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Coaches Corner


What a coach needs to do prior to season beginning:

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 - Link below
    (You will need the information from the steps above to complete this).

The Registration "Coaches Corner" is not currently available.


Coaches Reimbursement Policy

Suggested Dryland Training Time Commitment

Age Level Requirement Focus Areas Intensity
Mite/Ice Mite/U8 Optional – Some dryland training preferred Stick handling, shooting, passing,  floor hockey Light
Squirt/U10 Optional – Some dryland training preferred Stick handling, shooting, passing,  floor hockey Light
Peewee/U12 Strongly preferred Stick handling, shooting, passing,  systems, conditioning, plyometrics Moderate
Bantam/U14 Required Stick handling,  systems, conditioning, plyometrics, strength Intense

WHA Coach Expectations - Skills Development

Practice Plans – We expect that each head coach will prepare a written practice plan for each practice. Ideally, the coaching staff will also prepare a written season-long practice plan (see Practice Plans for examples).

Skills Development – We expect that each teams’ practice focus will generally follow the Skills Development Guidelines prepared by the WHA Hockey Development Committee.

Dryland Training – We expect that each team will supplement its on-ice development with age-appropriate dryland training as outlined below (see also Drill Bank – Dryland):

USA Hockey recommendations

USA Hockey provides a document titled "Avoiding the Coaching Cliff" that lists all the things that coaches should take care of to prepare for the season.

Coaching Documents

Links to Practice Plans and Drills 

Visit the Coaches section of the Minnesota Hockey Web site for additional coaching information.

Fortis Academy Circuits Resource

Clearance to Return To Play

This form must be completed and turned into the association prior to a child coming back after an injury: 

https://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0130/1798/Concussion_Medical_Clearance.pdf