WESA Coach Squad

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COACHING IN WESA

WESA was built to create opportunities for members of the Pride Community to play, learn, lead, and belong in sport — including people for whom those opportunities have not always been available or welcoming elsewhere.

That gives coaching in WESA a special purpose.

A WESA coach does more than manage a softball team. Coaches help create the experience that brings members back each week. They teach the game, encourage development, build connections between teammates, model sportsmanship, and help ensure everyone on the field feels that they belong.

Good WESA coaching means:

Open Doors
Create opportunities for people to participate, learn, and lead. Never assume that someone has had the same opportunities in sport as someone else.

Create Belonging
Welcome people, build connections, and create a team where everyone feels part of the experience.

Teach, Don't Judge
Help players learn and improve from wherever they are starting.

Know Your Players
Recognize that players have different abilities, goals, confidence levels, experiences, and reasons for playing.

Develop People
Use practices, games, and everyday conversations as opportunities to help players grow.

Model Sportsmanship
Be respectful. Play hard, keep it friendly, and model the behaviour you expect from your team.

Build the Next Coach
Share knowledge, involve others, and give members opportunities to learn how to coach and lead.

What We Ask of a WESA Coach

A WESA coach should strive to:

Create belonging.
Welcome players to the team, help them become part of the group, and remember that for many members, the social experience is as important as the softball.

Teach, don't judge.
Help players understand the game and improve their skills. WESA Athletics is about learning, not judging where someone starts.

Know your players.
Different players have different goals, abilities, confidence levels, and reasons for playing. Good coaching begins with understanding those differences.

Make development part of the experience.
Practices, warm-ups, conversations, and games are all opportunities to help players learn.

Promote sportsmanship.
Play hard, keep it friendly, respect opponents and officials, and model the behaviour you expect from your team.

Build the next coach.
Share responsibility with your Coaching Pair, involve others, and give members opportunities to learn how to lead.


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START YOUR JOURNEY

WESA Coach Squad helps members become confident, capable slo-pitch softball coaches.

You don't need to arrive knowing how to coach. Coach development combines practical experience, mentorship, WESA Coaching Essentials, and nationally recognized NCCP training.

Some members begin as Coaching Mentees. Others start by scorekeeping, helping at practices, or supporting experienced coaches. There is no single route. Coach Squad gives you a pathway to learn, practice, and grow.

PATHWAY TO COACHING

ON DECK — Get Started
Join Coach Squad • Orientation • Start learning

FIRST BASE — Learn
Rules • Responsibilities • Safe Sport • Coaching fundamentals • Coaching Mentee

SECOND BASE — Coach
Assistant/2nd Coach • Practices • Player development • Applied learning

THIRD BASE — Lead
Team Manager • Team building • Skills Questions • Inclusion • Mentorship

HOME RUN — League Builder
Experienced Coach • Mentor • Clinics • Open Practices • WESA Athletics

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HOW COACH DEVELOPMENT WORKS

EXPERIENCE + EDUCATION + MENTORSHIP = COACH DEVELOPMENT

Experience
Assistant Coach • 2nd Coach • Team Manager • Practices • Clinics • Skills Assessments

WESA Coaching Essentials
WESA-specific rules, team management, scorekeeping, assessments, and coaching practices

NCCP Training
Safe Sport • Emergency Action Plan • Foundations of Coaching • Making Ethical Decisions • Managing Conflict

Mentorship
The WESA Coaching Pair model consists of:

• Managing Head Coach
• 2nd Coach
• support from Assistant Coaches / Coaching Mentees
  
  

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WHY WE RECOMMEND NCCP

WESA doesn't have to teach everything ourselves.

The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) provides established coach education that can help you become a more confident and effective coach. It offers opportunities to learn about topics such as planning, leadership, teaching, and creating positive experiences for players.

We recommend NCCP training as a complement to your WESA coaching experience, not as a requirement to coach.

WESA helps you understand our League, our players, and our Pride Community. NCCP gives you additional tools to help you coach well.

Take the training that helps you become the coach you want to be.

WESA COACH SQUAD — RECOMMENDED LEARNING SYLLABUS

You don’t need to complete everything below to coach in WESA. These learning opportunities are recommended at different points in your coaching journey. Start with the essentials, then choose the training that best supports the kind of coach you want to become.

* Required where applicable

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YOUR ROLE ON A WESA TEAM

Assistant Coach → 2nd Coach → Managing Head Coach

There is more than one way to be a successful WESA coach.

Some coaches enjoy creating a recreational team experience. Others particularly enjoy player development and skill building. Some thrive working with newer E players, while others prefer coaching experienced D players.

Understanding where you do your best coaching helps WESA build stronger teams and better coaching partnerships.

WESA Coaching pairs - "Coaching Partnerships Are Built."

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JOIN THE COACH SQUAD

Ready to take your first step?  Sign up for a clinic or simply Get Involved in a number of ways.

Upcoming Dates

• WESA Coaching Essentials (in-house) coming soon
• NCCP Coaching link

GET INVOLVED

• Scorekeeping
• Coaching Commitment
• Volunteer Sign-Up
• Skills Assessments
• Team Management Manual

Questions?

Reach out anytime:
commissioner@wesa.net 

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