Kemptville Skating Club

Coaches are invaluable in the development of an athlete's skills. They are teachers and mentors for the thousands of young athletes they interact with in their day-to-day work. They work not only with the athletes but also the athlete's parents in setting realistic goals and the training required to reach their potential and their goals. All Skate Canada coaches are required to be trained and/or certified in the National Coaching Certification Program - NCCP.

Becoming a Skate Canada Professional Coach requires planning and commitment to the profession. A certified coach is an experienced, skilled and dedicated professional. Coaches have a huge impact on the lives of their skaters and coaches always need to be aware of this fact and conduct themselves in a professional manner. Coaches need to constantly educate and update themselves in order to be effective.

Currently all coaches who work at Skate Canada member clubs must meet the minimum criteria as outlined in Rule 2402 of the Skate Canada Rule Book and other provisions set from time to time by the Skate Canada Board of Directors and be registered professional coaching members of Skate Canada.

A Program Assistant is a Club skater or former Club skater who helps the Coaches during regular PreCanSkate, CanSkate and Advanced CanSkate sessions. As new skaters need a lot of on-ice help, it is impossible for the Coaches to respond to the needs of all the skaters all the time. That is where ‘Program Assistants - PA’s” come into play. These are Club skaters who have been skating for an number of years and have reached a point where they are able to help out. Skate Canada has set guidelines for choosing which skaters can be considered as a Program Assistant.

The Club Executive and Coaches decide which skaters will be chosen based on these guidelines including skating ability and maturity.

The physical size of the skater is not a deciding factor.

All PA’s have taken a Training Course and are monitored during their time on the ice. PA’s receive direction from the Coach and report directly to the Coach if any assistance is required.

Program Assistants (PA’s) volunteer their time to the skating club. The time that they donate is given freely - usually after they have already spent several hours working on their own ice time. These skaters are devoted not only to their sport but also to their skating club and wish to give back by helping the young skaters who, in turn, will hopefully volunteer their time as PA’s.

The PreCanSkate, CanSkate and Advanced CanSkate programs would not be the success they are without Program Assistants. Please show your support and understanding for a great group of volunteers!

Any inquiries regarding our Program Assistants can be directed to the Kemptville Skating Club Executive.