Coaches Registration

Step 1: Click Here to Get a Current USA Hockey Number

Needs to be completed every year. Be sure to use your same login information as previous years.

Step 2: Click Here to Register as a Duluth Hockey Coach

Needs to be completed every year.

Step 3: Click Here to Complete the Background Screening

The background check is good for 2 seasons.

Step 4: Click Here to Complete SafeSport

Refresher course needs to be completed every year and the full SafeSport course needs to be completed every other year.

Step 5: Click Here to Complete Age-Specific Modules

Only needs to be completed one time: Mite = U8, Squirt = U10, PeeWee = U12, Bantam = U14

Step 6: Click Here for CEP Clinic Schedule

Level 1 CEP- Good for 1 season, Level 2 - Good for 1 Season, Level 3- Good for 1 Season, Level 4 - Good for 1 Season, Level 5. If you are coaching mites you do NOT need to obtain anything higher than Level 1.

Not Sure What your Coaching Level is or when you cep expires? Click Here.

Coaching Education Program Requirements

(1) Required Coaching Education Program Levels for Ice Hockey

All coaches must have the required certification level by December 15 of the current season, unless earlier deadlines are established by the district and/or affiliate. 

All coaches must complete the online age-specific modules PRIOR to participating with their team. 

(a) All coaches must enter USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program at Level 1, and must continue their education with a coaching clinic each year until, at a minimum, they achieve Level 4. Coaches of only 8 and Under players should remain at Level 1 until such time as they are coaching any older age level of play. 

A coach may attend only one (1) certification clinic per year. 

Once Level 4 is achieved, coaches will need to complete 5 credit hours of continuing education within each subsequent three-year period [as outlined in Paragraph (c) below].

(b) In addition to the training in paragraph (a) above, coaches must also complete online age-specific training modules specific to the level of play they are coaching, if they have not already taken that module. This requirement applies to all coaches at all levels, 1 through 5. Coaches may complete more than one age-specific module in any given season. 

(c) Effective in the 2021-22 season, coaching certification at Levels 4 and 5 is valid for three (3) seasons, as indicated by the expiration date. Before the expiration of their level, coaches must accumulate 5 credit hours of continuing education by either taking Level 5, or by attending other USA Hockey continuing education clinics. The USA Hockey clinic listings will indicate all continuing education offerings and the credit value of each. The Coaching Education Program retains the responsibility for defining continuing education credit values, including clinic or online course work.

(d) Grandfather Clause

For those coaches who received Level 4 or Level 5 PRIOR TO January 1, 2021, only coaches of Tier I and Tier II teams are required to do continuing education as required in (c) above. 

(e) Previous/Expired Certifications

Coaches with any expired certification will retain their previous certification levels provided the certification can be verified. Coaches may re-enter the certification system at that previous level and be subject to the certification guidelines in (a) through (c) above.

(2) Evidence of Level

It is the responsibility of the local association to identify those coaches who do not meet the certification requirements. All coaches have until December 31 of the current season, or earlier date as established by the district and/or affiliate, to attend a USA Hockey coaching clinic. All coaches must complete the online age-specific modules PRIOR to participating with their team. Prior to the start of all games throughout the season all coaches are required to indicate their current certification status on the scoresheet, regardless of their certification level. All coaches (except for juniors) must legibly print their USA Hockey Coaching Education Program (CEP) card number, their CEP level (levels 1-5), their online age-specific playing level module and the year their CEP level expires. Beginning January 1 of the current season, prior to the start of each game, all coaches present are required to sign the designated area of the scoresheet in order to verify the accuracy of the player roster, as it appears on the scoresheet, for that game.

 (3) Penalty and Enforcement

Any coach not in possession of these certification requirements will be ineligible to coach for the remainder of the season. Districts and/or affiliates are required to uphold this penalty. It will be the responsibility of the local association registering the team to enforce the national policy.

responsibility of the local association registering the team to enforce the national policy.

What are CEP Coaching clinics and how long does the certification last?

USA Hockey CEP Coaching Clinics are an in-person or virtual classes that are only held a few times throughout the year, so please be aware of when you need to take it to keep current. There is no way around this. If you do not complete this you will be removed from the USA Hockey Roster the day after the last class at your needed level has been completed.  

Level 1 - In-person/virtual class, good for 1 season or no expiration if only coaching at 8U.

Level 2 - In-person/virtual class, good for 1 season

Level 3 - In-person/virtual class, good for 1 season

Level 4 - In-person class/virtual class , good for 3 seasons, but 5 continuing education credits must be completed within those 3 seasons or complete a level 5 clinic. 

Level 5 - In person/virtual class, good forever, but 5 continuing education credits must be completed every 3 seasons.

Coaching Clinic Information 

1. You must have a 2024-25 USA Hockey confirmation number. Click here to register.
2. This system is totally separate from your SafeSport account or your Online Age-Specific Module account. They all have a different log-in. 

SafeSport Information

To take the Refresher Course Training please sign back in to training here. The Center is now on a quarterly training course cycle. After you have completed the Core Training you will complete one (1) Refresher Course Training each season. If you took Refresher 1 Course Training last season, then this season you will take Refresher 2 Course Training. After completing Refresher 3 Course Training, you will take the Core Training again and the cycle will restart.

1. Do I need to take the SafeSport Training every season?

YES. As of 4/1/21, SafeSport Training and the Refresher Course Training are valid for only one (1) season. Please note: If you are a 2004 birth year or earlier, you will be required to take the SafeSport Core Training or Refresher Course prior to participation for the 2021-22 season.

2. Can I use the same email address as someone else in my family to complete the SafeSport Training?

No, since an email address can be used to login for training, the same email address cannot be used to register multiple persons for SafeSport Training. You will need to use a separate email address for the training.

3. How do I register for the SafeSport Training?

You will need to access/register for SafeSport Training using the link provided on our site under "Register for SafeSport Training" or "How to Register for SafeSport." Instructions on how to register and access the training courses can be found here.

4. What is the access code?

We do not use or have an access code. You will need to register for the training by using the link provided under "Register for SafeSport Training" or under "How to Register for SafeSport."

5. Why can't I just take Refresher Training again?

Please note that there is new and updated content for the Core SafeSport Course. Everyone must complete the Core SafeSport course before being eligible to complete the Refresher course. 

6. What if I don't receive the email confirmation to start SafeSport Training? 

Please contact help.desk@safesport.org.

7. What if I am locked out of my account?

Once you have registered you will receive an email from No-reply@safesport.org with the subject titled “SafeSport Account Created.” Please open the email and click on the “confirm email address.” If you do not receive an email, please contact help.desk@safesport.org. If you have received the email and confirmed and are still locked out please contact user support at help.desk@safesport.org or 720-676-6417.

8. What if the site says my email is already in use? 

Please contact user support at help.desk@safesport.org.

9. What do I do if I receive a “verification” error when I enter my USA Hockey confirmation number or referee number?

Please be sure to use your current USA Hockey confirmation number. Sometimes when you copy and paste your number there is an added space at the end. If you are a referee, please use your referee number and last name only (be sure confirmation number field is blank). Please make sure there are no spaces before or after the confirmation number or referee number.

Players; the training is for those with a 2004, 2003 or earlier birth year. If you have a 2005, 2006 or later birth year you are not required to complete the training and will not be able to register. 

10. What if the training won’t start or it freezes?

The course videos require Adobe Flash Player when being viewed on desktop and laptop computers. It is possible that your network administrator or ISP is blocking Vimeo videos. If the video does not play then you will want to contact your network administrator or ISP to have them allow Vimeo, or you will need to take the training from another location. If you need additional help, please contact help.desk@safesport.org.

11. How come I didn’t receive an email after I completed the SafeSport Training?

You will not receive an email notification once you complete the training. Your SafeSport Trained certificate is proof that you have completed the course.

12. How do I obtain a copy of my SafeSport Trained certificate?

1. Log in on here
2. Click on Menu
3. Click on SafeSport Trained
4. Click on the green Certificate button
5. Save and print certificate

Please note that certificates of completion cannot be downloaded on tablets or mobile devices.

13. How will my program know that I completed SafeSport Training?

Information from the training site is automatically downloaded to the USA Hockey database on a nightly basis. Local program registrars will also be able to check (through the USA Hockey Registry) to see if athletes/coaches/managers/volunteers in their association have completed SafeSport Training and it will be indicated on team rosters. If you are a referee, SafeSport Training will be indicated on your referee profile, though it can take a few days for this to appear on your profile.

14. What if the SafeSport training is not appearing on my USA Hockey Courses page?

We receive information on a nightly basis. If you completed the training last night or today, it will appear in your record tomorrow. Also, please make sure that information is being uploaded for the current 21-22 season. You can check by logging in here.

1. Go to My Profile
2. Click on Settings (wheel icon next to? towards top right) and make sure Season is 2021-22.
3. If yes, go to Step 4 below, if not, click on Update Memberships to enter your 2021-22 USA Hockey Confirmation Number.
4. Go to My Profile and hit refresh button (next to Profile Last Updated).  
5. Go to Coaching or Officiating Information (under My Profile) and you should see SafeSport Verification with a green check mark as verified.

Background Screening Information and Link

All Coaches must complete and pass the USA Hockey background screening process PRIOR to participating with your team or being placed on a roster.  This needs to be completed every 2 years.

NEW USA HOCKEY BACKGROUND SCREENING POLICY

In order to comply with new requirements from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (“USOPC”), USA Hockey implemented a national-level background screening policy, beginning on April 1, 2020.

Effective March 15, 2020, Minnesota Hockey's screening policy and procedure will no longer accept new background screens.

All background screening will be conducted by our national background screen vendor, NCSI, and information on background screening will be included following your registration. 

If you were screened after April 1, 2019, for the 2019-20 season, your screen is valid for the 2020-21 season, and you will not need to be screened under the new system until prior to the 2021-22 season. If your most recent screen is from prior to April 1, 2019, you will need to be screened under the new system, after April 1, 2020, in order to participate in the upcoming season.  

All new screens submitted through the new NCSI national screening program will be valid for two seasons. For example, a screen submitted and approved on May 15, 2020, will be valid through the end of the 2021-22 season, which is August 31, 2022.

Background screens through NCSI under the national program will cost $30 for all domestic screens. For international screens (members who have lived outside of the US for six consecutive months in any one county during the past 7 years) the flat rate fee is $150. If that country is solely Canada, the flat rate fee is $75.

Please note that all coaches, officials, board members, employees, volunteers, billets, and anyone else who will have regular contact with or authority over, minor athletes are required to submit to a background screen before any such contact with minor athletes.

For Questions, Contact:

Lauren Tesler Harless

SafeSport Compliance and Legal Administrator

Phone: (719) 538-1145

Email: lauren.harless@usahockey.org