Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association

caution

Winter 2025-26/2026-27 Proposed Tournament Alignments are now available. The deadline for appeals is January 1, 2025.
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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 

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

We offer either a two-part virtual workshops for coaches or a 4-hour in person classes for coaches that need to fulfill the requirements of MIAA Handbook Rule 33 (Coaches’ Education).

  1. The Fundamentals of Coaching classroom clinic.
  2. Fundamentals of Coaching (Blended) – Units 3, 4, and 5 online. License to complete the exam issued after completion of classroom clinic.
  3. The MIAA State examination – link provided to this exam after completion of classroom clinic.
  4. Payment of 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.

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

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.

a happy coach holds a trophy surrounded by basketball players