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Coaches
You Are: Coaches
The MIAA seeks to educate, recognize and honor "teacher-coaches" to have a positive impact on the lives of student-athletes, by encouraging them to succeed and by helping them develop self-confidence, ambition, a sound work ethic, and other skills or values necessary or helpful for success later in life.
On This Page
- Becoming a Certified Coach
- Available Coaching Courses listed below
- Awards and Recognition
- Additional Resources
- NFHS Coach Credentials
- Survey: Coach Perspectives on Student-Athlete Mental Health
Coaches Education Classes
Dates for Fundamentals of Coaching (Blended) classes.
Coaches Education Certification Process
DO NOT REGISTER ON THE NFHS WEBSITE FOR FUNDAMENTALS OF COACHING.
THE CLASSROOM CLINIC MUST BE TAKEN FIRST IN ORDER FOR THE NFHS ONLINE COURSE TO BE FREE.
You need to register with us FIRST to avoid paying $95.00 twice. Please scroll down further for any current classes.
MIAA Certified Coaches
Ready to get MIAA certified? Here's how:
The following are the steps to complete and become certified with the MIAA.
Register for a Fundamentals of Coaching classroom clinic.
We offer two convenient ways: a 4-hour virtual workshop or a 4-hour in-person class.
- Fundamentals of Coaching (Blended) – Units 3, 4, and 5 online. A license to complete the exam is issued after completion of the instructor-led clinic.
- The MIAA State examination – link provided to this exam after completion of the classroom clinic.
- Payment of the clinic in full ($95.00)
Full attendance is required at sessions.
Virtual classes require both video and audio device capabilities to participate.
Fundamentals of Coaching Course (Blended)
Units 3, 4, and 5 are online after the completion of the classroom clinic. A license number will be provided to you after the completion of classroom participation.
If you use a different email to log in to your NFHS account than the one you registered with for the classroom clinic, please contact Donna Harrington so the correct email will be issued the license.
All coaches hired prior to August 1, 1998 are exempt from taking the Fundamentals of Coaching Course. Coaches hired after 8/1/98 and before 7/1/05 must have completed the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching Course with the exception of Certified MA teachers.
History and Rule
All coaches hired prior to August 1, 1998 are exempt from taking the Fundamentals of Coaching Course. Coaches hired after 8/1/98 and before 7/1/05 must have completed the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching Course with the exception of Certified MA teachers.
All coaches (stipend or volunteer) first serving as an interscholastic coach after July 1, 2005 must complete the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching Course, and an approved Sports First Aid course.
- The NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching Course requirement must be met through attending an MIAA sponsored Fundamentals of Coaching Class with MIAA Certified Instructors. Must be completed and passed prior to coaching a second year.
- The NFHS Sports First Aid may be met by completing on-line courses with the NFHS www.nfhslearn.com. Must be passed prior to coaching a third year.
NFHS Coach Credentials
The NFHS Learning Center offers a 3-level national coaching credential that helps you gain knowledge you can use to provide a fun, educational, and a safer environment for your students.
This national credential was developed for individuals who are currently coaching or aspire to coach at the interscholastic level. The goal is to enhance the ability of the coach to better serve students, the school, the community, and the profession of coaching.
Click here for "NFHS Coaching Levels and Courses"
Additional requirements for all coaches:
- Massachusetts requires coaches to be certified in CPR per Section 1. Section 47A of chapter 71 of the General Laws. Additionally, AED training is required and will most likely be done in conjunction with the existing mandated CPR training.
- All MIAA member school coaches (stipend or volunteer) are required to take annually the on-line National Federation Concussion Course, or other MA Department of Public Health recognized education program, prior to the start of their season. Rugby Coaches must see Rule 76.2 for additional coaches’ education information.
Any questions, please call Donna Harrington at 508-541-9804 or email dharrington@miaa.net.
Coaching Resources
MIAA Certified Coaches
- Certified Coaches by School (updated 08-31-26)
- Certified Coaches by Last Name (updated 08-31-26)
- Grandfathered Coaches by School (updated 8-28-26)
Additional Resources
Coach Perspectives on Student-Athlete Mental Health
The study aims to better understand coaches’ experiences observing student-athlete mental health, their access to mental health resources, mental health training needs, and how student-athlete substance or alcohol use is managed. Insights from this work will help inform future efforts to support athlete well-being in school settings.
Survey details:
- Takes approximately15 minutes to complete
- Open to middle and high school coaches currently working with student-athletes (or who have coached within the past year) in Massachusetts
- Confidential and voluntary
- Optional chance to win an e-gift card (information for chance to win collected and stored separately from responses)
ACCESS THE SURVEY HERE: https://redcap.link/coachesstudyMA
Coach of The Year
Recognizing Excellence in Character, Achievement and Coaching
This award seeks to recognize and honor “teacher coaches” who have had an impact on the lives of student-athletes, by encouraging them to succeed and by helping them develop self-confidence, ambition, a sound work ethic, and other skills or values necessary or helpful for success in their later lives. Award candidates should have a record of encouraging student-athletes to be well-rounded (i.e. displaying excellence in areas of scholarship, citizenship, fine arts, etc.), as well as a reputation, among their peers and the athletic community, for fair play, good sportsmanship, and the development of these attributes in their student-athletes.
