WHY BECOME A COACH?
Coaching can provide you with many opportunities and benefits:

• Helping you improve your own game
• Coaching your friends or team mates to improve their games
• Earning an income whilst passing on your knowledge to others
• Coachng individuals, groups, teams and after school junior club sessions
• Overseas Club-Pro Coaching appointments
• State and National team appointments
• Opportunities for involvement with quality coaching networks and programs ie. state sporting institutes

How do I become a coach?
Once you have decided that you would like to become a coach you must gain accreditation by attending and successfully completing a National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS) course (See “NCAS  Coaching Courses” below).

Contact your state squash association or State Coaching Director for further details about coaching courses in your state:

VICTORIAN SQUASH FEDERATION 
Box 6
Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre
Aughtie Drive
Albert Park Vic 3206
Ph: (03) 9682 2199 
Fax: (03) 9682 2399

NCAS COACHING COURSES
The NCAS currently offers courses for 3 levels of coaching, as well as an introductory course for people involved in the organisation and co-ordination of junior club programs as detailed below:

Totball - Participation/introductory program for 5-7 year olds (Not a coaching accreditation course)

NEXT COURSE:

Date: TBA Expressions of Interest being taken now

Level O - Orientation to coaching (Not a coaching accreditation course)

NEXT COURSE:

TBA

Level 1 - Beginning Coaching (the minimum level of accreditation which focuses on the teaching of beginners)

NEXT COURSE:

Date: Sun. 20 July, & Sun. 31 August, 2008 Information click here Registration form click here

Level 2 - Senior Coach : Aims to assist and qualify coaches who wish to work in the talent development area.

NEXT COURSE:

Date: TBA

Level 3 - This course is designed to equip the coach with the knowledge and skills to coach at elite levels in the state, national and international arena.

NEXT COURSE:

Date: TBA

All accredited coaches are entered into registers kept by the Australian Coaching Council (ACC), Squash Australia and your state squash association.

How do I keep informed on the latest knowledge and ideas on coaching?
Acquiring knowledge to assist you as a coach is a continuous process - sport and squash are evolving with new information coming to hand constantly.

Becoming a member of the Professional Squash Coaches Association of Australia (PSCAA) will provide you with access to sources of information about squash and coaching such as books, magazines, journal articles, videos, etc, which can be borrowed or purchased from your state squash association, the ACC and the PSCAA.

Workshops are conducted on a regular basis by your state branch of the PSCAA and an annual PSCAA/Squash Australia National Coaches Conference is conducted around Australia.

Working with other coaches and High Performance players can also provide a wealth of knowledge and shouldn’t be overlooked.

The PSCAA offers three levels of membership as follows

UPDATING
In 1991 the Australian Coaching Council introduced a policy related to ensuring ongoing coach education. The policy is the ACC's Accreditation Updating Policy.

The Updating Policy has been designed to ensure that Australian Sport takes place in an environment where quality, standards, safety and personnel are of the highest order.

Why Update?
Updating ensures that coaches stay abreast of rule changes in their sport.

Updating also keeps coaches in contact with the most up to date techniques and coaching methods.

Updating will play an important role in ensuring that the coaching environment is safe for all participants and reduce the likelihood of coaches becoming involved in legal actions.

Updating will ensure that sports and the ACC have an up to the minute register of active coaches.

How to update
Updating goes hand in hand with coaching. Once you have completed an accreditation course the 'update clock begins.

When your initial accreditation is processed you will receive an ACC accreditation card which shows your expiry date.

Your initial accreditation lasts for 4 years - the accreditation period starts when the ACC receives notification that all accreditation requirements have been met.

During this 4-year period, you are required to participate in a variety of coaching and coach education activities to maintain your accreditation and place on the NCAS active register.

How much does it cost to update?
After your first 4 years as a coach a $13 fee must be paid for re-registration for a further 4-year period. This fee is paid to your state sporting association which completes the re-registration form on your behalf and submits it, along with your fee, to the ACC.

Note: Members of the PSCAA have this fee paid on their behalf to the ACC.

How are updating activities recorded?
The ACC supplies newly accredited coaches with a Log Book to record all update activities. The PSCAA and your State Coaching Director also have these books available. The Log Book should be taken with you to any updating activity to be signed by the course co-ordinator.

What happens if I don't update?
Coaches who do not complete the specified updating requirements will be removed from the NCAS active coach register.

Special leave considerations are available and should be discussed with your State Coaching Director.

UPDATING CRITERIA

Level 1 Coaches
In order to update, current Level 1 accredited coaches must gain a minimum of 100 updating points over the 4 year period

These 100 points can be obtained via three main activities:

A. Practical Coaching

B. Squash Specific Courses

C. General Sports Related Courses

A minimum of 30 points must be obtained through active coaching ie. 15 hours of practical coaching over the 4 year period. This can be raised to a maximum of 60 points (30 hours).

The coach will also need to obtain a minimum of 20 points up to a maximum of 40 points through attending Squash Specific Courses/Workshops - generally these are organised by your state sporting association or your branch of the PSCAA. This equates to 1 x 2 day or 2 x 1 day courses over the period As an example attending a coaching course for the next level of accreditation (Level 2) earns 50 points.

In addition the coach may also attend General Sports Related Courses such as First Aid Courses, etc, to obtain up to 40 points in this area.

Level 2 Coaches
Level 2 coaches need the same 100 points to update but, in general, Level 2 Coaches are required to do twice as much as a Level 1 coach in order to obtain a similar number of points.

See your State Coaching Director for further information regarding appropriate squash specific and general sports courses.

THE PROFESSIONAL SQUASH COACHES ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA (PSCAV)

Role of the PSCAV (Inc)
The PSCAV is an association for coaches who have qualified under the Australian Coaching Council's National Coaching Accreditation Scheme or equivalent programs in other countries.

The PSCAV exists to further the education and experience of coaches in order to promote the sport to beginners and developing players. It does this by working closely with the state squash and racquetball associations (the Victorian Squash Federation and the Australian Racquetball Federation), to provide expert coaches to conduct the coaching programs for these associations.

It provides feedback to these associations on coaching related matters, particularly coach education and coaching program designs and provides workshops, seminars and other information to its members, prospective coaches, squash centres and other interested parties.

The Committee of the Professional Squash Coaches Association of Victoria (Inc) is as follows:  

The PSCAV Committee also act as the Management Committee for the Professional Squash Coaches Association of Australia (Inc) which provides further services to members such as a specific coaching magazine, "Australian Squash Coach", designed to ensure that coaches are able to access the latest sports science and coaching specific information available.

Information about joining the PSCAV or the PSCAA, or about attending courses, workshops and seminars can be obtained by contacting the Secretary at 21 Thomas Street, Kew 3101 or you can e-mail the President

ACCREDITED AND INSURED VICTORIAN COACHES as at 15 June 2006

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