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SUNY GCC - Genesee Community College

The world is full of sports fans and players, and there are excellent, life-long careers offering great salaries and benefits in coaching, athletic officiating, scouting and other exciting professions in sports. Earning a New York State Coaching Certificate is a solid first step to become a coach, athletic instructor or trainer. It is also a requirement for anyone seeking a coaching career in any public school in New York State, and GCC’s NYS Coaching Certificate Micro-Credential meets all of the necessary educational requirements to do just that.

GCC’S Competitive Edge

GCC’s NYS Coaching Certification program bundles four courses, two in health and two in physical education, into a unique micro-credential which is delivered in just 12 credit hours. The program is designed to:

  1. Satisfy the Commissioner of Education’s requirements for coaching in NYS, and
  2. Deliver the necessary DASA (Dignity for All) training, SAVE and Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Certifications required by law in New York State to work with children.

The four courses are:

  • Responding to Emergencies (HED205) – presents emergency techniques to alleviate suffering and sustain human life including safety and prevention studies relating to home, school, industry and highway. Completion of this course prepares you for the Red Cross Responding to Emergencies CPR/AED certification.
  • Health Sciences for Coaching (HED209) – through interactive exercises, students learn about NYS interscholastic sports including the selected principles of biology, anatomy, physiology and kinesiology related to coaching, risk management, competition, and legal implications in athletics including concussion management training.
  • Principles of Coaching (PED271) – covers high school and college-level coaching philosophy, discipline, teaching methodology, practice planning, ethics and legalities and includes the NYS mandated Child Abuse Prevention Workshop and SAVE Legislation training.
  • Theory and Techniques of Coaching (PED272) – presents the history of NYS interscholastic athletics including objectives, rules, regulations, policies, and management practices. Safety precautions and officiating methods are also covered, and an active coaching internship experience is required.

Learning And Skill Development

Students in GCC’s NYS Coaching Certification program are able to take full advantage of the College’s state-of-the-art sports complex, the Richard C. Call Arena. This new facility contains GCC’s physical education classrooms, a high-tech fitness center, the Human Performance Lab, indoor field house, turf field and much more! With the hands-on use of this amazing facility, students will learn to:

  • Design a full sport-specific practice session
  • Develop program and evaluation tools typically used by coaches
  • Develop and refine a coaching philosophy
  • Complete scouting reports
  • Develop sport-specific season plans
  • Design fitness and conditioning programs for athletes
  • Identify NASPE Coaching Standards, NFHS Code of Conduct, athletic eligibility and district policies
  • Obtain American Red Cross certification in Responding to Emergencies First Aid and CPR for the Professional Rescuer.

Turn Your Micro-Credential Into An Associate Degree!

Once you have successfully completed all of your micro-credential courses, you can apply the 12 academic credits toward a Physical Education Studies Associate in Applied Science degree (or others) right here at GCC!

Badge for SUNY GCC NYS Coaching micro-credential

Getting Started

To discuss the NYS Coaching Certification Micro-Credential, contact Becky Dziekan, GCC Professor and Director of Health and Physical Education, 585-343-0055 x6424 and rldziekan@genesee.edu.