Frequently Asked Questions: The most often asked coaching questions are summarized below. Coaches who have questions not answered below, should feel free to contact USSA Coaches Education either by e-mail or phone by going to the
contact us section.
Question: Why should a coach become certified?
Answer: Certification represents a commitment to furthering one’s skills as a coach. It also represents a level of professional development and recognition within the coaching community, indicative of one’s experience and expertise. Maintaining one’s certification is indicative of a coach that never stops learning. No matter one’s level of responsibility within the sport, a coach should always seek better methods of teaching skills, new and innovative drills, and ways to make skiing and competition a more enjoyable overall experience for everyone.
Of course, certification isn’t the only way to learn and a member coach of USSA still does not have to be certified. However, a greater number of clubs are requiring at least a Level 100 certification for employment, as well as ski areas for liability considerations. The certification curriculum represents the most current material available from the U.S. Ski Team, and the USSA departments of Coaches Education and Sport Science. Either way, all coaches should take advantage of the educational content available, whether they desire or need certification or not.
Question: For entry-level coaches, how does one become involved?
Answer: For entry-level coaches, USSA offers an Alpine Level 100 “Club” certification.
The requirements are:
(1) Pass a certified First Aid/CPR course. For example – the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) Sport First Aid course (on-line at asep.org), or a local Red Cross program.
(2) Pass the ASEP Coaching Principles Course, offered either through a USSA clinic, or through ASEP on-line. This course is a broad examination of all aspects of coaching, a wealth of information covering all bases.
(3) Level 100 USST Alpine Ski Fundamentals course. The course is a day and a half on-snow and an evening classroom session. The content is based on the two USST Alpine Fundamentals CD-ROMs. These CDs are available to coaches outside of the course. There is both a written open book exam, as well as an on-snow skiing evaluation requirement.
For further information on all three of these requirements, please review the clinic course descriptions found in the Coaches Resource Center website. The site also includes a schedule of available clinics and on-line registration.
Question: If a coach was certified under the “old” system, what has happened to their certification?
Answer: For previously certifiedcoaches, USSA honors their educational work, including the old ACEP (now ASEP) Coaching Principles course, all USSA Alpine on-snow courses (including all work at the National Alpine Coaches Academy), but only a current First AID/CPR certification. What ever level of certification was earned under the old system, will be honored in the future, with one exception; all certified coaches are required take one continuing education unit every 2 years (please see a description of the continuing education options).
Question: I’m a veteran coach with over 5 years of coaching experience but I’ve never been certified, do I have to start at the entry level?
Answer: There are many veteran coaches who had taken a fundamentals course many years ago but are now missing the ASEP course requirement for certification. For those coaches with five years of coaching experience or more, USSA has an alternative option and that is purchasing the USST Alpine Ski Fundamentals CD-ROM II, reviewing it, and taking the on-line open “CD-ROM” test. After reviewing the test (80% is passing), the USSA Education office will issue a pass (or fail if need be) in lieu of the ASEP course requirement.
Coaches who fit into this category of “veterans” and who want to begin the certification process, should contact the USSA Coaches Education department directly to discuss their particular coaching history and levels of experience before beginning the certification process. Prior to that conversation, please send Coaches Education a summary of your educational work (list the date of the Fundamentals Course and the name of the instructor) and a copy of your current 1stAID/CPR card. If all Club requirements have been met (including the ASEP alternative option above), you will be issued a Level 100 Club certification.
Note: USSA Coaches Education encourages all previously certified coaches to review the new USSA curriculum to remain current with the teaching methods of the U.S. Ski Team. The sport of alpine racing has undergone significant technical and tactical changes corresponding to the changes in equipment design, construction and FIS/USSA regulations. The educational curriculum reflects the latest in USST philosophy, coaching and planning methodology, and junior development teaching strategies.
Question: What are the Level 200 “State” Coach certification requirements?
Answer: There are eight requirements to be a certified Level 200 coach. This is a significant increase in educational requirements, but it is indicative of the responsibilities that are associated with coaching any sport in America today. Many of the courses can be taken on-line, limiting travel time and expenses away from home.
The requirements are divided into areas of competencies or educational domains:
(2) Sport Science: Take and pass any 2 of 3 courses from the USSA Elite Performance Series CD-ROMs: Strength & Power Training, Sports Psychology, and Sports Nutrition. All CDs can be purchased on-line, including the required tests. These CDs come directly from the USSA Sport Science staff, and can be used for years in educating both coaches and athletes alike. Please see descriptions of the CDs at the USSA Educationshop.com website.
(2) Sport Management: Take and pass 2 of 3 courses form the courses listed below. Note: USSA continues tom partner with a number of educational institutions in the nation to develop a greater variety of on-line courses. Additions will be made to the list below in the coming years. The initial courses for USSA coaches have been developed in collaboration with the International Institute of Tourism Studies at The George Washington
University. They cover the following subjects: Management and Leadership of Sports Organizations, Funding Sports Organizations, and Sports Event Management. Descriptions of these course are provided below.
Coaches can register for these courses at:
(2) Alpine Sport Specific: Take and pass 2 on-snow Alpine courses: Introduction to Alpine Tactics & Alpine Training Environment. The 2 Alpine Sport Specific courses will be delivered separately, but in some cases, they will be offered in a “combined” 3 and a half day format, because the content compliments each other.
(1) Alpine Officials Level 1 Referee: This course is offered through the USSA Alpine Officials educational program, please see their website for a clinic schedule.
(1) First AID/CPR license: current (this will be a requirement for all levels of certification)
Question: Level 200 State: I have started my State Level education, how do I fit into the new State Level requirements?
Answer: There are many coaches who were one third or two thirds of the way through the “old” 3-part State education system. USSA will honor that course work and equate it to the new Level 200 requirements in the following way: If a coach had taken one course (and passed), that coach will still have to take the 2 Alpine sport specific courses, and if a coach had taken 2 old alpine courses (and passed), that coach will still have to take one of the two alpine sport specific on-snow courses.
If a coach had taken all 3 old state courses (and passed) and had not been certified and would like to be a Level 200 certified coach, submit documentation of the 3 courses taken. The coach must have a current 1stAID/CPR.
Question: When will the Level 300 courses and certification requirements be developed and released?
Answer: For the 2005-06 Educational year, there are only a limited number of educational initiatives and program work being planned because of the USSA company wide focus on elite team Olympic preparation and execution. The Level 300 curriculum will be developed in the months after the Olympics. (See the question below for further educational opportunities and ideas)
Question: What can I do to further my education if I’m already certified as a regional, national or international coach and waiting for the new courses and requirements to be developed?
Answer: USSA Coaches Education strongly believe that the educational material created is so valuable that all coaches are encouraged, no matter their level of certification or years of experience, to study the U.S. Ski Team system of technical and tactical skill development and coaches education. USSA doesn’t claim that its the only way to coach, but it is a system that has been tested by the USST national staff, proven to work on the World Cup, and is one of the primary reasons for the current success of the team. There will obviously be even more alpine specific materials forthcoming, but this foundation can be applied to all racers, including the youngest.
In addition, the 3 Elite Performance Series CDs are state of the art educational material from the best minds in all of athlete development and training. Again, the content is designed for use by coaches at all levels. It features a common sense, scientifically based approach, user friendly, and completely applicable format for the information presented. The Sport Science staff of USSA represents some of the best minds in athlete development.
Finally, USSA will continue to expand the on-line educational offerings through partnerships with a number of leading educational institutions. Good coaching is no longer just putting gates in the ground, it hasn’t been for a long time, and therefore all coaches have an obligation to keep learning. The domains of coaching extend far a field from the work done on-snow. The requirements to be a national team coach are so broad and demanding that it has become a challenge to find coaches with the level of education and experience to fill the position.
Question: How can a coach check their certification status?
Question: How do I register for a clinic?
Question: Why are there not more clinics?
Answer: USSA has an exceptional group of trained clinic instructors, who are also club coaches, and therefore are wearing 2 hats at once. Combine this fact with the desire of many regions, divisions, and clubs to have clinics early in the season (November and December primarily) and one is left with crunch in the number of available weekends, sites (with adequate snow and terrain), and free instructors. USSA will try to offer more clinics at the end of the season when coaches are free to attend. USSA will train more instructors as well, distributing them throughout the country resulting in more clinic options.
Question: Can a coach still join USSA and remain uncertified?
Answer: Any coach can still join USSA and remain as an uncertified USSA member. However, a greater number of clubs and ski areas are requiring certification, as well as regional, divisional, and state organizations for jury participation, course setting opportunities, and course credentials, including complementary lift passes. Coaches are encouraged to acquaint themselves with the local requirements for participating as a coach on a club and at competitions.
Question: How does a coach become an instructor?
Answer: Coaches who are interested in becoming part of the USSA trained and certified instructor staff, should send a resume to USSA Coaches Education. Each candidate application is handled on a case by case basis. There are many factors involved in selecting coaches for instructor training.
Question: What happened to the old National Alpine Coaches Academy and will it return?
Answer: This question is asked often from a variety of coaches, those previously certified and seeking a higher level, or young coaches advancing their way up the certification ladder. The Academy has been put on hold as new USSA/USST curriculum is developed. This includes 6 educational CD-ROMs (with more to come), all new Level 100 and 200 clinics with the accompanying instructor training, and an integrated National Junior Development summer project. For those coaches who are interested in working for or with the National Staff and the National Development System (NDS), there are limited openings in the June NDS project. Interested coaches should contact their USSA Regional Director to discuss the possibilities of their participation. Selection is based on club athlete participation, regional representation, and future career opportunities with USSA.
Question: What can I do for a Continuing Education Course and how do I get credit on my coaches certification?
Answer: Good coaching is no longer just putting gates in the ground, it hasn’t been for a long time, and therefore all coaches have an obligation to keep learning. The domains of coaching extend far a field from the work done on-snow. The requirements to be a national team coach are so broad and demanding that it has become a challenge to find coaches with the level of education and experience to fill the position.
Therefore, USSA encourages coaches to continue learning by requiring a Continuing Education Credit every two years. This may be accomplished through a wide variety of educational options listed below. Coaches are not only restricted to the options listed below, coaches are also free to pursue educational opportunities directly related to their level of athlete/program responsibilities or coaching interests outside the suggested list.
A coach will be listed as "inactive" if they do not fulfill the two year continuing education credit requirement or if they allow their CPR and First Aid certifications to expire.
Furthermore, a coaches’ certification level will not be recognized until they are back in compliance. Once all necessary continuing education credits have been completed the coach will regain their "active coaching" status and certification.
Note: In addition to the CPR/1STAID and Continuing Education requirements, USSA Alpine Officials are requiring by 2009 that all coaches serving on a jury or as a course setter, at either a FIS or USSA scored event, will need a current Level 1 Referee license, and will need to maintain their license through a referee’s update every two years.
Accepted Continuing Education Options:
- USSA: Sport Nutrition CD ORDER HERE
- USSA: Sports Psychology CD ORDER HERE
- USSA: Strength & Power Training CD ORDER HERE
- George Washington University VIEW HERE
- Management and Leadership of Sports Organizations
- Funding Sports Organizations
- Sports Event Management
- PSIA Clinics/Courses
- USSA NDS or Regional on-snow projects
- (i.e. June NDS, Topolino, Whistler, Regional Team to JII Nationals, others
- College or University Sports Science, Coaching or Athletic Courses
- Attend a Regional Coaching Seminar
- (i.e. VARA Fall seminar, NYSEF Coaches Forum, PNSA fall seminar, others)
*The above are some, but not all, of the courses that are acceptable as continuing education credits. With questions on other courses please contact the USSA Education Office.
To Submit -
To obtain credit for your Continuing Education unit, a coach will need to submit completed certifications, passing test grades, completion forms, or write a brief description of course/clinic taken with the date, location, and project leader.
Submissions can be made by:
Fax - (435) 658-5241, please indicate Attention: Allison Christy
Mail at - USSA – Attention Allison Christy
Box 100, 1500 Kearns Blvd.
Park City, UT 84060
