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OSAA Information and Resources for Coaches


Oregon Athletic
Directors Association

Administrators

The OSAA values its relationship with administrators and support staffs of our member schools. Your leadership allows the Association to function efficiently and effectively in enriching the educational experiences of more than 130,000 high school students annually throughout Oregon. We hope you'll find what you need at www.osaa.org to assist you in achieving our common educational goals. We encourage you to contact the OSAA staff directly if you have questions or need further clarification on a specific policy.

AD Checklists



Professional Organizations for Administrators

The OSAA has relationships with several professional organizations that work closely with school administrators. Follow the links below for additional information.


Oregon Athletic
Coaches Association

Coaches

School coaches are tremendously important educators who have the opportunity to make lasting impressions on students as they learn lifelong lessons through participation in activities. Thank you for your efforts in developing your students. We hope you'll find this page helpful in reaching your goals.

Professional Organizations for Coaches

The OSAA works closely with several professional organizations that provide excellent resources for high school coaches. Follow the links below for additional information.

NFHS AllAccess

At the start of the season, OSAA staff upload coach contacts to the new NFHS AllAccess platform. Varsity team head coaches with contact information entered onto their school's Manage Staff page will receive a free rules book subscription. Coaches will receive an email alert from the NFHS once publications are ready.

Go to AllAccess

How to Access NFHS Rules Books & Other Publications

Coaches can view NFHS publications from the AllAccess platform by visiting allaccess.nfhs.org or by downloading the "NFHS AllAccess" mobile app on the App Store or Google Play.
  1. Phycial rules books are sent to each member school for their offered activities.
  2. Additional NFHS publications: rules books, case books, officials manuals, etc. can be purchased from the OSAA Corner Store.
  3. Head coaches can view rules books, case books, officials manuals, and other NFHS publications from NFHS AllAccess on a web-page or on a mobile device:
    1. Go to allaccess.nfhs.org or open the NFHS AllAccess app (see links above)
    2. Log into your NFHS account or register for a new account using the address listed on your school's Manage Staff page.
    3. Once signed in, your assigned publications will appear. Your free books will appear under your subscription after you receive an email confirmation from the NFHS.


AD and Coach Requirements

This page highlights the certification and training program requirements for Oregon high school Athletic Directors and Coaches. Full details on AD and Coach certification requirements can be found in the OSAA Handbook.

For athletics (football, volleyball, soccer, cross country, basketball, swimming, wrestling, baseball, softball, track & field, golf, and tennis), coaches must complete required certifications before interacting with participants during that sport's season.

Cheerleading and dance/drill coaches must complete required certifications by the first day of the association year (the first practice date in the fall).

Coaches that were ASEP-certified prior to August 1, 2007 are grandfathered into the OSAA requirement for the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course. Those previously certified coaches are not required to take the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course.

Required Certifications and Training Courses for Oregon High School Coaches

Interscholastic Coaching Course
One-time requirement
Required by OSAA Board Policy
"OSAA Beyond the Scoreboard" - $45 or
"NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching" - $50
Concussion Recognition & Management
Annual - required every year
Required by Oregon State Law (ORS 336.485)
"NFHS Concussion in Sports" - free
Heat Illness Prevention
Quadrennial - required every 4 years
Annual - required every year (only for football coaches)
Required by OSAA Rule (8-B-3)
"NFHS Heat Illness Prevention" - free
Anabolic Steroids and Performance-Enhancing Substances
Quadrennial - required every 4 years
Required by Oregon State Law (ORS 342.726)
NFHS Online Course or ODE Training
Interrupting and Preventing Discriminatory Acts Training
One-time requirement
Required by OSAA Board Policy
OSAA Online Training - free
Racial Equity Training
Optional
Not an OSAA or state requirement
OSAA Online Training - free
Spirit Safety Clinic
Annual - required every year (only for cheerleading & dance/drill coaches)
Required by OSAA Rule (8-B-5)
OSAA Online Training - free
OSAA Football Certification
Annual - required every year (only for football coaches)
Required by OSAA Board Policy
Composed of 4 course components that must be completed annually: Concussion in Sports, Heat Illness Prevention, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, & Football Tackling
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Annual - required every year (only for football coaches)
Required by OSAA Board Policy
"NFHS Sudden Cardiac Arrest" - free
NFHS Football Tackling
Annual - required every year (only for football coaches)
Required by OSAA Board Policy
"NFHS Football Tackling" - free
First Aid
Optional - per district/school policy
Not an OSAA or state requirement
CPR / AED Training
Optional - per district/school policy
Not an OSAA or state requirement


Visit the NFHS Learning Center for additional online courses.


Lookup a Certification

NFHS Course Completions


OSAA Beyond the Scoreboard

List Updates Once a Day
You must be logged into your OSAA website user account to view this list of OSAA course completions.

ASEP Fundamentals of Coaching

Prior to August 1, 2007

ODE Steroid Training and Assessment

OSAA Spirit Safety


OSAA Interrupting and Preventing Discriminatory Acts

You must be logged into your OSAA website user account to view this list of OSAA course completions.

OSAA Racial Equity

You must be logged into your OSAA website user account to view this list of OSAA course completions.


Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does certification through the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) satisfy the one time requirement for NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching?
A. Yes, so long as the athletic director or coach was certified through ASEP prior to August 1, 2007. Thereafter, only the NFHS Coach Education Program "Fundamentals of Coaching" will satisfy this requirement unless an exception is granted in writing by the OSAA.

Q. When must a coach be certified?
A. All coaches must be certified prior to assuming coaching duties unless an emergency exception is authorized in writing by the OSAA. This includes cheerleading coaches, dance/drill coaches, and choreographers at schools that do not participate in competitions.

Q. Is certification required of volunteer coaches?
A. Yes.

Q. Must a "guest" coach be certified?
A. No, but if the coach has contact with students more than three times in a sport season, the coach shall no longer be considered a "guest" and must be certified. A non-certified "guest" coach may not serve as a coach at a contest. Coaches may not use this provision to circumvent the training requirements, i.e. a regular coach does not get a three day grace period to interact with participants prior to being wholly certified.

Q. May a school bring in alumni or other non-high school personnel to scrimmage with teams or individuals as "guest coaches" if those personnel are limited to student contact on no more than three occasions during the sport season?
A. No. The "guest coach" exception is intended to allow a limited number of visits by a guest instructor; it is NOT intended to allow coaches to bring in coaches or players to participate in drills or scrimmages against teams or individuals. Any attempt to circumvent the Participation Limitations by calling practice participants "guest coaches" or to have coaches interact with participants prior to being wholly certified would be a violation of OSAA rules.

Q. In individual sports, may a parent or non-certified coach accompany a participant to a contest as the school representative if that person is an authorized representative of the principal?
A. Yes, but the authorized representative may not coach the participant unless specific permission has been granted in writing by the Executive Director.

Q. Does the OSAA require high school coaches to have current first aid certification?
A. No. However, coaches should check with their athletic directors as most high schools or school districts have this as a requirement.

Q. How long is the Heads Up Football certification valid?
A. The answer depends on the four component courses that comprise the Heads Up Football certification: Concussion in Sports, Heat Illness Prevention, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and Blocking, Tackling & Equipment Fitting. Heads Up Football certification expires one year after the earliest component completion date. Even if an individual component course is valid for more than one year, for the purposes of retaining Heads Up Football certification, the four component courses must be completed annually.

Q. What is required of a Player Safety Coach (PSC) during the year they attend an in-person PSC clinic in order to be Heads Up Football certified?
A. Coaches attending an in-person PSC clinic are required to complete the following online courses in order to be Heads Up Football certified: Concussion Recognition and Training; Heat Illness Prevention.

Q. What is required of every football coach, including previously certified PSC coaches, not attending an in-person PSC clinic in order to be Heads Up Football certified?
A. Every football coach, including previously certified PSC coaches, not attending an in-person PSC clinic are required to complete the following online courses in order to be Heads Up Football certified: Concussion Recognition and Training; Heat Illness Prevention; Blocking and Defeating Blocks, Shoulder Tackilng & Equipment Fitting; Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Who Should Attend?

Workshops are ideal for:
  • Athletic Directors
  • Assistant Athletic Directors
  • Administrative Assistants/Secretaries

Fall Administrator Workshops

Held in August

Annual Administrator Workshops

The OSAA hosts annual Administrator Workshops to familiarize representatives from the member schools with the services, policies, procedures, rules, and interpretations of the Association.

Mandatory Attendance

Each member school shall ensure that at least one representative participates in one of the annual Administrator Workshops presented by OSAA staff. Roll shall be taken at the Workshops to confirm compliance with this policy.

Should it be determined that a member school failed to have a representative at any of the Administrator Workshops, that school shall have an administrator view a recorded version of the workshop within five days, receive a $1,000 fine, appear before the Executive Board at their next meeting, and be placed on probation during the Association Year of non-attendance. The Executive Board shall consider the probationary status of the school when assigning penalties for any violations of OSAA Regulations by the school that might occur during the period of probation. (Executive Board policy)

Information


Webinars, Trainings, and Q & A Sessions


OSAA "Essentials" Webinar Series

These webinars are designed to help Athletic Directors and administrators become more efficient and share best practices. Each webinar will be recorded and posted on the website, see below.
2023-24 Administrator Workshop
Fri. 8/11/2023 - 8:30am Download Video Recording Download PowerPoint Presentation Materials and Handouts
Practice Limitation
A webinar on the Practice Limitation Rule - 6A, 5A, 4A Pilot
Thurs. 8/11/2022 - 3:00pm Download Video Recording Download PowerPoint Presentation
Resources for Athletes' Continued Education Wed. 9/30/2020 - 2:30pm Download Video Recording
Dealing with Challenging Parents Thurs. 6/25/2020 - 1:00pm Download Video Recording
Evaluations, Interviews, & Hiring Coaches
Presenters - Kevin Bryant, Nathan Stanley, and Kris Welch
Thurs. 6/18/2020 - 1:00pm Download Video Recording Download Supplemental Files
Inputting Schedules & Rosters Thurs. 6/4/2020 - 1:00pm Download Video Recording
Managing YOUR school on the OSAA Website Thurs. 5/14/2020 - 1:00pm Download Video Recording
Transfers and Eligibility Policies & Rules/Forms Thurs. 5/7/2020 - 1:00pm Download Video Recording

AD Chat & Chew Webinar Series

These webinars are designed to provide a forum for sharing, learning and growing as Athletic Administrators. ALL are welcome, and we highly encourage New Athletic Directors and their Mentors to attend. Most sessions will have a theme, with 20-30 minute presentations followed by a Q & A session. Each webinar will be recorded and posted on the website, see below.
Leading with Character
Bruce Brown, Proactive Coaching
Thurs. 03/04/2021 - 12:00pm Download Video Recording
Eligibility & Transfers
OSAA Staff
Thurs. 02/18/2021 - 12:00pm Download Video Recording
Scheduling with Integrity, Communicating / Tracking
Dennis Burke & OADA Executive Board
Thurs. 02/04/2021 - 12:00pm Download Video Recording Download Chat Log
First Session Q & A with OSAA Staff
How are you doing, what is on your mind, needs, questions, concerns?
Thurs. 01/21/2021 - 12:00pm Download Video Recording Download Chat Log