The Coach Education Programme (CEP) is designed to provide coaches with the essential tools and knowledge to develop our athletes and guide teams effectively throughout a season or tournament.
The way the programme is structured ensures that coaches remain up to date with best coaching practices and helping athletes reach their full potential, and it requires a certain level of commitment from the coaches to continually develop their knowledge and abilities.
Our CEP philosophy is athlete centred coaching. The two cornerstones to this philosophy are:
A coach exists to serve the players, to help instruct and guide them along their journey. Everything a coach does should be about creating the best environment for our players to succeed. A player will have many coaches in their career, the objective as a coach is to help the individual improve and take the next step in their journey while under your guidance.
The programme consists of four levels of coaching licences and progression through these levels is controlled to ensure a thorough understanding of each stage. Each level requires the accumulation of both theoretical and practical points, and coaches cannot complete more than one level per calendar year. The programme requires coaches to have a continual learning mindset, and all coaches need to complete both theoretical and practical elements periodically to maintain their licence.
The theoretical aspects of the programme include:
The practical components include hands-on experience coaching roles, such as:
*Minimum number of hours coaching on ice per year required to qualify
All coaches are required to register annually and complete a safe sport module, regardless of their level or involvement. This requirement applies to anyone getting on the ice or behind the bench, even if they do not intend to complete any further coaching education. This ensures a minimum level of safety and knowledge that benefits both coaches and athletes.
There are four coaching licences for which participants must complete all the required components within a calendar year to receive the respective licence. Completion of a licence is restricted to one per calendar year, and the term for which the licence is valid varies by level.
Term of licence:
Coaches must submit their application for certification to the Ice Hockey New Zealand Director of Coaching. Verification of coaching hours at club levels will require confirmation by the Club President, Club Coaching Director, or Club General Manager.
The program will be regularly reviewed and improved to ensure it is in-line with global best practices.
To maintain their licence, coaches must achieve a certain number of Continual Education points prior to the expiry of their licence. This ensures ongoing development and practical experience, keeping coaches up to date with the latest and practices.
Coaches must submit the required documents for recertification annually to the Ice Hockey New Zealand Director of Coaching to ensure their credentials remain valid. Verification of coaching at club levels will require confirmation by Club President, Club Coaching Director, or Club General Manager.
Coaches with an expired licence will retain their previous licence level provided not more than five years has passed since the licence expired. A coach may re-enter the CEP system at that previous level within five years and be subject to the Continuing Education requirements and achieving the Theoretical points within six months of re-entering the system.
Coaches who have had more than five years pass since their licence expired will be required to submit a new application for certification by achieving the requirements for the licence level they previously held, provided the previous certification can be verified.
Coaches with past coaching qualifications from either New Zealand or another recognised MNA will be required to submit their qualification to the Ice Hockey New Zealand Director of Coaching for evaluation and transfer to the new CEP. This will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and transferred to an appropriate Ice Hockey New Zealand CEP Licence. Consideration will be made to an individual’s previous and current coaching experience, time since completion of the respective qualification, and any other relevant information or proof of education that is provided. All transfers will be required to complete the respective Continuing Education points to maintain their licence.
Starting in 2025, the following minimum licences will be required for coaching at a national representative level:
Minimum licensing standards for 2026 will be announced later during 2025.
