THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE NOTED FOR EACH TYPE OF BACKGROUND:
1. Certified Physical Education Teachers.
A person who holds a valid certificate to teach physical education in New York State may coach any sport in any school, but must meet the first aid/CPR requirement prior to starting to coach.
2. Other Certified Teachers, School Leaders or Pupil Personnel Service providers.
Coaching a secondary school athletic team is considered teaching physical education. However, a person who holds a valid teaching certificate in an area other than physical education, a NYS certified School Leader or a NYS certified Pupil Personnel provider may also be appointed to coach. The person may either complete appropriate courses or meet the provisions of the\ “grandfather” clause, as noted below. The “grandfather” clause qualifies a teacher under Section 80.2(c) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to do incidental teaching (coaching) in an area other than the one for which the person holds a certificate.
In addition to the first aid/CPR requirement prior to starting to coach, the certified teacher must (a) complete an approved course (or an equivalent course satisfactory to the commissioner – see Appendix C for the Coaching Equivalent form) in Philosophy, Principles and Organization of Athletics in Education within two years from the date of initial appointment as a coach; (b) complete a course on Health Sciences Applied to Coaching within five years of appointment as a coach; and (c) also, within that same five years, complete a course on Theory and Techniques of Coaching the sport or sports for which he/she is appointed.
Effective July 1, 2015, coaches in New York State (NYS) have the option to pursue a second pathway to complete the 3 NYS required coaching courses (Principles, Philosophy and organization of Athletics in Education, Health Sciences Applied to Coaching, and Theory & Techniques of Coaching (Sport Specific) by utilizing the NFHS online coaching courses (AIC-Level 1 and CIC Level 2) and completion of an internship in accordance with guidelines.
A certified teacher should not apply for a Temporary Coaching License.
It is the responsibility of the school administration to monitor and require certified teachers to meet all requirements to coach.
3. Non-teacher Coaches.
A) Temporary Coaching License (TCL). A person who does not hold a current New York State teaching certificate (e.g. physical education, English, mathematics) may be appointed as a temporary coach only if there are no certified teachers available with experience and qualifications to coach the team. The non-teacher coach must obtain a Temporary Coaching license by applying on-line through the NYSED TEACH system and meet all of the same course requirements for coaching as does the certified individuals listed above within the same time lines and extensions.
To gain the temporary coaching license the applicant must submit evidence of acceptable first aid and CPR courses; Child Abuse Identification workshop, School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE) workshop and the Training in Harassment, Bullying, Cyber bullying, and Discrimination in Schools: Prevention and Intervention (DASA Training) workshop and fingerprint clearance.