First and foremost, thank you for deciding to coach a youth softball team. Volunteer coaches are a vital aspect to the David Douglas Softball Association (DDSA) softball league. The season would be incomplete without the help from you and other volunteer coaches. It is our coaches that teach DDSA players the fundamentals of the game, the value of team work, and the discipline to play the game.

In order to become a coach for one of the DDSA youth softball teams, there are a few requirements that have to be met. You must first contact the David Douglas Hotline at daviddouglassoftball@gmail.com to express your interest in coaching. Then each potential coach must 1) have a Background Check performed on them and obtain the ACE Coaching certification, 2) sign and return the Coach’s Code of Ethics, and 3) complete the NFHS Concussion in Sports online training,

1. Background Check and ACE Certification

     The ACE (Achieve, Certify, Educate) Coaching Certification Program is a coaching certification program, developed and designed to provide softball coaches of all levels – from beginning coaches to experienced veterans – an opportunity to certify as a coach with a national softball organization.

     As the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, it is the ASA’s responsibility to ensure that our coaches achieve a certain level of understanding of what their duties are as coach of a youth softball team. The ACE Certification videos and training materials serve as practical guides to the everyday situations you will encounter as a youth softball coach. After obtaining your ACE certification, you will be well prepared to coach a youth softball team.

     If you have never registered with ASA you will need to create a new profile before you begin the ACE certification program. The ACE Coaching Certification and background check can be packaged together and purchased online.

https://www.registerasa.com/Account/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fUser%2fDefault.aspx

2. Coach’s Code of Ethics

     All DDSA coaches are required to sign the Coach’s Code of Ethics 1) to demonstrate the understanding that our responsibilities as youth coaches are of great importance and that our actions have the potential to significantly influence the youth athletes we coach and 2) as a promise to conduct ourselves in accordance with the Code of Ethics.

http://www.oregon-asa.com/docs/pdf/2013/Code.pdf

3. Concussion in Sports

     The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has teamed up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to educate coaches, officials, parents and students on the importance of proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports. This course highlights the impact of sports-related concussion on athletes, teaches how to recognize a suspected concussion, and provides protocols to manage a suspected concussion with steps to help players return to play safely after a concussion.  Each state's requirements for concussion management are included as part of the course.

https://nfhslearn.com/

Additional Coaching Resources:

NFHS Coaching Softball Course ($50 for series of 7 courses)

Softball Hitting Mechanics by Sue Enquist - 11 time NCAA Champion