A new course for NICA head coaches (current and prospective)
NICA’s new Head Coach Course helps current and aspiring head coaches strengthen their leadership skills, improve team operations, and build […]
A new course for NICA head coaches (current and prospective)
NICA’s new Head Coach Course helps current and aspiring head coaches strengthen their leadership skills, improve team operations, and build inclusive, sustainable teams. The optional course takes 90 minutes to 2 hours to complete and is worth 3 CEUs.
Photo by New Mexico Cycling League
A great head coach has the power to positively influence not just the team experience but also the lives of the student-athletes and coaches they work with. Though it comes with challenges, the role can also be dynamic, exciting, and rewarding.
To support current and prospective head coaches, NICA’s Coach Education team has developed the new NICA Head Coach Course. Worth 3 continuing education units and available now, the course expands on existing coach training with methods to elevate any coach’s team leadership skills.
The NICA Head Coach Course covers these topics:
- Designing and communicating a coach onboarding approach that helps coaches feel welcomed and prepared for the season.
- Creating and implementing well-thought-out practice and season plans that prioritize inclusion, safety, progression, and reflection.
- Supporting, coordinating with and informing coaches, so they’re aligned around shared standards, expectations, and goals.
- Leading the charge in risk management and knowing how to respond when incidents arise.
- Planning and communicating race weekend operations and coordinating coaching responsibilities at events.
- Developing a strong and effective partnership with the team director and mapping out each role’s contributions to the team.
- Building strong team culture and growth through servant leadership, coach development, intentional recruiting strategies, and engaging with the greater NICA coaching community.
Introducing scenarios
The NICA Head Coach Course includes several open-ended response questions called “scenarios.” Scenarios are new to NICA online coursework and have the potential to personalize and enhance coach education. They provide opportunities to place yourself in the learning and give detailed examples of how things might be handled when using NICA best practices. They can also be downloaded and saved for future review.
Each scenario-type section:
- Describes a scenario related to the learning topic.
- Asks thought-provoking questions.
- Allows the coach to provide thoughts and responses.
- Provides an exemplar response to compare answers.
- Lets coaches download their response for later reflection.
NICA Head Coach Course FAQs
Q: Who’s this course for?
A: New head coaches with a desire to excel right out of the gate, veteran head coaches striving to take their team lead skills to the next level, and any NICA coach exploring the possibility of becoming a head coach in the future.
Q: Who can take it?
A: Any NICA coach or staff that’s been invited to Pit Zone.
Q: Is the course required in order to be a head coach?
A: No. The NICA Head Coach Course is an optional supplement to the Level 3 Course, digging deeper into how to run thriving, inclusive, and sustainable teams.
Q: How long does it take to complete?
A: 90 minutes to 2 hours, if you’re moving deliberately through the course.
Q: Will there be a course for team directors, too?
A: Yes! A new team director course is planned for 2027. In the meantime, TDs are encouraged to take the head coach course, too, as many of the principles apply to both roles.
The NICA Head Coach Course is available in the NICA Education Center and is worth 3 CEUs.
Photo by Cory Jensen, Nebraska Cycling League
This content was authored by NICA’s coach education team. NICA’s comprehensive coach education program provides new and existing coaches with the high-quality training and resources they need to be confident, competent, and empowered leaders on their youth mountain bike teams. NICA coaches not only create amazing experiences for student-athletes, they create a foundation for building healthy mountain bike communities. NICA coaches change lives!
COACH EDUCATION | PIT ZONE LOGIN | COACH REQUIREMENTS | COACH HELP DESK
Special thanks to SPECIALIZED, a NICA platinum level partner.
NICA partners help kids gain access to a thriving and engaged cycling community.
Special thanks to SPECIALIZED, a NICA platinum level partner.
NICA partners help kids gain access to a thriving and engaged cycling community.
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