Waconia Hockey Association is in full planning mode for the 2023-2024 season and that includes lining up our coaches!   Coaches play a huge role in our players experience playing hockey both on and off the ice.  We pride ourselves for having great coaches to represent Waconia Hockey and achieve our mission of providing a safe, fun and quality hockey program for our community’s youth.

Coaches do not have to be parents of WHA players.  WHA does pay non-parent coaches.   A Non-Parent head coach can receive $4,000 a season and a non-parent Assistant Coach can receive $1,500 a season. 

WHA Parents who are coaches receive their Dibs hours for the season fulfilled for coaching and potentially other incentives.

If you know someone who may be interested, please pass on this information!  If you refer a non-parent coach and they are hired on as a coach your family could receive a $200 discount on your season registration! 

Please note these instructions are for the coaching application only and are different than the registration process for enrolling your son or daughter in playing for WHA.

Please complete these steps in order:

• 1.  USA Hockey Registration:  Due prior to being on the ice with the youth players.  Click on the following link to go to USA Hockey and register as a coach  https://www.usahockey.com/.   Be sure to SAVE your confirmation code, you will need this for several of the following steps. The coaching registration for USA Hockey requires a reimbursable fee.
• 2.  Send your registration confirmation code to the active Waconia Hockey Association Registrar:  Your current Registrar can be found here:  https://www.waconiahockey.org/key-volunteers
• 3.  Complete the Background Screening: Due prior to being on the ice with the youth players.  Background screening is required for all USA hockey coaches and is valid for two (2) years.  https://www.usahockey.com/backgroundscreen.  This step requires a reimbursable fee.  If you are unsure of your screening status, please contact the current Waconia Hockey Association Registrar.  This step may take weeks for completion, so please do this now.
• 4.    Safesport Training:  Due prior to being on the ice with the youth players.  The Safesport training is an annual requirement.  https://www.usahockey.com/safesporttraining.  There is no fee.
• 5.    Age-Specific Modules:  Due prior to being on the ice with the youth players.  The age-specific modules are required for each level of the Waconia Hockey Association:  1.) Mite, 6U, 8U 2.) Squirt, 10U 3.) Peewee, 12U 4.) Bantam, 15U.  These modules truly are specific.  For example, the Peewee/12U module does not cover Squirt/10U.  This requirement is to be completed once per age group.  This step requires a reimbursable fee.   https://www.usahockey.com/agespecificmodules  
• 6.  Concussion Training:  Due prior to being on the ice with the youth players.  Concussion training is required every (2) two years.  Please complete this form and send to the current Waconia Hockey Association Registrar:  https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/0130/1799/Coach_Concussion_Certification_rev.August_2018.pdf#_ga=2.33588385.1407693116.1621996081-1752299992.1619639828.  Instructions for accessing the concussion training are included in the form.  There is no fee.
• 7.    Coaching CEP certifications:   Please note that this is the only step that can be done after meeting the above requirements for being on the ice with the youth players.  Due annually by December 31, all USA hockey coaches begin by attending a Level 1 clinic and then progress through the levels year by year.   https://www.usahockey.com/coachingclinics.  There is a required reimbursable fee for this step. 
• 8.    Complete Coaches Application - Coming Soon!
  (You will need the information from the steps above to complete this).