Coach Selection Protocol (Nepean Minor Hockey Association)

PrintCoach Selection Protocol

Goals:

  1. To build the best roster of coaches for NMHA Competitive Program teams.
  2. To find and develop potential coaches.
  3. To evaluate coaches and to work with them to improve and develop their coaching skills.
  4. To ensure that NMHA Competitive Program coaches abide by the NMHA Code of Conduct and
  5. the rules governing hockey both within the ODMHA and in Canada.
  6. To integrate the coaches with the NMHA Competitive Player Development Program as defined
  7. and delivered by the Competitive Program Technical Director.

Strategy:

  • All current coaches will be evaluated prior to coach selection. This will include parent and player evaluations (twice yearly), as well as the assessment of the NMHA Division Director, the NMHA Technical Director and the League Convenor (if available).
  • All potential new coaches will be interviewed and their references verified. Verification will include questions tied to the evaluation process for current coaches. Current coaches may be interviewed to advise them of any issues which may arise from the parent/player evaluations. This will be done to assist them in dealing with those issues should they be appointed to a team for the coming year.
  • All selected coaches will complete a Police Record Check form on appointment to a team.
    Preference will be given to non-parents where candidates are roughly equal in merit. This preference will be strong at AA, with more flexibility at A and B to ensure that the NMHA pool of candidates is maintained.
  • The Selection Committee and NMHA competitive coaches will work with the Competitive Technical Director to deliver and improve his or her program.
  • The selection of coaches will be by consensus of the Committee, or where required, by vote.
  • Members of the Committee with children at the age level in question may only

Process:

  1. Collect and assess evaluation results of current coaching staffs.
  2. Identify status of current coaching staffs (acceptable, not acceptable or to be determined).
  3. Call for applications (current coaching staffs and external).
  4. Collect applications for next season’s coaching roster.
  5. Assemble list of applicants.
  6. Conduct interviews.
  7. Verify experience and personal suitability of all new candidates.
  8. Award team based on the following priority order, if possible:
  9. a. Acceptable current coach, one year with age and level.
  10. b. Acceptable candidate, highly qualified, non-parent or parent, as per strategy.
  11. c. Acceptable current coach, two years or more with age and level.
  12. Notify all applicants of results.
  13. Advise the NMHA Board of the results.
  14. Formally announce coaching roster at the NMHA Annual General Meeting. In the event that
  15. certain levels have not been staffed, those levels will be announced as “To Be Determined”.

Timeframe:

Dec. 1, Feb. 15 – Collection and evaluation of parent/player evaluations.
Feb. 28 – Deadline for applications for coaching positions.
Apr. 15 – Completion of interviews
Apr. 30 – Final coaching roster
AGM (May) – Formal Announcement of coach roster.

Coach Tenure:

All NMHA Competitive Program coaches are appointed for the coming season only. There is no explicit promise of a second or subsequent year with the same player group.

The Committee does recognize that there are significant benefits in allowing coaches to plan a two-year program. The Committee also recognizes that, historically, three years with the same group has been problematic for many coaches, regardless their success or level of respect in our community.

The Committee will undertake to award a second year to any coach, should he or she apply, provided the applicant is otherwise suitable and if there is a spot available. Suitable means, among other things, no unresolved issues from evaluations, and no significant changes to the coach's availability.

This undertaking is very strong at AA and A, with more flexibility at B. That being said, our experience has been that the problems which appear after two years in AA and A still eventually appear in B.

Each year, in selecting and assigning coaches, we have some excellent current coaches or coach candidates who do not get teams. This can be a problem with the number and quality of candidates at a level or the parent vs. non-parent decision. The fact that a particular current coach does not geta team should never be construed as a criticism of that individual or as an indicator of problems with their tenure.