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NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STATE HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS AWARDED

COACHING EDUCATION ACCREDITATION

RESTON, VA, March 17, 2009 – The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), headquartered in Indianapolis, IN, is the first online sport program in the United States to receive accredited status for its coaching education program, the National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE) announced today.

According to NFHS Executive Director Bob Kanaby, “The NFHS is proud to receive accreditation for the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course by NCACE. This recognition ensures that our 51 state associations and their member schools are providing interscholastic coaches a standard of training that is nationally approved by experts in the field.”

“Accreditation for the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course by NCACE validates that between 50,000 -75,000 interscholastic coaches each year will be trained in a program that covers the eight (8) domains and 40 standards outlined in the National Standards for Sport Coaches,” stated Tim Flannery, NFHS Assistant Director. “We are proud that this is a unique course designed specifically for interscholastic coaches, affordable and delivered in an effective and engaging way.”

Since 1920 the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS serves its 50-member state

high school athletic/activity associations plus the District of Columbia, publishes playing rules in 16 sports for boys and girls competition and administers fine arts programs in speech, theater, debate and music. It provides a variety of program initiatives that reach the 18,500 high schools and over 11 million students involved in athletic and activity programs.

NCACE President Rick Albrecht stated, “We congratulate NFHS for its commitment to providing quality coaches education and for taking this historical step in becoming the first online coaching education program accredited by NCACE at Level III. NFHS has shown that it is a leader among sport organizations. Its coaching education program will serve as a prototype for other organizations seeking to promote excellence in coaching preparation. This, in turn, will play a major role in ensuring positive, healthy, and enjoyable sport experiences for athletes.”

NCACE grants accreditation to coaching education programs that meet or exceed established requirements deemed essential to the preparation of well-qualified coaches. NFHS has successfully documented content identified in the Quality Coaches, Quality Sports: National

Standards for Sport Coaches (NASPE, 2006) and the NCACE Guidelines for program supervision, personnel, and operations. Not only has NFHS demonstrated program excellence, but also the willingness to engage in self-study in order to assess and document its coaching education process.

NCACE, founded in 2000, is committed to bringing the National Association for Sport and Physical Education’s (NASPE) coaching standards to full fruition. These standards serve as the foundation of the NCACE mission to promote quality coaching education for all practicing and prospective coaches. NASPE’s coaching standards have been endorsed by over 100 sport organizations. The standards address coaching skills and knowledge needed in the following domains:

Philosophy and Ethic
Safety and Injury Prevention
Physical Conditioning
Growth and Development
Teaching and Communication
Sport Skills and Tactics
Organization and Administration
Evaluation.

The standards serve as the cornerstone for quality coaching and provide the basis for the NCACE coaching education guidelines, which address aspects of coaching education programs needed to help coaches learn the skills and knowledge stated in the national standards. The coaching education guidelines outline the administrative support, personnel, and operational policies needed to provide coaching education.

NCACE is accepting memberships from all sport and coaching organizations that support quality coaching education and advocate for certification of coaches at all levels of sport. To date, NCACE has accredited 13 coaching education programs representing youth sport organizations, school associations, national governing bodies, distributors of coaching education, colleges and universities, and sport coaches associations. Quality Coaches, Quality Sports: National Standards for Sport Coaches may be ordered by calling 1-800-321-0789. The price is $21.

NCACE

The National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE) is an organization established by the coaching education community across the U.S. Representatives include members concerned about the availability and quality of coaching education for all sports and at all levels of competition.

NCACE is a not-for-profit organization comprised of organizations and individuals involved in or supporting coaching and coaching education. NCACE supports, facilitates development of, and accredits coaching education programs and established program standards to conduct the program review for organizations seeking to provide effective coaching education programs at all levels. For more information, visit www.NCACEinfo.org or contact NCACE at 1-800-213-7193, ext. 417.