Coaching

Softball Australia’s Coaching Pathway

Softball WA has adopted Softball Australia’s Coaching Pathway in its entirety and encourage members to do the courses in order of the pathway.

As of February 2023, all Coaching Accreditation are to be completed Online through Softball Australia.

Each State are able and encouraged to have:

Face to Face Workshops
Coach Development Classes
Skill & Practical Courses

To Assist Participants with their development and helping understand the online course.

State Director Coaching will hold course sessions with videos and practical skills demonstrations, when asked by Associations/ Clubs or a group of interested Coaches at lest 4]

Workshops will also be run at lest 3 times a year. [ a minimal cost will be involved]

The new pathway begins with Foundation, to Performance Talent, to High-Performance Elite, to Master.

To sign up for a Foundation Coaching Course click here: Foundation
To sign up for a Permance Talent Coaching Course click here:   Performance Talent
To sign up for a High Performance Elite Coaching Course click here:   High-Performance Elite
To sign up for a Master Coaching Course click here: Master

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Description automatically generated Courses to be done ONLINE in the order of:

1. Foundation Level
Prerequisite:

Essential Skills. [Note: to be done every 4 years]
Coaches Code of Conduct

Courses Modules and Cost:

SBU, [$35]
Fundamental Skills, [$45]
Training to Practice [$45]
Managing Games [$45]

When all 4 Modules have been completed you may register online, for a competency Assessment to be done on you to attain FOUNDATION COACH Level. [Note: this level MUST be attained to be able to move to the next level within the pathway]. The assessment is done by the State Director of Coaching or a Nominated Representative by the SDC, with the same qualifications. ASSESSMENT COST $45. Payable to the Assessor.

WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AS COMPETENT, YOU MAY APPLY TO SIT FOR THE Performance Talent Coach / Performance Talent Battery Coach.

Please Note. You may not pass the first time, don’t be disappointed.

2. PERFORMANCE TALENT COACH / PERFORMANCE TALENT BATTERY COACH.

This Course is held over 8 weeks by Softball Australia via Zoom and Online Modules. Cost approx. $145.

Please note that Softball Australia must have at lest 8 participants [preferably within the same state] before a course will commence, so it could take a few months before the course may commence from the date you apply to do it. [please be patient]

Performance Talent Coach Level

Performance Talent
Performance Talent Battery

Qualification at a Performance Talent and/or Performance Talent Battery Coach is attained when the coach successfully completes all course components

The next levels are all completed by Softball Australia within their process, which will include Australian Representative level, as well as Development Clinic Coaching within individual states under Softball Australia programmes.

3. High Performance Elite / High-Performance Elite Battery Coach:
Qualification at a High-Performance Elite and/or High-Performance Elite Battery Coach is attained when the coach successfully completes all course components

4. Master

Master accreditation is awarded on the completion of a Tertiary Graduate Degree or Diploma of Elite Sports Coaching, contact Softball Australia directly for more information.

Receving New Coaching Accreditation Titles
All current accredited coaches with Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Level 6 will reeive he new classifications when they have completed a re-accrditation or completed the next coaching level.

Note Accreditation is for 4 years only. Please remember to RE-Accredit before you Expire

COACH RE-ACCREDITATION AND UPDATING

Keeping your Coach accreditation up to date

It is important for new and current coaches to understand their duty of care and risk management challenges when delivering a safe and fun environment and that all requirements are adhered to. Softball Australia has an obligation to ensure all coaches seeking accreditation or reaccreditation understand the current duty of care responsibilities and child protection rules.

The following courses/modules updates must be completed for accreditation and re-accreditation:

Sport Australia Essential Skills Community Coaching Course (previously Sport Australia Community Coaching or Officiating General Principles) every four years.
Coaches Code of Conduct must be completed, signed and a copy sent to the relevant state office

NOTE: If updating requirements are not completed within 16 months from expiry date, you must repeat the accreditation course. Coaches who do not complete updating requirements by the due date must achieve 100 points and an additional 25 points for each 6 months beyond expiry. For Performance coaches, additional points must be achieved in coaching principles and/or softball specific.

Please contact your state director of coaching to lodge your reaccreditation.

Update your Coach accreditation
Softball Australia requires all accredited coaches to participate in a variety of education activities to maintain their accreditation. The following sets out the current practice for re-accreditation and will be reviewed when changes to performance courses occur.

Coaches can update their accreditation by completing the next level of accreditation OR achieving a total of 100 points over four years
Foundation must achieve a total of 100 points over four years from any category. Coaching Updating Activity Sheet.
At the time of re-accreditation, previous level referencing will change to the current course alignment e.g., Level 3 – reaccredited at Managing Games
Performance (Level 4-6 coaches) must achieve a maximum of 25 points per year and a minimum of 20 points in each category, and complete the Coaching Updating Activity Sheet to validate their updating activities
When updating is complete, the coach must forward the Coaching Updating Activity Sheet, a signed Softball Australia Coaches Code of Conduct, a copy of Sport Australia Essential Skills Community Coaching Course [Online] and the relevant registration fee to their state for approval
New updating requirements commence immediately re-registration is received

Course

Complete the next level of accreditation – 100 pts

Softball-specific (performance minimum of 20 pts over four years)

Attend softball seminars/clinics (umpire course, rules seminars etc) – 20 pts
Attend a face-to-face workshop in your state – 20 pts
Lecture at softball coaching courses – 20 pts
Submit an article to Softball Australia – 25 pts

Coaching Principles (performance minimum of 20 pts over four years)

Complete specific modules of ASC Intermediate Coaching General Principles – 25 pts
Attend sport-related seminars – 20 pts
Complete one sport-related tertiary unit – 20 pts
Lecture at coaching principles seminar – 20 pts
Complete the Presenter and Facilitator course – 20 pts
Complete one module of the Sport Australia Intermediate Coaching General Principles – 25 pts*

Coaching Practice (performance minimum of 20 pts over four years)

Australian Team Coaching appointment -25 pts
State-appointed Head Coach - 20 pts
Assistant Coach Supervisor/Mentor - 10 pts
Assessor (accreditation candidates) - 25 pts
Club or Association Team Head Coach - 20 pts
Club or Association Team Assistant Coach - 10 pts
A season of school coaching for schoolteachers - 15 pts
Competency assessment (Levels 1-5) - 25 pts
Lecture at clinics - 25 pts
Complete updating course/module - 25 pts

Accreditation Requirements for Coaches in the SWA State Program

as of April 2023.

As per the State Teams Policies 05/2021 [on SWA website]

Head Coach – Performance Talent or Higher. Foundation Coaches may nominate to be considered
Assistant Coach -- Foundation Coach, Managing Games may nominate to be considered
Trainee Coach -- Any Foundation Level or higher.
Specialist Coach -- Battery Coach to be accredited at Performance Talent Battery