Aboriginal Coaching Manual

The professional development of Aboriginal coaches through NCCP certification has been identified by the ASC as a national priority. In order to educate and promote the value of the NCCP and to establish meaningful participation of Aboriginal peoples in this national program, the ASC embarked on a multi-year process to develop supplemental training material for Aboriginal coaches taking NCCP courses. The result of this process is the Aboriginal Coaching Manual, which responds to the need for a national training curriculum with content that reflects the uniqueness of Aboriginal cultures, values, and lifestyles.

The ACM is a professional training tool for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal coaches who coach Aboriginal athletes, as they become certified through the NCCP. The material in the ACM has been developed to meet the following objectives:

• provide culturally relevant training courses to Aboriginal coaches and community sport leaders;
• elevate the capacity of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal coaches to coach Aboriginal athletes;
• improve the quality of the sport experience for Aboriginal athletes;
• improve the coach’s understanding of, and ability to apply, Aboriginal culture to sport and to coaching techniques and tactics;
• allow Aboriginal communities greater accessibility to the NCCP;
• increase the number of NCCP certified Aboriginal coaches;
• make the wisdom of Aboriginal culture available to both Aboriginal and mainstream sport.

In supporting the national implementation of the ACM, the Aboriginal Sport Circle is continuing to support P/TASB’s with the opportunity to partner with the ASC to host two (2) ACM Facilitator Training/Courses and seven (7) ACM courses annually. The long term objectives in delivering the ACM material include:

• increasing awareness of and support for the ACM among Aboriginal communities and the mainstream sport community in Canada;
• allowing coaches and communities the opportunity to embrace culturally sensitive practices so they can better meet the diverse needs of Aboriginal athletes in Canada;
• having coaches at all levels of sport utilize the material from the ACM in their day-to-day interaction with Aboriginal athletes;
• creating opportunities for positive dialogue between facilitators, coaches, and athletes about how the ACM should evolve to meet the constantly changing needs of young Aboriginal athletes.