COMPETITION INTRODUCTION

The Competition – Introduction context is designed for coaches of athletes moving from the FUNdamentals to the Learn to Train and Train to Train stages of long-term athlete development.

For Softball Alberta Provincial Championships in categories that lead to a Western or Canadian Championship, at least one coach on the provincial roster must be Competition Introduction Certified. Certified status is granted once a coach has completed the Foundations of Coaching Softball pre-requisites,  attended all portions of the Softball Competition Introduction clinic, completed their On Field Practice Evaluation and completed their Make Ethical Decisions Online Evaluation. Trained status is granted once a coach has completed all the aforementioned steps except the On Field Practice Evaluation.

There are additional coaching requirements for teams who qualify for Canadian Championships. The Head Coach must be Comp Intro Certified and Asst Coaches (or any other coach wishing to go on the field) must be Comp Intro Trained.

There are now two clinic formats offered. A Hybrid clinic pathway involves 3 online modules (scheduled over Zoom) and 1 hybrid weekend held in person for the remaining modules. The online modules can be completed before or after attending the hybrid weekend. The other format is offered completely in person over two weekends – all modules are held at a facility with the group of coaches attending. However, once a coach has begun their Comp Intro training in either the Hybrid Pathway or the In Person Pathway, they must continue in that same one for the duration of their Comp Intro training.

Update for 2026: Make Ethical Decisions Changes

As of April 1, 2026:

• Coaches will no longer have access to the current MED online evaluation module, nor NCCP multi-sport or sport-specific MED training.
• Coaches will be required to access NCCP MED through The Locker. The new eLearning module will feature both the training and evaluation.
• Coaches who have completed MED training and online evaluation will continue to have this indicated on their transcript and will not need to complete the new eLearning module.
• Coaches who are mid-stream – those who have completed in-person training but have not yet completed the online evaluation or are in the middle of the online evaluation –will have until March 31, 2026, 11:59:59 PT to complete the current online evaluation module. Coaches who do not complete the current online evaluation module by March 31, 2026, 11:59:59 PT will need to complete the entire new eLearning module, which includes both training and evaluation. However, they will not be charged again to access the new module.
• Coaches who previously completed the MED training and online evaluation will not have free access to the new eLearning module and can reference their existing MED Coach Workbook as a resource.
• Coaches who previously (before April 1, 2026) completed only the NCCP MED Online Evaluation and are required to take training to satisfy a training pathway will need to take the new NCCP MED eLearning module. Similar to the current process, they will be required to pay.
• New coaches will be required to complete their training and evaluation via the new eLearning module as of April 1, 2026. Once a coach has paid for the eLearning module, they will have the ability to access it at any time via The Locker.
• The eLearning module can be completed via computer (laptop or desktop), tablet, or mobile phone; however, the CAC will work with partners to look at and develop alternative learning methods for those coaches who cannot access eLearning.

**Please note that you must be at Trained status to move on to the evaluation process of your certification.

SCHEDULED CLINICS

PAST CLINICS

If you are planning on completing an evaluation, click here for the process. Please note, athletes in the evaluation must be in a U15 category and above.

Would you like to host a Competition – Introduction Coaching Clinic? Read through these requirements and contact Kim to find out how!

*Please note: There will be no Comp Intro Clinics approved to be hosted during May-August.*