Pickleball’s popularity and growth is very well documented across North America and as the number of new players taking up the game increases month after month, the need for certified instructors and coaches has never been greater. That’s why Pickleball Canada and Tennis Canada’s Tennis Professionals Association have joined forces to develop and deliver Canada’s first ever National Coach Education Program for Pickleball which is fully recognized and endorsed by Canada‘s National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP). The program is being lead by none other than Mark Renneson – Head of Pickleball Coaching Education with Tennis Canada.
With the new program rolling out, many have asked “Why did Pickleball Canada select the NCCP program? Why not the IPTPA coaching program that already had so many certified coaches and instructors in Canada?”. We have also been asked if one coaching program was better than the other.
While both programs are highly respected in Canada and other countries, it was not necessary for Pickleball Canada to research and compare the merits of one program over another. In the end, all national sport funding comes from Sport Canada and a mandatory funding requirement is that all National Sports Associations must have a coaching program that they recognize. Even though Pickleball Canada is not yet “officially” recognized and funded by Sport Canada, delivering an NCCP certification program is getting us one step closer on the path to recognition.
Our Coaching Policy
Whether you are already engaged in or plan to be engaged in providing pickleball instruction, Pickleball Nova Scotia strongly recommends that you seek your certification through the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP).
Or, if you are with a recreation center or sports facility that is looking to hire and work with coaches who will provide pickleball instruction at your venue, Pickleball Nova Scotia also strongly recommends that you hire an instructor that has achieved their certification from the National Coaching Certification Program and here is why…
The NCCP Coaching Certification Program for pickleball has multiple levels of certification. Whether its just Introduction to Pickleball for beginners all the way up to Club Pro and coaching competitive players, all levels of certification include pickleball-specific instruction, training in safety and ethics in sports, as well as thorough background checks (criminal and child abuse) which is vital if you are looking for instructors to work with children or vulnerable adults.
Having this certification as a standard for all coaches that are recognized and endorsed by Pickleball Nova Scotia helps us ensure that the instruction being delivered is consistent and safe and we encourage you to seek out one of the Certified Instructors in your region from the list here.
For more information on the Pickleball Canada Coaching Education Program, please click here.
If you are interested in getting started on the path to certification and having your name added to our waiting list to be notified of the next upcoming sessions, please send us an email including your name and contact number to Roger Peters from our coaching committee at rpeters@pickleballnovascotia.com
In the meantime, if you’d simply like to get more information about the various sessions that will be available, you can click on the link below to download the document from the NCCP.
Upcoming Coaching Clinics
Stay tuned for upcoming Level 1 and Level 2 instructor certification sessions in Nova Scotia.