Performance Cheer Coach Certification
NEW – Nationwide Requirements
Cheer Canada is rolling out nationwide Coach Credential Requirements across Canada. Starting from the 2024/25 season, coaches must fulfill all requirements by October 31, 2024 to obtain a valid SCA Coach Certification.
NOTE: The SCA has received an extension from Cheer Canada for completing the NCCP module “Planning a Practice”. This was granted due to the unavailability of the course in our Province. The SCA is working with the Coaches Association of Saskatchewan to set up four private, virtual workshops for our coaches to attend. Watch your email for this opportunity!
Certification Pathway
Our performance cheer coaches’ certification process focuses on safety to ensure our athletes receive the best instruction possible and in order to align with the insurance we provide our members.
Performance Cheer Certified Coach
The following courses and documentation are mandatory for all SCA erformance cheer coaches to be considered certified:
- Valid Coach SCA/Cheer Canada Membership
- Valid First Aid and CPR: Only certificates from Canadian Red Cross or St. John’s Ambulance are accepted.
- Enhanced Criminal Record with Vulnerable Sector Check within 2 years (for coaches 18+ years old).
- SCA Online Exams
- Respect in Sport
- 50 hours proof of performance cheer/dance training and/or instruction experience (letter of reference)
- NCCP Courses
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Making Headway
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Emergency Action Planning
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Safe Sport
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Rule of Two
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Planning a Practice
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Making Ethical Decisions
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Coaches will not be considered “SCA certified” until documentation is provided proving all requirements have been met.
All required coaching credentials must be met and uploaded into the respective coaches’ SportLomo accounts by October 31, 2024.
Coaches who fail to complete certification/re-certification will be subject to fines.
Valid Membership - SportLomo
The cost for SCA membership for the year is $20/participant. The additional Cheer Canada membership cost for a coach membership is $26.50.
Coaches only have to purchase their memberships ONCE for the fiscal year of July 1 to June 30.
Click here for more info on how to upload your credentails into your SportLomo Account
First Aid & CPR Training
All coaches must complete valid first aid and CPR training. Only certificates from Canadian Red Cross or St. John’s Ambulance are accepted.
Please be informed that the SIPAC course is no longer considered valid first aid certification. However, coaches who have completed the SIPAC course within the last three years will have until October 2026 to complete valid first aid training.
Please note that any previous exemptions with the SCA for coaching requirements (e.g., registered nurses not needing First Aid/CPR) will likely no longer be valid, as Cheer Canada is standardizing all coach certifications.
St. John’s ambulance – www.sja.ca
Red Cross – www.redcross.ca
Enhanced Criminal Record with Vulnerable Sector Check
All coaches 18 years of age and older must provide an enhanced criminal record with vulnerable sector check. The check must have been completed with-in the past two-years.
There are many ways to do this, and the easiest method is to Google and search for how to obtain a criminal record check in your area.
SCA Online Exams
There are many SCA online exams required for performance cheer coaches:
The first section is “Introduction to Coaching”. The “Intro to Coaching” includes a power-point presentation, which can be helpful through-out the remaining exams.
The online exams consist of:
– “Rules and Safety” exams for All Star and Scholastic – Coaches must complete the exam(s) for the appropriate team(s) they are coaching.
– “Skills and Scoring” exams. This applies to the three categories currently offered by Cheer Canada and the SCA: Pom, Jazz and Hip Hop. Coaches must complete the exam(s) for the categories they are coaching.
Respect in Sport
The Respect in Sport Activity Leader Program educates youth leaders, coaches, and officials to recognize, understand and respond to issues of bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD). Sask Sport Inc., along with the support of the Saskatchewan Government, has launched this required program for Coaches in the province to help to provide a safer and more respectful sporting environment for all to participate. The online training program is being provided free of charge for all users.
50 hours Proof of Training/Instruction Experience
Performance cheer coaches must submit 50 hours proof of dance (performance cheer) training and/or instruction experience (letter of reference, instructor credentials, certificate/degree, etc.). This can be emailed to Ailish – membership@sca.ca
NCCP Modules
Mandatory NCCP Courses
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Making Headway
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Emergency Action Planning
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Safe Sport
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Rule of Two
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Planning a Practice
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Making Ethical Decisions
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Failure to Certify
SCA coaches/junior coaches (not CITs) who fail to complete certification by December 1st of the current season will individually be subject to a $100 fine for failing to complete their certification in a timely manner. In addition, coaches actively coaching in Saskatchewan without certification will result in coach ineligibility at SCA sanctioned events until certification is completed. In some cases, coaches will be subject to loss of coaching membership. This policy came into effect July 1, 2021.
Failure to Re-Certify
Certified coaches that consecutively coach for 4 years (ie throughout their certification expiration date) and fail to renew their certification by December 1st of the current season will individually be subject to a $250 fine for failing to complete their re certification in a timely manner. This includes any portion of their certification that can be subject to renewal under the current SCA coaching certification program (updated 2020). In addition, coaches actively coaching in Saskatchewan without certification will result in coach ineligibility at SCA sanctioned events until certification is completed. Coaches will receive 1 email reminder no later than September 1st of the current season to renew their certification, but ultimately it will be up to the coach to track and be responsible for their own certification. Coaches with questions about the status of their certification may email executivedirector@sca.ca for an update at any time. This policy came into effect July 1, 2021.