Alberta Soccer Courses
EMSA West is dedicated to training its volunteer coaches through a variety of courses offered by Alberta Soccer.
EMSA West reimburses the cost of Technical Courses for West Coaches upon successful completion. Receipts and certificates can be sent to finance@ewzsa.com upon completion for reimbursement.
Requirements
- A minimum of two coaches, 18 years or older, must be present and participating in the group.
- All Coaches must have a valid PIC, including Vulnerable Sector Search, on file with their district/club.
- At least one Coach per group should be trained at the appropriate NCCP Coaching Level. See below.
- All Team Officials are required to take the Respect in Sports Activity Leaders course, effective Outdoor 2021.
- Rule of Two – Rule 13.6 is now enforced in all soccer activities.
How to register for a NCCP course on The Locker.
NCCP Training
Coach training consists of two parts:
- Age-Specific Soccer Education
- Active Start (U4 to U6)
- FUNdamentals (U7 to U9)
- Learn to Train (U11)
- Soccer for Life (U13 to U19)
- All Ages Multi-Sport Education
- Making Ethical Decisions
- Making Head Way
- Emergency Action Plan
- Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders
Age-Specific Soccer Education
The Grassroots Coach Education Program has four workshops based on Stages 1, 2, 3, and 7 of the Long-Term Player Development Model. The first three workshops, Active Start, FUNdamentals, and Learn to Train, deal with soccer training and the importance of physical literacy for players up to 12 years of age.
The fourth workshop is called Soccer for Life and focuses on working with players aged 13 and older through to “masters soccer.” The Soccer for Life stage includes a wide array of participants who play for fun and fitness, those who enjoy recreational soccer, as well as those who prefer to play competitively but not at a high-performance level.
All Ages Multi-Sport Education
Coaches are also expected to complete multisport programs that equip them to provide the kids with an outstanding soccer experience.
Respect in Sport, Making Ethical Decisions, Making Head Way, and Emergency Action Plan provide coaches with the information they need as leaders of youth sports.
Respect in Sports Activity Leaders: All Team Officials are required to take this course effective Outdoor 2021.
Rule of Two – Rule 13.6 is now enforced in all soccer activities. This encourages safe sport
Concussion Information
A concussion is an injury to the brain and can be quite serious. Any sudden jarring blow to the head, face, neck, or body can cause a concussion. Examples in sports include a ball to the head or face or being checked into the boards in hockey. For a short time, a concussion can affect a person’s thinking and ability to remember things. These are not the only symptoms of a concussion; other symptoms also exist.
Concussions occur in soccer. EMSA West is concerned and would like to protect the safety of our soccer players. The first step in this process is education. Coaches, parents, and players should review the files below for immediate reference and in-depth reading. Thank you for being concerned to look into this matter.
Alberta Soccer Concussion Protocol & Policy (Approved January 2016)
Concussion Response Tool – Parents, Guardians, Coaches
Concussion Handbook For Parents
Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool
Facts About Concussion & Brain Injuries
U11+ INJURY PREVENTION
The 11+ program was developed by an international group of experts based on their practical experience with different injury prevention programs for amateur players aged 14 or older. It is a complete warm-up package and should replace the usual warm-up prior to training.
Teams that performed the 11+ program regularly, at least twice a week, had 37% fewer training injuries and 29% fewer match injuries. Severe injuries were reduced by almost 50%. This study was published in the British Medical Journal in 2008. We encourage all teams in our zone to adopt the 11+ program.