TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
Only rostered team officials are permitted to volunteer on-ice. Additional volunteers will not be covered by the Hockey Canada Insurance Plan* as no premium has been paid on behalf of the volunteer. Team managers and safeties are permitted on the bench during games, but their role does not include helping on-ice during practices or games.
Coach Certification
All volunteer hockey coaches in Canada are trained for the specific level they are coaching.
All coaches require coaching certification according to the age group requirements as stated by Hockey Manitoba (Coach 1 – Intro to Coach; Coach 2, Coach Level, etc.). Each course stream of training is designed to cover the pertinent learning & skills content appropriate for the level of athlete which you’ll currently be coaching.
It is the responsibility of the coach to understand the certification requirements for their age levels and complete the required courses by December 1st. Coach requirements are available on the Hockey Manitoba website.
Coach certification is divided into 2 parts: on-line (Hockey University) and in-class. The on-line portion (and Respect in Sport) must be completed before registering for a clinic. Please register early as there are limited classroom sessions.
Note: Coach 1 – Intro to Coach is required to coach in the U7 program (5–6-year-olds). If you are coaching a U9 team (7–8-year-olds), either the Coach 1 – Intro to Coach (IP) or Coach 2 – Coach Level training is sufficient.
Checking Skills 1
Note: Head Coaches only, space is limited.
Safety Person
All teams require at least one (1) Safety Person registered that has completed the Hockey Canada Safety Program (HCSP). The emphasis of the safety program is on injury prevention and safety through risk management and education.
Respect in Sport for Hockey Canada Activity Leaders
All team staff on the official team roster are required to have their Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders (including Managers and Safety people). The Respect in Sport Program is only offered online and is a total of 3 hours in length. The course consists of 6 modules, each 30 minutes in length. It is designed as a tool to assist team officials in identifying and dealing with abuse, neglect, harassment and bullying in sport.
2017-18 Update: Respect in Sport Re-Certification
Beginning in the 2017-18 hockey season Sport Manitoba initiated a 5-year re-certification policy which applies all coaches, managers and safety people who take the Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders online course. Hockey Manitoba also made the decision to no longer accept the Speak Out certification as an equivalent to the Respect in Sport online course. This means that any team staff that completed the Speak Out course in the mid 2000’s will be required to complete the Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders online course to be properly certified by the December 1st coaching certification deadline.
*Hockey Canada Insurance Program
The Hockey Canada National Insurance Program provides supplemental assistance to Hockey Manitoba members for injuries incurred during hockey sanctioned activities. The Hockey Canada National Insurance Program has specific coverage limits. Details regarding coverage can be found in the Safety Requires Teamwork Booklet (page 36).