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I saw reference to this in an ongoing thread about events at a recent squirt tournament and it prompted a question in my head. Instead of hijacking that thread, I thought I would start a new one.

Coach certification is required to coach youth hockey in the USA and I support that position fully. Let me reiterate - I support that position fully.

However, I have been through a few of these certification programs, level 1 (initiation) and level 2 (never coached above squirts) and I am curious if others on this board have taken these same courses and what your opinions are?

From what I have experienced, it usually consists of a long Saturday or multiple weekday evenings of sitting in a classroom and listening to some grizzled old coach read from a script (more like stumble with alot of UM's and AHHH's), then hit play on a VCR tape, followed by more recitations from a stack of USA hockey articles / guidelines. I have not found them to be too particularily helpful. Actually they have been quite boring and not very informative. Anybody else had the same expereince? Or maybe you had the opposite experience and had a terrific instructor. Would love to hear about both.

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Plus insurance CYA. Unless you're a basketball player from Nebraska it shouldn't be earth-shattering information.

I asked a question of the president of USAH, "Can we (MH) develop and use our own courses in conjunction with USAH to make things more relative to what we are doing?"

Answer, "That is a possibility."

Not being on the hockey ops committee I have done nothing further. But it looks like Barry Ford is stepping down and perhaps Hal Tearse will run for that position and he does an excellent job creating MH videos.

So perhaps there is some hope that we incorporate Minnesota into the USAH program.

These courses usually deliver a helpful tidbit or two and are an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon BUT when someone can get a level 4 certification for life without stepping onto the ice it is clearly a cash grab. I have seen coaches that make me nervous for THEIR safety because they can hardly stand on skates (maybe the true reason for the helmet rule).

I recertified on-line (level 3) and found the material to be both well-produced and relevant. Plus, I got to do it on my own time, rather than blow an entire Saturday.

But when will they teach them the rules of the game at these seminars, theres coaches out there now still wondering when coincidental penalties are called whey they are not skating 4 on 4, Classes are great , but when the rules change every two years, and the coaches dont keep up, Mn Hockey and USA hockey got problems