Student Coach Requirements

Student Coach Guidelines and Qualifications

All students (13 through 17) that would like to participate in a youth hockey program as a student coach are not allowed to participate on ice until they have met the following requirements:

1. Registered with USA Hockey as a coach/player (not volunteer).

2. Received the required USA Hockey student coach training (see link below).

3. Completed the Student Coach Form and obtained all required signers (see link below).

4. The student coach is rostered on a team and the roster has been approved.

Qualifications

• Must attend a training session conducted by your hockey association’s Ace Coordinator or other designated person.
• Must always be under the supervision of a carded, screened adult coach during all practices, clinics, try-outs and in the locker room. May help out at practices, clinics, try- outs only. (May not participate as a player in scrimmages or games when acting as a STUDENT COACH).
• May not act as a head coach or an assistant coach during practices or games.
• May be on the bench during games with an adult. The STUDENT COACH will count as one of the maximum of four Team Officials allowed on the bench.
• Must wear a helmet with full face shield, gloves and skates while on the ice. Must wear helmet during games while on the bench.
• May only work with players at least one full playing age level below the STUDENT COACH (e.g., a Bantam age player may act as a STUDENT COACH at the Pee Wee, Squirt or Mite level).
• The organization that is using the STUDENT COACH must provide a form indicating on the team on which he/she is participating as a STUDENT COACH, and, if applicable, what team he/she is properly registered/rostered as a player. A model form is available on the usahockey.com website.

*Upon reaching the age of 18, the STUDENT COACH must comply with the USA Hockey Screening Program and meet the USA Hockey Coaching Education Program requirements which will qualify him/her to act as an assistant or head coach.

*Student Coach forms must be sent to the Associate Registrar at the time the student coach is added to the roster and is not allowed to participate with the team until the roster has been approved with the student coach listed.

*Student coaches are rostered to the specific team that they will be assisting with and can be rostered on one or more teams.

*Student coaches are not allowed to participate on ice with any pre-season clinics.

*Per the MN Hockey Handbook- From time to time it may be desirable to have High

School players that are not registered members of USA Hockey to provide some coaching

assistance for younger youth teams. If this occurs once or twice during the regular season (not per month) the individuals will be covered as incidental participants and it is not necessary for them to be registered or rostered.

If it occurs more than once or twice, then the individuals must register with USA Hockey and be rostered on the team to which that they are providing coaching assistance as either a coach or student coach dependent on age.