Call for Team Staff (Coaches, Managers and Volunteers) 2023 Lacrosse Season

Important Message from the Wolves Lacrosse Association Coaching Coordinator:

 Existing Coaches & Volunteers
The association would like to thank you again for your support and outstanding commitment demonstrated throughout the years. After 49 years, the WLA has been and remains the most successful LAX association in Nova Scotia. These accomplishments would have been impossible without your outmost dedication. We hope we can count on you again at making this season another great success.

New Coaching Staff
As the sport is growing, we are looking at developing new coaches for our sport.  If you are interested in becoming a LAX coach, you will need to create a National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) profile in addition to, a Canada Lacrosse Association (CLA) profile, both can be found online.  Create your NCCP account first, as you will need this account # to create your CLA account. Everything is explained in the Lacrosse Canada link below, but feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

https://www.lacrosse.ca/content/coaching

New coaching staff will automatically be assigned an Assistant Coach position and gain at least one year of experience prior to move to a Head Coach position.  However, exception could be made for established multi-sport coaches with LAX NCCP & CLA qualifications who never coached the sport before.  Additionally, experienced out of province LAX coaches new to Nova Scotia will be considered for a Head Coach position, pending their experience and qualifications.  Each case will be reviewed by the Board of Directors (BoD) prior to making a decision.

NCCP Course & LNS Coaching Clinic Reimbursement
Some NCCP courses are free and some have a small fee.  In order to promote and support individuals wishing to pursue a “Lacrosse Coaching Pathway”, the President of the WLA has approved reimbursement for related LAX NCCP courses.  Keep your receipts and submit them to the Board of Directors (BoD – Mrs. Pamela Glode Desrochers) at the end of each season for reimbursement (date to be promulgated).  The same process will apply for coaching clinics held by LNS (dates of clinics to be promulgated).  The BoD will review each receipt to ensure they are related to our sport and eligible for reimbursement.

First Aid & CPR Course
The WLA Director of Safety (Mr. Jason Mullen) and Mr. Corey Nehiley will be hosting a St-John’s Ambulance First Aid and CPR course in April 2023 (date to be promulgated).  This course will be for Head Coaches primarily and A/Coaches if positions remain available. The cost will be captured by the WLA (up to 18 individuals per course).  Our goal is to qualify a minimum of one coach per team and continue with this process every year until all dedicated coaches are qualified.  You are already qualified if you took your course within the last 3 years.

Lacrosse Nova Scotia (LNS) Requirements
LNS has informed us that they will be looking at qualifications closely this season. You must be 16 to be on the bench as a coach. However, you can help on the floor during practices and/or, be a door keeper if you are younger.  Of age, you can be a Head Coach if you are “Trained” for a specific division and Assistant Coach if you are “In Training” for that same division. 

LNS also requires that every coach obtain their NCCP “Safe Sport Training” qualification prior to starting this season. This NCCP course is free and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

IAW the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) and LNS, coaches must obtain a Criminal Record Check (CRC) & Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) to partake in minor sports. The association will be providing pertinent paperwork to complete your CRC & VSC in the following weeks and, once the coach list has been determined.  Though, for those interested in getting it done immediately, go to the following link or, directly to your nearest HRP/RCMP office. Mention it is for the Wolves Lacrosse Association and they will apply the “Volunteer” discount.  Keep your receipt and return it to the association at the end of the season for reimbursement (BoD – Mrs. Pamela Glode Desrochers – date to be promulgated).

https://www.halifax.ca/fire-police/police/criminal-record-check

A criminal record check simply verifies whether or not you have a criminal record.

A vulnerable sector check is a special type of criminal record check required for situations where you will be in a position of trust or authority over children, the elderly, the disabled, or another vulnerable group.  

Conclusion
My intention is to host a WLA Coach Meeting at the Sackville Arena in March 2023, once I have a list of all interested coaches.  I will also provide you with an agenda for discussion prior to this meeting.

Last, it takes several volunteers to properly run a team. Simply having coaches isn’t sufficient and although this email is a “Call for Coaches”, I would like you to start thinking about volunteering for a Team Manager or Emergency Action Plan Coordinator’s position (EAPC). 

These two positions are absolutely crucial to teams’ success and moreover, the safety of our young athletes.  In hopes of creating a pool of interested individuals, I will send another email to all parents in March 2023.  I understand it is hard to volunteer for those two positions when you don’t know which team your child will end up but establishing a pool ahead of time, will help the association greatly with tasking Managers and EAPCs once teams are finalised.  If you are a member of the following group, you are an excellent candidate for the EAPC position:

a) Paramedic;
b) Nurse;
c) Doctor;
d) Police Officer;
e) Fire Fighter;
f) Military member, and:
g) Any other medical or medical affiliated professions.

Nevertheless, you do not need to be a member of the above group to be an EAPC.  You will make an outstanding coordinator as long as, you have a valid First Aid & CPR qualification, the NCCP Course “Emergency Action Plan” (45 mins) and the NCCP Course “Making Head Way” (Concussion Protocol (60 mins)).  Those NCCP courses will be reimbursed as per previous paragraphs.  Time and funding permitting, a second First Aid and CPR course will be hosted in early May 2023 for Managers and EAPCs.

Hope to see you all this season.
Respectfully//
 
Stephane JA Julien
Stephane Julien
Coach Coordinator
Wolve Lacrosse Association
Stephane.ja.julien@gmail.com
“Run With the Wolves”