In May of 2009 the Executive Committee of the Virginia High School League passed a coaches education initiative which requires all first time athletic coaches at Virginia High School League member schools, and those athletic coaches who are exempted through the Virginia High School League Coaches Rule 27-2-2(4) to complete an approved course in principles of coaching and sport first aid.  Additionally, ALL athletic coaches are required to complete a Virginia High School component which familiarizes the coach with rules and regulations found in the Virginia High School Handbook as well as those found at the local school level.  You may also visit the VHSL website for additional details on each course. Virginia High School League Coaches Education

To find out if you have completed the necessary course work for Coaches Education, please visit: Coaches Registry 

To complete the required course, click this link here: VHSL Coaches Education Link

Basic VHSL Course

This all-in-one online course satisfies the VHSL minimum coaching education mandate. It provides an overview of essential coaching principles, sport first aid, and technical and tactical skills training. Gleaning content from Coaching Principles, Sport First Aid, and Coaching [Sport] Technical and Tactical Skills courses, the course is delivered entirely online (without supplemental texts) and takes coaches roughly 6 hours to complete. The last unit of the course is the VHSL Component, containing organization-specific information that tests coaches on VHSL regulations and rules including a review of local athletic policies and procedures.

VHSL Advanced Coaches Education Course

This course package also satisfies the VHSL coaching education mandate and provides a comprehensive learning experience available to VHSL coaches beyond the minimum requirement. Led by certified ASEP instructors, the three components included in the VHSL Advanced Coaches Education Course package are:

Coaching Principles

An 8-hour classroom course covering all aspects of coaching. The new fourth edition of Coaching Principles includes the text Successful Coaching, Fourth Edition (available hard copy or as an e-book) and Coaching Principles Workbook as reference material with course registration.

Sport First Aid

A 4-hour classroom clinic devoted to the prevention and treatment of injuries and illnesses coaches likely will face on the playing field. Coaches receive the Sport First Aid, Fifth Edition text and Sport First Aid Workbookwith their registration.

VHSL Component

The VHSL Component contains organization-specific information that tests coaches on VHSL regulations and rules including a review of local athletic policies and procedures. (If you're a coach who was hired prior to July 1, 2009, you need only take the VHSL Component to achieve certification. To order the VHSL Component as a stand-alone course, click here or on the course title in the table below. Coaches hired after July 1, 2009, must take either the Coaching Principles course or the Basic VHSL Course, both of which include the VHSL Component.)