Apprentice Coach Mentoring Program

The Apprentice Coach Mentoring Program has been developed to help recruit and train more young coaches. Apprentice appointments can be made at any competitive level (A, AA, & AAA) and age division (11U to 18U). The program allows for coach mentorship to replace the required clinics as a form of training for the season. The program has the following features:

Apprentice Coaches must:

• Be accepted as an Apprentice by a Head Coach who is fully certified for age and competition level of the team under consideration.
• Be approved as an Apprentice Coach by the local baseball association in charge of the team.
• Complete the Respect-in-Sport online course not later than two weeks into the season.
• Not be a parent of any player on the team.
• Be subject to any current club or association requirements for child-abuse and criminal registry checks, just like any other rostered coach.
• Be older than the players in the age group they are coaching (ideally multiple years older).

Mentor Coaches must:

• Be approved as a Mentor Coach by the local baseball association in charge of the team.
• Accept the Apprentice Coach and ensure the support of the local baseball association for the appointment.
• Commit to helping develop the Apprentice’s coaching skills throughout the season.  

Clubs Administering the Program will:

• Ensure that there is a maximum of 2 apprentice coaches per team and a maximum of one apprentice coach per mentor.
• Be responsible for reviewing and approving the participation of any individual Apprentice and their Mentor.
• Be responsible for ensuring completion of RIS by the Apprentice and responding to any substantive issues that may arise during the season.
• Ensure that roster forms submitted through RAMP to Baseball Manitoba include any Apprentice Coaches labelled as such.
• Understand that Baseball Manitoba does not oversee competitions beyond Provincial Championships, therefore the Apprentice Coach would not be authorized to participate in Western Canadian or National Championships should the team advance.

Future Coaching for Apprentice:

• Apprentice Coaches at the A & AA levels are only able to remain in the program for one season. The coach would be required to complete the regular NCCP training requirements for future coaching.
• Apprentice Coaches at the AAA level can remain in the program for a second year should they choose. The requirements of remaining in the program include the apprentice to become NCCP Initiation Trained or complete the AAA Core Clinics: Absolutes, Planning, and Teaching & Learning.

If you have any questions on the Apprentice Coach Mentoring Program please contact James at baseball.zamko@sportmanitoba.ca. 

We hope that you will take this opportunity to introduce some promising new coaches to the game!

Thank you,

Baseball Manitoba Coaching Committee