USA HOCKEY and AHA Requirements to Coach

Greetings AHA Coaches:

Welcome back to our returning coaches, and for those who are new, welcome aboard!

As you know, AHA consists of all volunteers, including our coaches. If you plan to coach a team, whether as Head Coach, Assistant Coach, or someone who hops on the ice/bench from time to time, USA Hockey requires you to complete a number of steps before you are eligible. We know this is time consuming, but in order to ensure the best experience for the kids, including their safety, anyone who plans to coach must follow the steps below, none of which are unique to AHA.

As compliance director, it is my unfortunate job to ensure compliance with the rules. Moreover, many of our coaches put in the time (and money) to attend courses, get certifications, etc., and it is not fair to them if others do not follow the same rules. Fortunately, coaches who complete all of the requirements may seek reimbursement of their actual costs to get certified by submitting proof of payment to the Treasurer (Treasurer@andoverhockey.org). 

Please note, USA Hockey certification clinics will be available online as well as in person this season. Most of the Level 1-4 certification clinics will be offered via Zoom, saving you a weekend in a class setting. Please check here regularly for clinic options.

Note - for those intending to help with Learn to Play or Learn to Skate, the only requirements are to: 1) Register with USA HOCKEY (which will conduct a background check), and 2) Complete SafeSport.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me and thank you in advance for your willingness to commit the time and energy necessary to become and be a coach. Without our dedicated and hard-working coaches, AHA would not survive.

Enjoy the rest of summer!    

Kevin Cormier

857-600-9501

Compliance@Andoverhockey.org

USA HOCKEY AND AHA REQUIREMENTS TO COACH

2022-23 SEASON

If you don't yet have a USA hockey registration for the coming season, do that first here.

Once you have that, or if you already have it, register yourself on our website here.

*Note: if you registered as a coach for 2022-23 with AHA already using last year's USA Hockey number, you MUST update to your current number. Log-in to your account on the AHA website and in the "Memberships" section of your personal information please click "Add Membership" and copy/paste in your 2022-23 USA Hockey number. If you do not know your USA Hockey number, or are unsure if you have a valid number for 2022-23, you can check here.

After you register with both USA Hockey and AHA, you must complete the remaining requirements. This information is also available here. 

It will be the responsibility of all Head Coaches to make sure any AC they plan to have on the ice/bench has completed all the coaching requirements before the season begins. To help AHA monitor this, we would ask each Head Coach to add any Assistant Coaches or Managers to your roster via the steps below:

Log-in to your account on the AHA website

Hover on "Teams" and then choose the appropriate team

Click on "Staff"

"+ Staff Member"

Enter the email address of your AC/Manager

Click the appropriate role

Click "Add to Team"

CEP (Coaching Education Program)

All coaches must complete a live CEP clinic by December 31. If you are coaching Mite or below, your CEP Level 1 is good until you move up to Squirt/U10. Once you move beyond Mite, you will be required to complete Level 2 (yr. 1) and Level 3 (yr. 2). Level 3 is good for 2 years, and can then be renewed 2 times online, before you must attend the live course for Level 4. Clinics will begin being posted here on September 1st. As usual, the clinics fill up fast, so please keep an eye on the available options to avoid spending Christmas vacation glued to the computer.  

If you are unsure of your CEP level and/or when it expires, you can check here (this also tells you which age modules you have completed).

BACKGROUND CHECKS

When you register as a coach with USA hockey you will be prompted to enter information for a national “CORI” check, and will also have to enter information for a Massachusetts CORI check (this will be a separate prompt screen, so please make sure you complete both). This is now being done through USA Hockey, so my job just got easier.

SAFESPORT

All Coaches must complete Safesport BEFORE THE SEASON STARTS - i.e. - September 6, 2022. When completing Safesport, please make sure you complete all sections (I believe there are 3) and receive a Certificate that states you are Safesport Certified.

AGE MODULES

Each age group has an associated age group module. The module for your age group, like Safesport, must be completed before the season starts. 

SUMMARY

The following helpful summary is provided by USA Hockey:

Steps to Become a USA Hockey Coach.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME AND COMMITMENT TO AHA!