I don’t know if there is such a thing as a volunteer coaching certification, but if there isn’t, it might be something a coaching program should consider. Volunteer coaches are everywhere, especially in youth sports. Having these generous volunteers earn a certification, and learn the skills and knowledge that goes along with being certified can only be a good thing.

Finding a Volunteer Coach Training

Though I don’t believe there are any designated general volunteer coaching certifications, there are groups that offer training for youth coaches. The National Youth Sports Coaches Association offers a good training program that covers a wide range of topics and helps individuals become better coaches.

The American Youth Soccer Organization offers a certification to coach soccer in three steps – fill out a form, attend a safety course (online or in person), and then attend a brief age-specific coaching course.

There are also many safety courses that teach basic safety and training skills. For anyone considering becoming a youth coach, these should be a necessity. Knowing basic safety procedures and possessing basic CPR and safety skills is vitally important when coaching kids.

What Would a Volunteer Coaching Certification Look Like?

Any certification would, of course, look like a piece of paper, as most certifications do. But, jokes aside, a volunteer coaching certification would cover a few basic areas.

• The first area would be basic psychology and skills to work with individuals.
• The next area would be about the importance of volunteering – this would be mostly motivational and inspirational.
• The next would be specific to what you would be coaching – sports would be popular as it is one of the main types of volunteer coaching.
• The next type would be age specific and provide information and skills to work with a specific age group.
• The last area would be safety. It doesn’t matter if you are coaching sports or volunteering in some other capacity, safety is paramount. You want to be able to protect the individuals you are coaching and yourself.

A comprehensive and valuable volunteer coaching certification training would cover all these areas.

Who Would Get a Volunteer Certification?

Unless it was required, a volunteer coaching certification would not be something most people would immediately run out and obtain. Two things would need to happen before a volunteer certification became common and ubiquitous.

• It should be easy to get. If a youth sports program required it, it should also offer a convenient way for potential coaches to take the training and earn the certificate. If a volunteer organization wants their volunteers to be certified, it should offer an easy way to earn that certificate.
• It should be very inexpensive or free. Free, of course, is best, but most people won’t balk at paying a small fee to volunteer. But, if it becomes too expensive, it will be cost-prohibitive and the pool of volunteers may shrink considerably.

I see a potential need for a volunteer coaching certification, whether in youth sports or in some other volunteer capacity, but it must be convenient and inexpensive to obtain. Volunteer coaches, especially in youth sports, are vital to the success of these programs, and no one wants to discourage them by making a certification expensive and difficult to obtain.

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Fred Philips
Business Coach
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