International Certification in Sports Coaching
The United States Sports Academy (USSA), has developed a multi-tiered International Sports Coach Development Curriculum (ISCDC) utilizing the International Sports Coaching Framework (ISCF) and best principles from high performing national federations. The curriculum is designed to provide the appropriate technical, tactical and interpersonal knowledge and experiences at three distinct milestones on the coach development pathway and to focus on the specific context in which the coach is working. The ISCF categorizes athletes as Emerging (youth and introductory), Performance (developmental), and High Performance.
The Lead Coach Development Program (LCDP) is designed for those transitioning into the coaching profession and working with emerging athletes. The Head Coach Development Program (HCDP) is designed for those who are transitioning into a coach leadership role at the local or regional level and working with which the ISCF refers to as Senior Coaches. National Coach Development Program (NCDP) is designed to continue the development of select coaches towards becoming High Performance Coaches, who are transitioning into coach leadership and coach development roles at the national level.
Multi-tiered Programs
Lead Coach Development
CEB 371 Sports Coaching Methodology
Becoming a quality coach requires the development of proficiency across a number of functional areas. This course will introduce a framework of coaching knowledge and core competencies. This course is designed to focus on the intrapersonal and interpersonal coach knowledge categories with specific attention paid to developing a sound coaching philosophy, creating a reliable practice of self-reflection and review, understanding the importance of communication, and shaping the environment of practices and competitions to lead to highly effective athlete experiences.
CEB 374 Athlete Development
This course provides the students with an overview of the stages of athletic development designed to educate sport coaches on stages of athletic development and how to best teach and train athletes within each stage. The stages an athlete passes through during an athletic career will be covered including how to recognize each stage, how to transition between stages, and what techniques are best suited for an athlete within each stage.
CER 325 Strength and Conditioning for Emerging Athletes
This course provides students the opportunity to learn introductory and fundamental principles related to strength and conditioning that will serve professional knowledge of the journey to becoming a quality coach. The course will start with key terms and concepts in applied anatomy and physiology. An understanding of the human body’s form and function is needed prior to exploring how best to train the body to perform better. Specific focus will be placed on the unique context of the adolescent and young adult athlete. Next, the course will cover the key elements of effectively incorporating a strength and conditioning program within an athlete development plan; including evaluation of athlete needs, training principles, and assessment of progress.
CEB 368 Sport Psychology for Emerging Athletes
Quality coaches understand the role of psychological principles in human performance. They incorporate mental skills into practice and competition to enhance performance and athlete well-being. This course is designed to provide the student with the information gleaned from research in the field of sport and exercise psychology, as well as practical knowledge, to become a more effective coach. Students will better understand concepts such as motivation, goal-setting, attention & concentration, mental imagery, and team cohesion.
CPT 398 Practical Application and Sports Clinic
This course provides the opportunity for students to observe, and to participate in, the use of the program content in a practical setting. An emphasis is placed on utilizing, the Plan, Implement, Review, Adjust cycle for continuous improvement within a specific coaching context.
Head Coach Development Program
CEB 571 Sports Coaching Methodology
This advanced course is designed to serve as the foundation for students to progress towards becoming a Head Coach who can organize and communicate the Plan, Implement, Review, Adjust cycle for an entire program including multiple training groups and a staff of Lead and Assistant Coaches. This course will discuss the primary functions of quality coaches (Set the Vision & Strategy, shape the Environment, Build Relationships, Conduct Practices & Structure Competitions, Read & React to the Field, and Learn & Reflect) from a program management perspective.
CEB 574 Coaching Technical and Tactical Skills
This course is designed to focus on physical, physiological, and psychological factors that affect motor skill acquisition, performance, retention, and transfer. The full range of skills from foundational movement to precision technical sports skills will be considered with a special focus on topics such as practice planning, drill design, and feedback for learning and motivation.
CER 525 Strength and Conditioning for Performance Athletes
This is a course designed to study the fundamental principles of training and nutrition associated with the disciplines of physical education, sport, and exercise. The course is intended to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the anatomical and physiological systems within the human body. Head coaches can use sport conditioning, strength training, and an awareness of fitness and nutrition programs in order to enhance individual and team performance in competition. This knowledge should translate into the ability to design and implement various sport conditioning programs.
CEB 568 Sport Psychology for Emerging Athletes
This course focuses on the study of human behavior in sport and exercise settings. It is designed to provide the student with information about research in the field of sport and exercise psychology as well as practical knowledge to become a more athletic coach. Sport and exercise psychology provides us with knowledge to bridge the gap between research and practice that can help coaches have a positive effect on their athletes.
CPT 598 Coaching Practicum
The coaching practicum is designed to give sport coaching students supervised, practical applications of the theory learned in the preceding courses. The practicum provides a hands-on experience of the Plan/Execute/Reflect cycle. The practicum also provides an opportunity for students to coach with observation from a trained and experienced coach in their field.
National Coach Development Program
CEB 671 High Performance Planning for Coaches
This advanced course is designed to serve as the foundation for students to progress towards becoming a National Coach who can develop, organize and communicate a High Performance Plan that will benefit their respective sport at the regional or national level. This course will discuss the primary functions of quality coaches (Set the Vision & Strategy, shape the Environment, Build Relationships, Conduct Practices & Structure Competitions, Read & React to the Field, and Learn & Reflect) from a systems analysis perspective.
CEB 674 Testing and Evaluation in High Performance SportsAthlete Development
Designed to develop an understanding of measurement and evaluation concepts in a high performance sports setting; application relevant to assessment in the physiological, psychomotor, cognitive and affective domains; activities include collection and computer analysis of data of athletes and teams.
CER 625 Strength and Conditioning for Emerging Athletes Advanced Strength and Conditioning
This is an advanced course is designed to build on a coach’s skills in assessing the fundamental movements, physical literacy, speed, strength, & power of athletes. Coaches will develop their ability to design annual, seasonal, and weekly programming based on the individual needs of athletes within their specific context (sport, athlete developmental level, and structural and societal supports).
CEB 668 Advanced Sport Psychology
This advanced course focuses on the ability of coaches to enhance the positive effects of human behavior in sport and exercise settings. It is designed to provide the student with experience in designing and conducting positive learning environments for athletic teams. The latest science in skill acquisition, practice design, and psychological skills training for high-performance will be the center of the course. Primary functions of coaches such as building trust and conducting effective practice session will be discussed and used in student led projects.
CER 580 Workshop in Athlete Safety
This course provides the students with an overview of the essentials of injury prevention and care. It is designed to educate sport professionals, fitness professionals, and sport coaches on how to prevent, assess, and manage sport injuries through practical application. This course illustrates the roles of the sports medicine team and covers effective and practical ways to administer sports first aid. The course focuses on performance enhancement, injury care, injury prevention, and rehabilitation. Students have the opportunity to apply sports first aid skills and techniques through a practical style of learning and instructor-led demonstrations.
CED 556 Sports Nutrition and Ergogenic Aids
This course covers the principles of sound nutrition as they relate to high performance athletes. With the growing focus on performance enhancing drugs, this course provides a basic understanding of the variety of substances, both natural and prohibited, used in today’s world to enhance performance. Students will also learn how they work, if they really work, which are illegal and how they can be detected. Finally, the many ethical issues associated with the use of performance enhancing drugs will be discussed.