Information for Volunteers

 Coaches and Team Officials: Training Requirements Policy

The OCMHA is equally committed to developing coaches and team officials as it is to developing minor hockey players. To support this development, the OCMHA sponsors training courses for these individuals and provides encouragement, coaching clinics and other resources.

Every team requires a head coach, assistant coaches, trainers and managers. The OCMHA executive appoints conveners to be responsible for the players in each age group. The conveners are then responsible for ensuring that there is a head coach for each team.  To do this, conveners typically contact those parents who, during the registration process for their child, have indicated an interest in volunteering. The head coach is identified by the end of September and is then responsible for naming assistant coaches, trainers and managers, typically from the parents of that team’s players.

The following table includes the formal qualifications for each of those positions. The informal qualifications are knowledge of hockey, the desire to help kids have fun playing hockey and a reasonable amount of your time.

The following provides more detail on each of the programs in the table. The program schedule can be found here.

Intro Coach Program – This program is designed for coaches working with 5 and 6 year old players and is mandatory for all on-ice instructors. Individuals will be reimbursed for the course fee from the OCMHA.  Successful completion of the Intro Coach Program is required only once; the course need not be repeated in order to volunteer in this role in subsequent years.

Coach Stream Course – This program is designed for coaches working with recreational players from age 7 and above and is mandatory for all house league level head coaches. Individuals will be reimbursed for the course fee from the OCMHA. Successful completion of the Coach Stream Course is required only once; the course need not be completed in order to volunteer in this role in subsequent years. 

Certified Trainer 1 – A certified trainer must be available for all team games and practices. This program is designed for trainers working with house league teams. Individuals will be reimbursed for the course fee from the OCMHA. The Trainer 1 course must be renewed every three years.

Respect for Sport (formerly known as Speak Out) – This program is designed to help prevent bullying, harassment and abuse and is a requirement for all individuals working with minor hockey players. Individuals will be reimbursed for the course fee from either their team budget or the OCMHA. Successful completion of the SpeakOut! course is required only once, even if the individual volunteers in subsequent years.

Satisfactory Police Record Check (PRC) for the Vulnerable Sector – Anyone volunteering to work with children must obtain a Satisfactory PRC obtained specifically for the Vulnerable Sector. The OCMHA requests that, upon registering your child, if you think you may be willing to volunteer on their team, please attend any of the Ottawa Police Stations and start the process for your PRC. You will need to download the PRC Volunteer Letter from our web page and bring this with you to the police station in order to have the fee waived. As well, you will be required to bring two pieces of identification with you (the list of suitable pieces of identification can be found on the Ottawa Police website).   

Due to a new screening process imposed by the RCMP we have found that many applicants have to be fingerprinted to clarify their status. This process may take several weeks, which is why we ask you to start this process if you are even considering volunteering. A satisfactory PRC remains valid for five years of consecutive volunteer involvement with the OCMHA. More information, including the appropriate form is available here, on the Ottawa Police web page.

For more information, please contact the Director of Risk and Safety at riskandsafety@ocmha.ca