Volleyball Canada offers two different training opportunities for those working with kids in the Fundamentals (6-8) and Learn to Train (9-12) stages.

Smashball Coach Workshop

The Smashball Coach Workshop is designed for coaches working in the club environment and is a 3-hour National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) live/synchronous online course that provides:

• Interactive, Learning Facilitator lead exercises, video demonstrations, and quizzes to support learning and program delivery.
• Instruction on how to deliver the Smashball game using materials within Volleyball Canada’s free Smashball Trainer App (download at the Apple Store or Google Play).
• 80-page Activity Bank
• 5 Professional Development (PD) points for NCCP certified coaches
• The NCCP status of “Trained” Community Volleyball Coach

Elementary Volleyball Teacher eLearning

The Elementary Volleyball Teacher eLearning course is designed for teachers working in the school setting and is a 90-minute National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) asynchronous online course that provides:

• 150-page Instructor Guide with sample lesson plans and assessments
• Interactive exercises, video demonstrations, and quizzes to support learning and program delivery
• 5 Professional Development (PD) points for NCCP certified coaches
• The NCCP status of “Trained” Community Volleyball Coach

To register for either course click HERE.

The Development Stream is the primary entry point for most coaches in the volleyball community.

Development Coach

The Development Coach workshop supports coaches working in the Train to Train stage or the age groups of 13-16.

In Training

Foundations of Volleyball eLearning (1-3 hrs). The e-modules are designed to provide all the essential information a volleyball coach will need prior to the In-Person Workshops. 

To begin the eLearning click here.

Trained

• Foundations of Volleyball eLearning (above)
• Development Coach Workshop 
• Multi-Sport Modules: Make Ethical Decisions (required), Nutrition (optional)

Note: The Development Coach workshop is designed to introduce the game of volleyball and basic methodology to the introductory coach working with Train to Train athletes (13-16 age groups).  See course description here. After completion of the Foundations of Volleyball eLearning module, you will be prompted to sign up for a workshop in your local area. To find out more information on a Development Coach workshop near you, contact your Provincial/Territorial Volleyball Association.

Note: Multi-Sport Modules: Nutrition, Make Ethical Decisions are offered by your local Coaching Association, not your local Volleyball Association. Courses are offered in-person and through home study. To enroll in the Multi-Sport Modules click here. The Multi-Sport Modules can be completed prior to the Development Coach Workshop.

Certified

• Portfolio and Evaluations

Please review all contents of the Development Coach Evaluation Package before beginning this final step of the certification process.

The portfolio includes:

• Practice Plan and EAP submission (used for the in-person Evaluation)

The evaluation includes:

• Make Ethical Decisions Online Evaluation 
• Making Head Way (generic stream) free online module
• Analyzing Performance Evaluation (Basic Skills)
• Support to Athletes in Training Evaluation. 

After the Support to Athletes in Training Evaluation, the Evaluator will submit pages 16 & 17 of the Evaluation Tools and Forms to your Provincial/Territorial Volleyball Association.

The Advanced Development Coach - Indoor program and Advanced Development Coach - Beach program are designed for coaches working with athletes in the Learn to Compete LTAD stage or 17-18 age category. The courses expand on knowledge and skills learned in the Development Coach context and apply advanced training methods.

Note: The certification pathways for both Beach and Indoor are listed below. The pathway is very similar for both disciplines, however each discipline has a few distinct differences. The specific items for each discipline are noted below.

In Training

• Volleyball eLearning (5 - 8 hours). The e-modules are designed to provide all the essential information a volleyball coach will need prior to the In-Person Workshops. 

To begin the eLearning click here.

Trained

• Volleyball eLearning (above)
• Advanced Development Coach Workshop (Indoor or Beach)
• Multi-Sport Modules: Plan a Practice, Make Ethical Decisions, Nutrition, Design a Basic Sport Program, Basic Mental Skills

Note: The Advanced Development Coach Indoor or Beach Workshop provides learning experiences to assist in applying proven methods of coach intervention and practice design. Coaching abilities will be assessed throughout the course in a cooperative peer lead environment. For an outline of the Workshop, click here. To enroll in an Advanced Development Coach Workshop, first complete the Volleyball eLearning modules and you will be prompted to sign up for the next available Workshop in your region.  

Note: The Multi Sport Modules are offered by your local Coaching Association, not your local Volleyball Association. Courses are offered in-person and through home study. To enroll in the Multi-Sport Modules click here. The Multi-Sport Modules can be completed prior to the In-Person workshop.

Certified

• Portfolio and Evaluations

The portfolio includes:

• Design a Basic Sport Program submission Indoor or Beach
• Drill Design submission Indoor or Beach (used for the Support to Athletes in Training Evaluation)
• Developing an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) (not required if already completed in the Development Coach context)

The evaluation includes:

• Make Ethical Decisions Online Evaluation
• Making Head Way (generic stream) free online module
• Error Detection and Correction Evaluation (basic and intermediate skills) Indoor or Beach
• Support to Athletes in Training Evaluation (video submission or in-person) Indoor or Beach

Please review all contents of the Advanced Development Coach Evaluation Package before beginning this final step of the certification process. 

Below is a list of the Evaluation Package Appendices:

• Producing Videos for Coach Evaluation
• Certification Standards ADV DEV
• Evaluation Forms and Tools
• Debrief
• Action Plan
• Appeals

The Performance Coach workshop is designed for coaches working with athletes in the Train to Compete stage and most often the 18-22 age group. This is an advanced volleyball coaching workshop primarily intended for coaches at the university/college level but can also be useful for those who aspire to develop athletes and teams which will be competitive in the top divisions at national competitions who are seeking additional coach education in the area of performance analysis.

In Training 

• Foundations of Volleyball

Coaches may have already completed this e-module at the Development or Advanced Development Coach context. The e-modules are designed to provide all the essential information a volleyball coach will need prior to the In-Person Workshops. To begin the Foundations of Volleyball eLearning click here.

Trained 

• Foundations of Volleyball (above)
• Multi-Sport Modules: Managing Conflict, Leading Drug-free Sport, Psychology of Performance, Coaching and Leading Effectively, Prevention and Recovery, Developing Athletic Abilities, Advanced Planning a Practice, Performance Planning, and Manage a Sport Program.
  
  Note: The Multi-sport Modules provide education and training in areas relevant to coaches in all sports. To enroll in the Multi-Sport Modules, click here.
• Performance Coach Workshop
  

  The Performance Coach Workshop is entirely focused on the skill of Performance Analysis (error detection and correction). This is an advanced volleyball coaching workshop and is intended for coaches who aspire to develop athletes and teams which will be competitive at national level competitions and university/college leagues. The workshop is comprised of 4 online sessions and 1 in-person session. All sessions are mandatory to validate the workshop. Assignments are also required in between each session.  

  Performance Coach workshops for Indoor (English) are offered annually, usually in May/June. Performance Coach workshops for Indoor (French) and Beach (English/French) are offered based on demand.

  Applications are accepted year round. Interested coaches should complete the application to receive the latest information on workshop dates and locations. Apply HERE.

  Selection for the Performance Coach workshop will be made by a committee and will be based on the coach's application, coaching experience, goals, and context.

Certified 

• Portfolio and Evaluation requirements

The portfolio includes:

• Performance Planning submission Indoor or Beach (YTP and Microcycles)
• Manage a Program submission
• Support the Competitive Experience submission Indoor or Beach

The evaluation includes:

• Make Ethical Decisions Online Evaluation
• Making Head Way (generic stream) free online module
• Error Detection and Correction online Evaluation (basic and intermediate skills) Beach or Indoor
• Leading Drug-Free Sport online Evaluation
• Managing Conflict online Evaluation
• Support to Athlete in Training Evaluation (2 in-person observations)
• Support the Competitive Experience Evaluation (1 in-person observation of a match)

Review the entire contents of the Performance Coach Evaluation Package HERE and follow the steps outlined.

Below is a list of Evaluation Package Appendices:

• Certification Standards Performance Coach
• Evaluation Forms and Tools
• Debrief
• Action Plan
• Appeals

The Advanced Performance Coach course is closely integrated with the Advanced Coaching Diploma (ACD) delivered by the Canadian Sport Institutes.   

Coaches in this context are working with athletes and teams within Volleyball Canada's Podium Pathways, which include Youth, Junior, and Senior National Teams.    

Coaches are targeted by Volleyball Canada to take part in this unique course for international-level volleyball. Coaches may express interest in this program by sending a resume to coaching@volleyball.ca.  

For an overview graphic of the program click HERE. For more detailed information on the ACD program, click HERE. To review the Advanced Performance & HP Coach Operations Manual and Evaluation Package, click HERE.

The High-Performance Coach program is very similar to the Advanced Performance Coach course in the content covered. However, this 1-2 year program employs an "Experiential Learning" model that provides greater flexibility for working coaches.

Coaches in this context are working with athletes and teams within Volleyball Canada's Podium Pathways, which include Youth, Junior, and Senior National Teams.    

Coaches are targeted by Volleyball Canada to take part in this unique course for international-level volleyball. Coaches may express interest in this program by sending a resume to coaching@volleyball.ca.  

For an overview graphic of the program click HERE. To review the Advanced Performance and HP Coach Operations Manual and Evaluation Package click HERE.