Community Coaching Essential Skills - Snow Academy Course in the Spotlight

Snow Academy is Snow Australia's online education hub providing athletes, coach's, officials and members of the snowsports community with access to specialised courses, accreditations and certifications. You just need to be a member of Snow Australia to access learning.

Leading into the 2025 snow season, we will be highlighting courses that are available on the Snow Academy.

Community Coaching Essential Skills

The Community Coaching Essential Skills course is aimed at current and new coaches involved in community sport and helps coaches create fun, safe and inclusive environments for participants.

The modern approach to coaching in Australia is embedded throughout the course, providing new and existing coaches with the most up-to-date knowledge to thrive in the current sporting environment. You will receive guidance on how to apply your new knowledge in your own community sporting context, helping you and your participants develop, stay engaged and thrive in sport. 

You will have the option to complete the 7 modules in any order and as many as you wish. If you are looking to complete your Level 1 Coach Accreditation, you will need to complete the full course. 

If you undertake all courses it is estimated that it will take you 2.5 hours or less to complete. 

How to complete the course

Snow Australia members and participants (those with an active SnowID) can access the Snow Academy to complete the course directly via their Snow Australia account. Simply login to your account here or if you are yet to renew or have not joined Snow Australia you can do so here.

Module 1:

Who you coach

Engaging participants

• Identify your basic roles, responsibilities and professional boundaries as a community coach
• Be aware of your participants' different motivations for playing sport
• Recognise what helps you create a positive and engaging sports environment for everyone.

Module 2:

Where you coach

Space, equipment and facilities

• Identify the space, equipment and facilities required to deliver your sessions
• Understand how to use them safely and appropriately
• Adapt your activities to meet any challenges that arise.

Module 3:

What you coach

Session planning

• Identify the key characteristics and elements of safe and effective session planning
• Recognise how different coaching approaches can be used to develop fitness, technical and tactical skills
• Be aware of the impact that an effective plan can have on the enjoyment and improvement of individuals and the team or group.

Module 4:

How you connect

Communication

• Be able to identify different types of communication that are commonly used in a community sport environment
• Gain an understanding about what effective communication is and how to deliver it
• Be aware of the impact effective communication has on creating safe, inclusive sporting environments.

Module 5:

How you engage

Stakeholder management

• Identify key stakeholders within community sport and how they can assist you
• Recognise the value and importance of volunteers
• Understand how to engage with key stakeholders and involve them in your coaching plans.

Module 6:

How you deliver

Group management

• Be aware of what effective group management involves within community sport and how to achieve it
• Gain an understanding of how to ensure your practice sessions and competitive events are inclusive for all participants
• Identify ways in which to encourage positive behaviour and role modelling.

Module 7:

How you improve

Self-reflection and assessment

• Gain an understanding of what effective self-reflection is and how to use it
• Recognise why self-reflection is important for the development of your participant's sporting experience
• Be aware of the importance of self-reflection as a developing coach.