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This is an excellent opportunity for someone to play a meaningful role in guiding the coaches and parents thru current theory and practice of skill development, ethics, education and sportsmanship. Of special importance would be the introduction of the new American Development Model, which is currently being rolled-out to the associations.
Though each association has specific things in mind for this position, the following description taken from the ACE Director Tab of the USA Hockey Web Site gives a good description of the duties and responsibilities. One Note: The ACE Director need not have a coaching background for the purposes of the DYHA, but should be proactive and comfortable in communicating to coaches and the general membership.
The Association Hockey Director
ACE is an experienced individual with a strong coaching background who serves as the administrative link to USA Hockey and its Coaching Education Program (CEP). In their role, Association Hockey Directors organize and manage CEP requirements, assist the local association in the development of a well-trained coaching staff, promote parent education and provide clear goals and objectives for player skill development.
WHO ARE THE ASSOCIATION HOCKEY DIRECTORS?
The Association Hockey Director is an individual within a local association who has a strong coaching background, hockey knowledge and commitment to the sport. This person must be able to communicate a long-term vision of these goals and objectives and be able “to sell” them to the association. As part of the communication skills needed, the Association Hockey Director must be comfortable educating coaches, players, parents and association board members. Effective administrative skills are essential to ensure that the association coaches meet the CEP certification requirements. This person must have a strong inclination toward skill development of players in the association and exhibit a “love of the game.”
WHAT ARE THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSOCIATION HOCKEY DIRECTOR?
• Plan, organize and execute periodic skills workshops for coaches, players and parents.
• Evaluate practice sessions and provide feedback to coaches to improve the coaching capability of local association coaches.
• Establish and maintain a resource center for coaches, players and parents that includes USA Hockey materials.
• Communicate certification requirements to local association coaches and ensure compliance with USA Hockey and affiliate certification levels.
• Communicate with the District ACE Director, their Affiliate ACE Coordinator, and USA Hockey on all issues related to
coaching at the local association level.
• Encourage local association to implement the USA Hockey skill development and cross-ice programs. Ensure that the local association is promoting age-specific skill development in all of their programs.
• Communicate USA Hockey’s player development opportunities to players, parents and coaches.
• Deliver parent education programs to the local association.
WHY IS THE ASSOCIATION HOCKEY DIRECTOR CRITICAL TO THE USA HOCKEY COACHING EDUCATION PROGRAM?
USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program has effectively created an instructional curriculum to provide coaches throughout the country with the training needed to meet the certification requirements for a USA Hockey program. The CEP program does not, however, provide a direct link to the individual coach at the local association level. The Association Hockey Director is designated to provide that critical link for those administrative and coaching functions that will deliver the programs, and implement the objectives, taught in the CEP coaching clinics.
The Association Hockey Director solidifies USA Hockey’s commitment to skill development as a primary goal of coaching.
The position additionally helps formalize the responsibilities and organizational structure of the coaching program within the local association. The ACE program assists the association in creating and reaffirming roles, responsibilities and performance criteria for their coaches. Finally, the Association Hockey Director provides the essential communication link to the coaches at the local level.
This consistent communication about the goals and objectives of USA Hockey will develop better coaches, provide better continuity of coaching skills and ultimately develop better hockey players.
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