Coach Certifications & Information
Want to be a VAFC Coach?
All four of the CSA / BCSA’s community stream coaching courses are mandatory for the age group listed. As such, VAFC will run each of the following courses every season to ensure our coaches are compliant. At the start of each season Course details and registration instructions will be emailed to appointed coaches once finalized.
Active Start
(U4 – U6)
Active Start consists of completing 1.5 hours of online training followed by a 2-hour Practical On-Field Workshop.
Fundamentals
(U7-U8)
Fundamentals consists of completing 1.5 hours of online training followed by a 3-hour Practical On-Field Workshop.
Learn to Train
(U9 – U13)
Learn to Train consists of completing 2 hours of online training followed by a 4-hour Practical On-Field Workshop.
Soccer for Life
(U14-U18)
Soccer for Life consists of completing 2 hours of online training followed by a 4-hour Practical On-Field Workshop.
Coaches are also expected to complete the following:
NCCP Make Ethical Decisions Workshop and Online Evaluation; the NCCP Making Headway Concussion Awareness Workshop, the NCCP Online Emergency Action Plan Workshop and the Respect in Sport Activity Leader Course. No prerequisites required.
Respect in Sport
BC Soccer is pleased to partner with The Respect Group to support all the online education and certification programs they have developed to support and create safe environments that are free from harassment, bullying and abuse.
Coaches are encouraged to take the Respect in Sport to Activity Leader E-learning Education Program.
The fee for this user-friendly 2.5-hour online course is $30, collected by registration and payment process is done through Respect in Sport.
Coach Pathway
How to Get Certified?
Better Coach, Better Players!
BC Soccer is able to track your certification levels in our course management system called Coach Centre.
To ensure that we do this accurately for you, please follow these steps below.
1
Create a Coach Centre Account
Create a Coach Centre account by clicking here. If you already have one, see below.
2
Register for Online Theory Course
You must* use the same Coach Centre full name and email address to register for the online theory (PART 1). Email VAFC Operations Manager to get a payment code and then register here.
3
Online Theory Completed
Once you complete the online theory course then you can register for the on-field practical workshop (PART 2) to complete your full certification level email VAFC House Coordinator for ‘Private Course Code‘ and then you can register by clicking here.
4
Register for an on-field certification clinic.
Ask VAFC (operations@vafc.ca) for the ‘Private Code’ which is only given out to VAFC coaches looking to complete their online certification through our club. Please email VAFC your full name, the club team you are associated with and the online workshop (Active Start, Fundamentals, Learn to Train, Soccer for Life) you would like to participate in.
5
How to Register
Please check the list of clinics listed below for dates and times. Make sure that you have completed the online theory first as this is the prerequisite. Once registration is open for an on-field practical workshop, you can login (or create a login) at www.coachcentre.ca to register. That is when you will use your ‘Private Code’ and not have to pay for the clinic.
Upcoming Coaches Clinics
VAFC Coach Certification On-Field Workshops
See below for the clinic that applies to your age group for this upcoming Fall Soccer Season.
| Clinic Name | Age Group | Date | Location | Time | Private Code | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Start – #2915 | U5-U6 | April 27th, 2025 | Douglas Park Community Center | 9am – 11am | Email Request | Reg Link |
| Soccer for Life – #3012 | U14-U18 | April 27th, 2025 | Douglas Park Community Center | 12pm – 4pm | Email Request | Reg Link |
| Learn to Train – #2915 | U9-U13 | May 11th, 2025 | Douglas Park Community Center | 9am – 1pm | Email Request | Reg Link |
| Fundamentals – #3163 | U7-U8 | May 4th, 2025 | Douglas Park Community Center | 9am – 12pm | Email Request | Reg Link |
Coach Resources
VAFC is committed on providing ongoing resources for all Coaches.
This area of the website will continue to grow as VAFC adds more useful tips and content.
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