Coach Pathway |  Regional Coach | Provincial Coach | Competition Development | FAQ
Coaching Badminton in Ontario
To become a certified badminton coach in Ontario, coaches will need to follow the NCCP Coach Development Pathway and complete the required education sessions (modules), practical assessments, and evaluations to obtain formal certification through the Coaching Association of Canada’s National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP).
About the NCCP
The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) provides standardized, inclusive, and safe sport education to coaches and coach developers across 65 sports. The CAC manages and delivers NCCP training through its partner network of 65 National Sport Organizations and Provincial/Territorial Sport Organizations.Â
The Coach Development Pathway
Shuttle
Time
Regional
Coach
Provincial
Coach
Competition Development
Best suited for coaches, teachers, school staff/volunteers who may have limited basic badminton experience. They will be working with children and youth in an educational setting with a range of badminton skills.
Targets coaches and instructors of athletes ages
6-19
Best suited for coaches who will be working with primarily youth and adolescent players with varying levels of playing experience and will introduce players to competitive badminton.
Targets coaches of athletes ages 8-16
Targets coaches of athletes in the ‘Fundamentals’, ‘Learn to Train’ and ‘Train to Train’ stages of Long-Term Athlete Development
Best suited for coaches who will be working with youth, adolescent, and early adult players with varying levels of playing experience with a focus on competitive badminton.
Targets coaches of athletes ages 12-19
Targets coaches of athletes in the late ‘Learn to Train’, ‘Train to Train’, and early ‘Learn to Compete’ stages of Long-Term Athlete Development
Best suited for coaches who will be working with adolescent and adult players who are playing competitive badminton and competing at a national and international high performance level.
Targets coaches of athletes ages 16+
Targets coaches of athletes in the ‘Learn to Compete’, ‘Train to Compete’, and ‘Train to Win’ stages of Long-Term Athlete Development
Shuttle Time certification is not required in order to teach or coach badminton in a school setting
Regional Coach certification is required to coach on court at Badminton Ontario Junior series tournaments and Provincial Championships, and Badminton Canada Junior/Senior Elite series tournaments
Provincial Coach certification is required to coach on court at Badminton Canada National Championships
Competition Development certification is required to coach on court at the Canada Winter Games and to be part of the Badminton Canada National Team Programs
Minimum Age Requirements
The minimum age requirement for an individual to register for either an NCCP workshop or module is 14 years old. This is both a Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) policy and a Badminton Canada policy. The CAC policy also states that no one under the age of 16 can be certified as a coach in the NCCP.
The age requirement policies are in place to ensure a productive and age-appropriate learning environment for all participants.
Should a Learning Facilitator or member submit an NCCP event into the CAC Locker for Badminton Ontario’s approval with someone under the required age, the event will not be approved. The underaged individual will be required to retake the workshop or module again after they turn the appropriate age.Â
Competition Introduction - Regional Coach Certification
The Regional Coach workshop is the first step towards certification as a badminton coach. This workshop, comprised of three (3) modules, totals approximately 16 hours of education. The modules takes place in both a classroom setting and on the court and cover important topics such as practice planning, developing an emergency action plan, effective teaching strategies, promoting learning and self-esteem, handling ethical situations, and the technical and tactical basics of badminton.
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites to attending a Regional Coach workshop.
In order to begin the NCCP Regional Coach certification process, coaches must first complete the following requirements:
- Module 1* – Planning a Practice (NCCP multi-sport module)
- Module 2* – Teaching & Learning + Make Ethical Decisions (NCCP multi-sport modules)
- Module 3 – Technical & Tactical Basics (sport-specific module only offered by badminton P/TSOs)
* As Modules 1 & 2 are NCCP Multi-Sport modules offered at various times throughout the year by the Coaches Association of Ontario, coaches may choose to complete these modules independently prior to attending the sport-specific Module 3 in person. Modules 1 & 2 may also be completed online and remotely.
Additionally, badminton coaches who have previously completed ‘Planning a Practice’, ‘Teaching & Learning’ and ‘Make Ethical Decisions’ as part of the NCCP certification requirements for another sport do not need to complete them again in order to attend ‘Technical and Tactical Basics’ (Module 3).
 Certification Status: After completing all three modules, coaches are considered to be Regional Coach ‘trained’Â
Only once coaches have actively developed their skills and feel confident in their abilities, knowledge, and competencies can they request assessment for evaluation and pursue formal certification.
The Evaluation and Certification Process
- Once coaches have met all the requirements, they may contact Kristina Hall, Director of Coaching at kristina.hall@badmintonontario.ca to request evaluation.
- Once an Evaluator has been assigned, the coach can formally register for evaluation and pay the evaluation fee.
- Coaches will have three (3) months to from the time of registration to:
- Submit a successful portfolio (including Emergency Action Plan and Practice Plan) to their assigned Evaluator and
- Schedule/complete an on-court practice observation (with appropriately skilled players) with their assigned Evaluator.
Certification Status: After the Evaluator has assessed the coach and determined they meet the necessary standards, the coach will be considered Regional Coach ‘certified’
Competition Introduction - Provincial Coach Certification
The Provincial Coach workshop, comprised of two (2) modules, totals approximately 16 hours of education. The modules takes place in both a classroom setting and on the court and cover important topics such as assisting athletes with goal setting or dealing with anxiety, structuring programming around training and competition, establishing athlete development indicators, and developing seasonal training priorities.Â
In order to begin the NCCP Provincial Coach certification process, coaches must first complete the following requirements:
Prerequisites:Â Regional Coach certification is required to register for the Provincial Coach workshop. Coaches should spend a significant amount of time developing the skills they acquired in the Regional workshop before moving forward with Provincial modules.Â
- Module 4* – Design a Sport Program + Basic Mental Skills (NCCP multi-sport module)
- Module 5 – Technical & Tactical Foundation (sport-specific module only offered by badminton P/TSOs)
* As Module 4 includes NCCP Multi-Sport modules offered at various times throughout the year by the Coaches Association of Ontario, coaches may choose to complete these modules independently prior to attending the sport-specific Module 5 in person. Module 4 may also be completed online and remotely.
Additionally, badminton coaches who have previously completed ‘Design a Sport Program’ and ‘Basic Mental Skills’ as part of the NCCP certification requirements for another sport do not need to complete them again in order to attend ‘Technical and Tactical Foundations’ (Module 5).
 Certification Status: After completing both modules, coaches are considered to be Provincial Coach ‘trained’Â
Only once coaches have actively developed their skills and feel confident in their abilities, knowledge, and competencies can they request assessment for evaluation and pursue formal certification.
Evaluation and Certification Process
- Once coaches have met all the requirements, they may contact Kristina Hall, Director of Coaching at kristina.hall@badmintonontario.ca to request evaluation.
- Once an Evaluator has been assigned, the coach can formally register for evaluation and pay the evaluation fee.
- Coaches will have three (3) months to from the time of registration to:
- Submit a successful portfolio (including Practice Plans) to their assigned Evaluator and
- Schedule/complete an on-court practice observation (with appropriately skilled players) with their assigned Evaluator.
Certification Status: After the Evaluator has assessed the coach and determined they meet the necessary standards, the coach will be considered Provincial Coach ‘certified’
Competition Development Certification
The Competition Development certification is comprised of nine (9) NCCP Multi-Sport modules, a sport-specific workshop, a portfolio evaluation, an in-practice observation, and an in-competition observation.
Coaches should be actively coaching high performance athletes at the provincial level and should have aspirations to coach at a national and/or international level. They should have spent a significant amount of time developing their skills, knowledge, and competencies before pursuing this certification. Coaches should contact Badminton Ontario to inquire whether they are well-suited for Competition Development certification.
Prerequisites: There are no certification requirements in order to register for the NCCP Multi-Sport modules, but coaches must be Provincial Coach certified in order to participate in Badminton Canada’s sport-specific ‘Analyze Performance’ module and become Competition Development certified.
NCCP Multi-sport Modules (can be completed in any order):
The NCCP Multi-Sport modules are offered throughout the year by the Coaches Association of Ontario and coaches are encouraged to complete these modules independently when they do become available as some are not offered frequently. Most modules are offered in-person, online, or can be completed remotely. Coaches can view the CAO’s Course Calendar for more information on the availability of modules.
Additionally, badminton coaches who have previously completed any of the Multi-Sport modules as part of the NCCP certification requirements for another sport do not need to complete them again in order to pursue Competition Development certification for badminton.
Certification Status:
- “In Training” – Coaches have completed some of the modules
- “Trained” – Coaches have completed all the NCCP modules and Badminton Canada’s ‘Analyze Performance’ module and are ready to submit their portfolios for evaluation and be observed by an Evaluator.Â
- “Certified” – Coaches have completed all the modules, have had their portfolios assessed and approved, and have completed successful in-practice and in-competition observations.
Once coaches have met all the requirements, they may contact Kristina Hall, Director of Coaching at kristina.hall@badmintonontario.ca to request evaluation.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Please create an account in The Locker – the Coaching Association of Canada’s central database for coaching records – and then find the nearest Regional Coach workshop.
New coaches are also encouraged to complete the following training:
Please visit the Coaching Resources section on our website for more information and additional resources.
Please log in to your account in The Locker to verify your NCCP certification status and ensure you have completed all necessary requirements for registration/evaluation/certification.
Please visit the NCCP Clinics & Events section on the Badminton Ontario website for more information about upcoming coaching clinics and other coach education opportunities.
Badminton Ontario strives to offer at least two Regional Coach workshops and one Provincial Coach workshop throughout the year. Workshops are offered in various locations across the province depending on regional desire/need.
Workshops are subject to the availability of our Learning Facilitators.
The length of time required for a coach to become certified is dependent on multiple factors, such as:
- The availability of workshops
- The coach’s level of skill, experience, and comfort prior to seeking evaluation
- The quality of the coach’s portfolio submission and the speed at which they can complete the necessary edits requested by the Evaluator
- The coach and Evaluator’s availability for scheduling/completing the on-court observation.
Certification could take a few months to over a year from workshop to evaluation.
Coaches who have been approved and been assigned an Evaluator can register for their evaluation and pay the fee directly through the Badminton Ontario website on the NCCP Clinics & Events page.