Become a Coach or Staff Member - Recreational League
Thinking of becoming a coach in the Recreational League?
In the Recreational League, the minimum team staff for any team is a coach and a trainer. To be an official member of the team staff and be on the bench during games, all volunteers are required to submit a satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Check. Details on how to obtain a VSC is available at the Brampton Hockey office.
As well, all members of the coaching staff must complete the Respect in Sports qualifications (for coaches). This clinic is available online through the OMHA website. To be eligible to be on the bench during games, an official member of the team staff must also complete the appropriate certification(s) for the position they hold on the coaching staff (coach, trainer, etc.) Many teams will have one or two additional people staff members on the team’s official coaching staff. In the recreational League, these additional staff members could be an assistant coach and/or an assistant trainer.
Ready to become a coach? Find all coaching applications here - Coaching Applications.
Head Coach Certification Requirements
In addition to the Vulnerable Sector Screening, Gender Identity & Expression and Respect in Sports courses, the OMHA and Brampton Hockey requires all head coaches to take a coaching certification course – Coach 1 or 2, Developmental 1, etc. The charts below give the specific requirements by age group and descriptions of the clinic.
Entry Points for Coaches (from the OMHA website)
The following entry points for coaches are based on each program design being geared towards providing an educational opportunity for coaches who are working with a specific group of athletes.
| Coaching U7 and younger (Initiation Program) |
Coach 1 |
| Coaching U8 and U9 |
Coach 1 |
| Coaching REC League U10 and older |
Coach 2 |
| Coaching Rep Hockey U12 and older |
Development 1 |
| Coaching Junior, University |
High Performance 1/2 |
Clinic Descriptions
| Intro Coach 1 |
The Coach 1 clinic focuses on technical skills and the development of basic skills for players from 5-8 years of age in a fun and supportive, learning environment. |
| Coach 2 |
The Coach 2 course is designed for a coach who is new to the coaching program and working with players at the House League/Local League level. |
| Development 1 |
The Development Once Certification focuses on the needs of the coach working with Rep level players. The Development 1 clinic focuses on improving basic skill acquisition and introduction of team play and individual tactics. |
| High Performance 1 & 2 |
The High Performance 1 & 2 are aimed at coaches working with athletes at the Junior, University, Provincial & national levels. In the past Advanced 1 clinics were typically held every 2 years in Ontario. |
Clinics are now offered via the OMHA. Check www.omha.net for clinic details.
Trainer – The OMHA requires all teams to have a qualified trainer. The trainer course is offered online and takes about 4 hours to complete. A participant can log out and continue the course at a later time. Details on how to sign up are available on the OMHA website (
http://www.omha.net/) under Bench Staff tab.
Respect in Sport (Speak Out) – All Team Officials are required to hold the Respect in Sports certification (formally Speak Out [PRS] certification) and have it registered with the OMHA in addition to all other certification appropriate to their position. Details on how to sign up are available on the OMHA website (
http://www.omha.net/) under the Bench Staff tab.
On-ice helpers can be utilized during practice times without being members of the team’s official staff but their name must be submitted to the Brampton Hockey office so that the person is covered for insurance purposes pending a valid VSC. A volunteer who meets the minimum age requirement for Coach 1 Certification, would be eligible to wear the same equipment as an On-Ice Team Officials. (i.e. CSA Certified Helmet, skates, gloves etc.)
A volunteer below the minimum age requirement for Coach 1 Certification, would be required to wear full player equipment.
Note: On-Ice Volunteers must be at least two years older than the division age limit they are associated with. (Minimum age, 9 years old)
OMHA ARTICLE - BE AN EFFECTIVE ASSISTANT COACH
Coach’s Manual – Each year, prior to the start of the season (late September/mid October), a coach’s meeting is held and Coach’s manual is distributed to each head coach. The manual will assist new coaches in preparing for the season.
Teams Composition – In the divisions U10 (9 year olds) and higher, players are placed on teams at the beginning of the season and each team will play three exhibition games. After the three exhibition games the coaches participate in a draft to select their team for the season. During the three exhibition games, the coaching staff for each team needs to scout and rate all the players on all teams in order to prepare for the draft.
If you require further information, please contact the Brampton Hockey office via email at:
[email protected] or 905-453-3243 and your inquiry will be directed to the appropriate person.