Volunteer coaches are the backbone of youth sports in America. Without the thousands of parents signing up to coach youth sports every season, the youth sports world would come to a screeching halt!
The question is who are these volunteers? Are they an ex-high school or college athlete trying to re-live their sports experiences? Are they a parent of a reluctant child trying to give their child the same great experience that they had as a child? Or are they the mother or father of a child who was told, "If you don't volunteer, we don't have enough coaches!"
The truth is that all of these scenarios are pretty likely in the average volunteer-based youth sports league. That's why in 1981 NAYS developed the National Youth Sports Coaches Association - to help educate those volunteers to become the best youth sport coaches that they can be.
Overview - National Youth Sports Coaches Association
The National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA) is a membership organization and the most widely used volunteer coach training program in the nation, having trained more than 2.5 million coaches since its inception in 1981. More than 3,000 community-based agencies and organizations have offered this opportunity.
The NYSCA volunteer coach training program is designed to sensitize volunteer coaches to their responsibilities and hold them accountable to a strict Code of Conduct defined by the NYSCA Coaches' Code of Ethics Pledge.
How It Works
Initial Level Membership
1. Volunteer coaches can participate in a live on-site, interactive video training clinic (conducted by a local NAYS chapter), successfully complete an exam and sign a pledge committing them to uphold the NYSCA Code of Ethics. The membership is valid for one year, and the fee is $20.
2. Volunteer coaches may also complete the training online. Both the live on-site and online clinics for Initial Level Members consist of the Introduction to Coaching Youth Sports section and one sport-specific section covering the fundamentals of the game. Sport-specific clinics include Baseball, Basketball, T-Ball, Football, Flag Football, Softball, Cheerleading, Soccer, Volleyball, Inline Hockey, Ice Hockey, Boys Lacrosse, and Girls Lacrosse. Coaches must successfully complete an exam and accept the NYSCA Code of Ethics Pledge. The membership fee for the Online Clinics is $25. Click here to register or to find out more about the NYSCA Online Clinics.
Prior to the expiration date of their Initial Level Membership, coaches will receive a renewal notice. To continue membership, coaches must re-sign the Coaches Code of Ethics Pledge and remit the annual $20 membership fee. Renewal entitles the member to all the benefits of the Continuing Membership Program.
NYSCA members can now obtain a higher level of education through the Gold Level Certified Coach Course. This web-designed course, created specifically for NYSCA members who desire to increase their coaching knowledge, delivers an e-learning experience in eight key topic areas.
The cost of the online Gold Level Certified Coach Course is $60. Click here for more information on the Gold Level Certified Coach Course.
The Gold Level Certified Coach Course is only available to NYSCA Members. If you are interested in becoming an NYSCA member, contact NYSCA at nysca@nays.org.
The National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA) is a membership organization and the most widely used volunteer coach training program in the nation, having trained more than 2.5 million coaches since its inception in 1981. More than 3,000 community-based agencies and organizations have offered this opportunity. 
Gold Level Certified Coach
