Introduction

The National Standards for Sport Coaches (NSSC) have helped to identify quality sport coaching within the United States by providing clear directions of the fundamental competences that quality coaches should possess.   While the NSSC have helped to promote coaching as a profession and provided guidance for many coach education programs, it is time to update the standards to better reflect current practices as well as consider how the NSSC can reach a broader audience (e.g., coaches, athletes, administrators).  Therefore, SHAPE America developed a NSSC Task Force to a) consider revisions to the structure and content of the standards and provide resources to support the revised standards, b) consider situating the standards in a broader framework for quality coaching based on current research, and c) clearly articulate the purpose of the standards and disseminate this message widely across the U.S. coaching landscape. 

The NSSC Task Force has proposed 42 revised standards that are couched within 7 broad coach responsibilities.  To ensure we have fully captured what coaches should know and do within their coach context we are seeking input from experts in the field, like yourself, to provide us feedback by completing this survey.  As you complete the survey, you will be introduced to each coach responsibility and the standards that correspond to it.  To help you see the connection to the current standards, following each standard in parenthesis is the corresponding standard from the current NSSC.  Next you will see a brief description of the new standard. We ask that you let us know whether or not you support each responsibility and standard along with providing your comments and feedback regarding potential changes and additions/subtractions.  

We appreciate you taking the time to help the Task Force ensure the revised standards continue to provide direction regarding the competencies that quality coaches should possess.

The NSSC Task Force
Lori Gano-Overway, Chair
Bob Benham
Christine Bolger
Andy Driska
Wendy Fagan
Melissa Long
Tony Moreno
Dan Schuster
Melissa Thompson
Pete Van Mullem
Michelle Carter, SHAPE America Liaison

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