The NCI–Calgary in 2009
By Jason Sjostrom

The NCI–Calgary was established in 1994 as a joint program of CAC and the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary. The mission of the NCI–Calgary is to develop world-class coaches who are capable of preparing athletes for podium performances in sport and for life outside of sport.

The NCI–Calgary is a Class A Licensed Vocational Institution with Alberta Learning. In accordance with its objectives, the job placement rate for our graduates from the NCI–Calgary in full- or part-time coaching positions is 100%.

Our curriculum is based on the schedule and coaching demands of the students within our programs. We offer two streams for Level 4/5 certification.

• The Diploma program is a two-year part-time program that combines the most recent innovations in coaching science with an enriched practical component featuring some of the country’s top mentor/master coaches such as Les Gramantik and Dave Woods. The program leads to National Coaching Certification Program Level 4 (and sometimes Level 5) certification and a Diploma in High Performance Coaching. Coaches must formally apply to the NCI Diploma Program and complete an interview before being accepted into the program.
• The Non-Diploma program offers courses on a task-by-task basis. Completion of the Non-Diploma Program results in NCCP Level 4 and 5 certification only. Coaches may register for courses to suit their individual schedules.

The diploma program is offered every two years, with the next session commencing September 2009.

Another important initiative the NCI is offering is the Professional Development Series. This series is available to coaches of national team athletes and for those coaches currently working with podium-bound athletes.

The courses that run in this series are:

• eYTP
• Dartfish
• Environmental Factors

These elite coaches will be encouraged to apply for individual projects involving technical applications to enhance their athlete performance.

Since January 2007, the NCI has delivered the NCCP Competition – Introduction multi-sport modules and Level 3 Theory courses. This has been quite successful; in 2008, 175 coaches completed one or more of these courses or workshops.