Menu

National Coaching Certification Process

  • Refer to the Coaching Pathway and determine the appropriate stream for you based on the stage of athlete and level of competition you wish to coach.
    • U10-U12: Learn to Train
    • U13+: Train to Train
    • U16+: Train to Compete (Optional – Not required by Ontario Basketball for Ontario Cup)
  • Once you determine the course you need to take, look for the next available clinic in your region. (See clinic dates for  FUNdamentals, Learn to Train, Train to Train and Train to Compete courses.)
Get a NCCP Number
Register for a course on Game Plan

FUNdamentals

Overview

The Basketball FUNdamentals Community Coaching Course is a NCCP course developed by Canada Basketball, in conjunction with the Coaching Association of Canada, to deliver coach education to the community coach. It provides the mom/dad or entry-level coach with the necessary skills, knowledge and materials to deliver a safe, fun and age/stage-appropriate basketball experience for young athletes.

The FUNdamentals course is six hours and features a three-hour in-class session, which teaches the stages of development and of teaching basketball skills, goes over ethical decision making, and talks about concussions and why coaches are so important in the development of young athletes, and a three-hour on-court drills and skills session, which teaches coaches how to properly develop basketball fundamentals.

FUNdamentals Clinics

DateLocationHostRegistration
January 18, 2025O'Connor Community Centre (1386 Victoria Park Ave, North York, ON M4A 1A5)City of TorontoGame Plan
March 1, 2025Canoe Landing Community Recreation Centre (45 Fort York Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3Y2)City of TorontoGame Plan

Learn to Train

Overview

Focuses on learning to teach basic basketball skills, while still emphasizing fundamental movement skills in a fun, inclusive environment for athletes at the U10-U12 level.

Curriculum:

  • 40% – Fundamental movement and basketball skill development of the individual
  • 50% – Individual and multi-player technical aspects of the game
  • 10% – Teaching basic offensive and defensive strategy

Steps to Certification:

  1. Register and complete L2T pre-tasks (online at gameplanbasketball.ca)
  2. Register and attend a L2T workshop. Completion of the course will grant you “Learn to Train Trained” status
  3. Complete the ‘Making Ethical Decisions (MED)’ e-learning module (online at thelocker.coach.ca)
  4. L2T Online Portfolio Evaluation completed by local coach evaluator
  5. L2T Practice Observation by local coach evaluator
Steps to complete the 'Making Ethical Decisions' e-learning module

Learn to Train Clinics

Date & TimeLocationHostRegistration
Upcoming Clinics
September 6 and 7, 2025Muskoka Lumber Community Centre - Fieldhouse (56 Salmon Ave, Bracebridge, ON P1L 0M9)South MuskokaGame Plan
September 6 and 7, 2025BallMatics Academy (950 DuPont St., Toronto, ON M6H 1Z2)BallmaticsGame Plan
September 13 and 14, 2025Burlington Playground (952 Century Dr, Burlington, ON L7L 5P2)Burlington ForceGame Plan
September 20 and 21, 2025Alexander Mackenzie HS (300 Major MacKenzie Dr W, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 3S3)YSSKGame Plan
September 20 and 21, 2025Notre Dame Catholic High School (157 McKenzie St, Carleton Place, ON K7C 4P2)NaismithGame Plan
September 20 and 21, 2025Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School (787 King St W, Kitchener, ON N2G 2G5)KW VipersGame Plan
September 27 and 28, 2025Sir Robert Borden HS (Sat)
(131 Greenbank Rd, Nepean, ON K2H 8R1)

Sir Guy Carleton SS (Sun)
(55 Centrepointe Dr, Nepean, ON K2G 5L4)		Ottawa Shooting StarsGame Plan
November 1 and 2, 2025John Paul II Catholic Secondary School (1300 Oxford St E, London, ON N5V 4P7)London CYOGame Plan
November 29 and 30, 2025Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School (787 King St W, Kitchener, ON N2G 2G5)KW VipersGame Plan
December 13 and 14, 2025Alpha High Performance Centre (455 Addison Hall Circle, Aurora, ON L4G 3X8IEM Basketball League Inc.Game Plan

Train to Train

Overview

Coaches will be introduced to coaching the basic technical and strategies of “global” basketball with a more structured approach to training for athletes U13 and up. To receive the Train to Train certification, one must already be Learn to Train Certified.

Curriculum:

  • 25% fundamental refinement of skills
  • 30% technical knowledge on how players can develop new skills and growing to be more creative in their approach
  • 30% introduction to more strategies within the game
  • 15% team tactics

Steps to Certification:

  1. Register & complete T2T Pre-task (online at https://gameplanbasketball.ca)
  2. Register & attend a T2T Workshop. Completion of the course will grant you a “TRAINED” status
  3. Complete the Making Ethical Decisions (MED) e-learning module (online @ thelocker.coach.ca)
  4. T2T Online Portfolio Evaluation
  5. T2T Practice Observation

Note: Participants must complete the associated pre-tasks, which are available through Game Plan, in advance of attending a Train to Train clinic.

Evaluation

After the clinic, participants must submit a Coach Portfolio and arrange for an evaluation through Game Plan. Evaluations will take place at a practice.

The following steps must be completed prior to requesting an evaluation:
  • Pass the Coaching Association of Canada online Make Ethical Decisions exam. (Log into The Locker using your NCCP number.  Click on the “eLearning” tab and access the Make Ethical Decisions — Competition Introduction — Online Evaluation.)
  • Submit a Coach Portfolio through Game Plan.

Train to Train Clinics

Date & TimeLocationHostRegistration
Upcoming Clinics
September 12, 13 and 14, 2025BallMatics Academy (950 Dupont St, Toronto, ON M6H 1Z2)Ballmatics Game Plan
September 26, 27 and 28, 2025Muskoka Lumber Community Centre - Fieldhouse (56 Salmon Ave, Bracebridge)South MuskokaGame Plan
September 26, 27 and 28, 2025Alexander Mackenzie High School (300 Major MacKenzie Dr W, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 3S3)YSSKGame Plan
October 3, 4 and 5, 2025Sir Robert Borden HS(Sat)
(131 Greenbank Rd, Nepean, ON K2H 8R1)

Sir Guy Carleton SS (Sun)
(55 Centrepointe Dr, Nepean, ON K2G 5L4)
Ottawa Shooting StarsGame Plan
October 3, 4 and 5, 2025Glenview Park Secondary School (55 McKay St. Cambridge ON N1R 4G6)Cambridge BasketballGame Plan
October 10, 11 and 12, 2025Burlington Playground (952 Century Dr, Burlington, ON L7L 5P2)Burlington ForceGame Plan
October 17, 18 and 19, 2025Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School (787 King St W, Kitchener, ON N2G 2G5)KW VipersGame Plan
October 17, 18 and 19, 2025Merivale High School ( 1755 Merivale Rd, Nepean, ON K2G 1E2)Nepean Blue Devils Basketball AssociationGame Plan
November 1 and 2, 2025John Paul II Catholic Secondary School (1300 Oxford St E, London, ON N5V 4P7)London CYOGame Plan
November 16 and 17, 2025John Paul II Catholic Secondary School (1300 Oxford St E, London, ON N5V 4P7)London CYOGame Plan
November 29 and 30, 2025Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School (787 King St W, Kitchener, ON N2G 2G5)KW VipersGame Plan
December 13 and 14, 2025Alpha High Performance Centre (455 Addison Hall Circle, Aurora, ON L4G 3X8)IEM Basketball League Inc.Game Plan

Note: All clinics require a minimum of 10 participants. If the required number of registrations is not met within five days of the clinic start date, the course will be cancelled.

Train to Compete

Overview

The Train to Compete course is offered by Canada Basketball for coaches who are looking to work with high performance athletes and/or work towards a full time coaching position.

Train to Compete is comprised of three basketball specific courses; Planning, Strategies and Tactics and Teaching Basketball Skills, 6 multi-sport modules (learn more about them here) and three evaluations (portfolio, practice and game).

For more information on registering for Train to Compete contact Canada Basketball at certification@basketball.ca or visit their website.

Host a NCCP Clinic

Host a NCCP Clinic

To host an NCCP clinic, complete the clinic request form here.

Ontario Basketball will then reach out and confirm the details of your clinic. Approval will be based on:

  • Dates, location and number of clinics already approved in that geographical region.
  • Availability of the Learning Facilitator.

Upon approval of the clinic:

  • A Learning Facilitator will be assigned by Ontario Basketball to deliver the clinic.
  • Clinic date, location, and registration will be posted on the Ontario Basketball website.
  • Coaches interested in attending the clinic will register and pay online through Game Plan.

Upon completion of the clinic:

  • Coaches can apply for a 70% bursary through the Coaches Association of Ontario Quest for Gold Coach Bursary program.
  • Host club will invoice Ontario Basketball for the host subsidy – $40 per coach in attendance, as long as the minimum number of coaches is hit (10 coaches per course).

National Coaching Institute

NCCP Levels 4 & 5

National Coaching Institute

Levels four and five of the NCCP program represent the top levels of professional training for coaches. These levels prepare coaches for leadership roles in national and international sport, and ensure they will be effective within the high-performance sport system.

Levels four and five consist of an applied study program of 20 tasks which can be completed through full-time residence at a National Coaching Institute (NCI) or through a combination of Home Study and Technical courses.

Level three NCCP certification and approval from your National Sport Organization are prerequisites for entry. A physical education degree or equivalent experience in high-performance sport is highly recommended.

For more information on the NCI program, visit the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario website.

Contact

Tristan Cave
Senior Manager, Coaching & Club Development