needs to be done & when?

There are two separate but related lists for each...

PRACTICES (First week of October):

  1. Background Screening SUBMITTED (as-needed to renew)
  2. SafeSport Training COMPLETED
  3. Age-Appropriate Training COMPLETED

GAMES (Prior to ANY Games):

  • Background Screening COMPLETED and be on the LOEAHA "Good to Go" list
  • Confirmed SafeSport Training COMPLETED

To do either (Practices or Games) after 12/31 of the current season, you MUST complete your next-level Coaching Clinic up to Level 4.

Most are between September and December - see the Clinic link below (#6).


Required Steps to become a Coach

These are the steps to become an on-ice coach for NMAHA as required by USA Hockey and our parent affiliate, the Land of Enchantment Amateur Hockey Association (LOEAHA).

Steps 1 through 4 MUST be completed before you can go on the ice and receive your coaching discount for your player's registration (as applicable: 1xHead Coach; 2xAss't Coaches per level). 

All links will open in a new tab, so you can return to this list.  Links referenced here are also at the bottom of this page.

1. Register online with USA Hockey (USAH) as a Player/Coach (CLICK HERE) - this cost can be reimbursed by NMAHA on request.  Should be $56 total ($46 to USA Hockey, $10 to LOEAHA).

2. When you register with USA Hockey you will receive a confirmation email and there will be a link for the Background Screening (can click this one too).  You will need your USA Hockey Confirmation Number in the process. Look for the red bar noting "    CLICK HERE TO BEGIN A NEW BACKGROUND SCREEN     ".
Before requesting a screening (unless you are new to hockey), please check the LOEAHA “Good to Go” list to confirm that you already have a valid screening or if you need a new screening - remember, it shows the season when the NEW screening will be necessary & NOT the season it is good through!
The NCSI site should pre-populate the Self Registration ID Number (35615801) for USA Hockey as the requestor & this is different than your USAH Number needed later in the process.
After the questions page, choose the top method to search for your information (last name, SSN, DOB) - no one knows where to find the Applicant ID for the bottom method (unless you saved it from the last page of a previous screen request).
Ensure you have a picture (via your phone or a scan) of the front of your Driver's license ready to upload.

At least for this 2023-24 Season there should NOT be any cost for the background screen.
It is likely that starting in the 2024-25 season there will be an individual cost for this screening going forward.  What that exact cost will be is still TBD...

3. Complete the SafeSport Training (required every year).  There isn't a certificate to save any longer.  This training resets every September - so it is recommended to knock this out in mid-to-late September before the season starts the first week of October.  There's still no cost on this training & it MUST be done via the USA Hockey site to get reported back to NMAHA once completed. (CLICK HERE - Create an account if necessary)

Once into the USA Hockey Courses site, click on the "My Profile" tab at the top & choose "Coaching Information" in the gray box. this will show your CEP #, Certification Level (& when it expires), all age modules completed (see below) and there's a gray box under SafeSport for training/renewals - that's the link you want to click to complete this training.

4. Complete Age-Appropriate Modules Training via USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program (CEP). The level(s) you will be coaching MUST be completed before you can go on the ice once the season starts.
          - This is where it can get a bit confusing as there are a lot of old and/or separate links under USAH.  Create an account or log in at courses.usahockey.com - this mainly for the annual Coaching Clinics covered in #5 below.
          - Once logged in there on the Home page (might need to click "Home" along the top), down under Coaching (below Officiating...) there is a gray box noting "Coaching E-Learning : click here" - click that link. This will take you to the learning.usahockey.com page (may require another account creation or login).  Once into this page, in the "My Courses" section, the "Available Courses" tab should be selected and a section called "Coaching Courses" has a Click Here link - this finally goes to the Age-Appropriate Modules!
          - You must take the "Foundations of Player Development" as a pre-requisite for any of the other modules.
          - Age-Appropriate Modules are now $20 each as they combined several levels together (8U, 10U/12U, and 13 & over), but you can request to get reimbursed by NMAHA for these (click here for the form).

5. Once confirmed as either a Coach or Manager, click the following link to complete the Coach registration with NMAHA (to be rostered to your team, communications, etc.)

LINK to 2023-24 NMAHA Coach/Manager Registration

6. Complete your Coaching Clinic via the courses.usahockey.com in #4 above either online or in-person before December 31st - or you cannot get on the ice starting January 1st until it is completed.
The Coaching Clinic is NOT required to be on the ice for the first half of the season, but it is highly recommended to knock it out as soon as you can before the end of the calendar year as noted above. In checking for this season, the virtual Clinics are ~$60 to attend.

7. Review the USA Hockey Concussion Information. There's no longer a training requirement for concussions. Go to the site (CLICK HERE) and review the documentation, the "Signs Observed by Coaching Staff" section, and watch the USAH "Heads Up" YouTube video (HERE)


#1:

USA Hockey Registration


Just in case...

#2: Background Screening

Through USA Hockey as of 2020 (not LOEAHA...)

Background Screening

 

Need to check your current dates? (still at LOEAHA):

Good-to-Go List

 

Required BEFORE you can go on the ice (submitted at least... can take 3-10 days before you show up on the Good-to-Go List)

#3: U.S. Center for SafeSport

Safesport training/certification is required annually.  The primary course is 90 minutes, followed each subsequent year by Refresher courses for 3 years.  Every 4th year will require this to start over with the primary course again.

Getting to the training is a bit scenic, but MUST go through the USA Hockey site to tie back (other sports use it to) & show you completed it.  The training due each season can be found by logging into the site here:

USA Hockey Courses (to get to the SafeSport Training)

See above for where to go on the site to get to the training.
 Required to be completed BEFORE you can work with any players, off or on the ice

#4: Age-specific Modules

Click here:  Age Specific Modules

Must be completed PRIOR to going on the ice or receiving any applicable coaching discounts for their player registration.

Yes - it's more-than-a-little scenic to navigate to the right place for these.

#5: NMAHA Coach/Manager Registration Link

Once confirmed as either a Coach or Manager, click the following link to complete your registration with NMAHA (to be rostered to your team, communications, etc.)

LINK to 2023-24 NMAHA Coach/Manager Registration

#6: Complete your in-person/virtual Coaching Clinic BEFORE 12/31!

Coaching Clinics


Let the search begin... MUST have this completed before 12/31 each year (up to Level 4) to get on the ice after 1/1 of the next calendar year (same season).

#7: Heads Up - Concussion Info

Click here for: Concussion (Heads Up)

HEADS UP to Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, sports officials, athletic trainers, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion.

Not required, but good for general knowledge in our sport.


Other Useful Links:

USA Hockey Courses


See completed courses, get your CEP#, etc.

Go to My Profile, then Coaching Information.  Also Officiating info if applicable.

CEP# Look-Up Tool

Just need your Coaching Education Program Number?
Go here...