
Coaches and Officials
Sport excellence starts with great coaches and officials
Coaches and technical officials are essential to the conduct and development of triathlon. Athletes of all levels rely on coaching guidance and support to develop their potential and avoid injury. Effective officiating at competitions and events helps ensure safety, and supports the fairness of competition.
Coaching
How to become a coach
There are two basic classifications of coaches: Community and Competition. Community Coaches typically work with newcomers to the sport and within clubs. Competition Coaches work with athletes aiming at provincial, national, and international competition levels. You can move directly into the competitive coaching pathway without becoming a community coach.
Community Sport Coach
If you’re thinking of becoming qualified as a Community Sport Coach, then you may already coach at the community level or be interested in doing so. Often, you’re a parent whose child is involved in sport, or a volunteer who works with participants of all ages that are new to the sport or competing at the club level. Community coaches can concentrate on youth or adult coaching development.
Competition Coach
Coaches in the competition stream usually have previous coaching experience or are former athletes in triathlon or related sports. They tend to work with athletes over the long term to improve performance, often in preparation for provincial, national, and international competitions.
Many requirements and courses for both coaching streams are generic to all coaching development programs and are available locally or online through Sports PEI and other agencies. Course information and scheduling is available at Triathlon PEI.
Certifications or Training Under Previous Pathways
Individuals who have completed certification or training under the previous coaching pathways will be grand-fathered according to a matrix developed and conditionally approved with the Coaching Association of Canada. Please refer to the last section of the revised Pathway document for details.
Certification levels
Triathlon Canada has defined two certifications programs: Community and Competition. Both programs begin with the same process: Basic Registration. Details of the process can be found here. Course information and scheduling for non-triathlon specific courses is available here.
Basic Registration
At the end of basic registration, a prospective coach is registered with Triathlon Canada as a coach and is eligible to move on to Community and/or Competition coaching training. Basic registration includes:
- Establishing an account with the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) and receiving an NCCP account number.
- Registering with Triathlon Canada and affiliating with Triathlon NL through the National Triathlon Registration System.
- Completing a criminal background check.
- Completing the Respect in Sport module (use the link under Triathlon Specific Courses).
- Completing the CAC module “Making Ethical Decisions”.
- Completing Triathlon Official Level 1 training with Triathlon NL.
Community Sport Coach
Community coaches tend to concentrate on one of two areas: Youth or Adults. The youth-specific pathway is still under development, but will be similar to the adult pathway. To be certified as an adult community coach, the following steps are required:
- Complete Basic Registration (above).
- Complete the Triathlon Canada NCCP Community Coaching Course –> “In-Training”
- Complete the five required CAC multi-sport modules: Teaching and Learning, Nutrition, Basic Mental Skills, Planning a Practice, Design a Basic Sport Program –> “Trained”
- Complete an in-competition assessment –> “Certified”
Competition Coaches
There are two levels of competition coaches:
- Competition Coach: Works with young and elite athletes who are committed to the sport of triathlon and are in full-time training programs towards achieving continual performance improvement. This level is required for coaching at competitions such as the Canada Summer Games.
- High Performance Coach: Works with elite athletes aiming at international and Olympic competition. Completion of the competitive stream is a prerequisite. This certification level is still under development.
The competition coaching pathway is more detailed and technical than the community pathway. Requirements include:
- Completion of Basic Registration.
- Complete the eight required CAC multi-sport modules:
- Be trained as a community coach, or complete Planning a Practice, and Building a Basic Sport Program
- Conflict Management
- Leading Drug-free Sport
- Coaching and Leading Effectively
- Developing Athletic Abilities
- Prevention and Recovery
- Psychology of Performance
- –> “In-Training”
- Complete the Triathlon Canada NCCP Training Pre-requisites:
- Swimming Canada – Swimming 101
- Cycling Canada – Skills & Tactics (Road)
- Athletics Canada – Club Coach (Endurance)
- Register for Competition Certification (mentoring)
- Mentor Meeting – introduction to Individual Performance Plan (IPP) and Yearly Training Plan (YTP) –> “Trained”
- Complete IPP/YTP Tool with Mentor
- In-competition assessment and portfolio assessment –> “Certified”
Triathlon specific coaching courses
Click the link below for information regarding NCCP courses.
http://www.coachingpei.ca/nccp-training.html
Coaching Resources
Home Study
Many of the NCCP modules are available for Home Study but not all. Please contact for more information.
Nutrition is available in Home Study only right now, email Lynn Boudreau to register or call (902)368-6253
More information on In Class Looking to take Competition Development Modules
Please fill out the survey to let us know what modules you want to take and your best availability.
Introduction to Competition Modules
Please fill out the survey to let us know what modules you want to take and your best availability.
NCCP Multi Sport Modules Policy
Effective April 1, 2014
updated Oct 1, 2018
Officiating
What is a Technical Official
If you are knowledgeable about the sport and competition rules of triathlon and you have strong communications and observational skills, consider becoming a technical official. Technical officials ensure that an event is safe and fair for all competitors. They have a range of roles and responsibilities based on their level of certification.
Technical officials are in charge of the conduct of competitions at local, provincial, national, and international events, depending on their level of certification and experience. PEI is currently trying to develop officials for local triathlon competitions and hosting national competitions such as the Canada Summer Games.
All coaches are required to complete the Level 1 Official Course. Level 1 is also recommended for anyone planning to serve as a race director for an event.
To become a technical official please contact us directly.
How to become a technical official
Once you’ve got a few years of regular officiating under your belt, you could be nominated (if you wish) to Triathlon Canada to become qualified as an official for national or international races. (All officials at the Olympic/Paralympic games started as a Level 1 in their local communities!)
Current technical officials
You can find out more about Technical Officials with the Officials Program Overview, and see a full list of 2017’s Technical Officials.
Resources and Tools
This section is password protected and for qualified Technical Officials. Please log in here.
Official Development Path
The development path for officials begins with a Level 1 Course. PEI intends to hold Level 1 Courses every year.
Official Development Path
Provincial Technical Official 1: A race official capable of reporting and enforcing rule infractions, usually employed as an assistant to the head official at a local or provincial event. A level 1 official is mentored by higher level officials and will be subject to an evaluation process.
Provincial Technical Official 2: Works at provincial level events in roles such as Technical Delegate, Head Official, and Sector Lead, and can present the level 1 course. Level 2 requires participation in a level 2 course and passing an evaluation/mentorship process.
National Triathlon Official (Mentoring) 3: Works at national and international events as head official, sector lead, or official under the mentorship of a full NTO official and can present both level 1 and level 2 courses.
National Triathlon Official: Works at national and international events in all roles, presents level 1 and level 2 courses, and may be assigned to mentor level 3 NTOs.
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