American Indoor Lacrosse Association

The American Indoor Lacrosse Association coaching certification program is designed to prepare interested volunteers new to coaching, field lacrosse coaches and ice hockey coaches with little or no indoor lacrosse coaching experience, the opportunity to become inspiring indoor coaches in AILA-sponsored and supported leagues throughout America. 

The AILA Coaching Certification Program is a four-part formal instruction and evaluation of the skills necessary to be an AILA coach.  While the players will grow in their physical and emotional development through the four stages and our coaching methods will grow with them, the principles will remain consistent.

AILA Image Statement

AILA players (and coaches) will be creative athletes who work to improve their physical abilities and knowledge of the game throughout their careers, while demonstrating respect for and contributing to, the game of lacrosse.

Theory and Practice

The AILA Coaching Certification Program integrates contemporary theories of “How to Coach” with our vast knowledge of the indoor game’s technical information of “What to Coach”.

The benefits of such an approach are:

• The theory of how to coach is made more relevant by integrating it with the teaching of lacrosse skills.
• Coaches will take only one course.
• The Facilitators will be familiar with the needs of the coaches.

Player-Centered Coaching

The AILA is committed to the Player Centered Approach (PCA) of coaching.  We believe that everyone should have an opportunity to play and that a player must have some say in his or her own development.

Four Phases of Training

The model for AILA Coaching Certification program is based on the “Four Phases of Training” (Istvan Balyi, 1996).  This model requires that all athletes go through four phases of development on their way to reaching their full potential. If any of the four phases or part of a phase is missed, the player’s success will be compromised.
For example: if a coach focuses his novice team on winning games instead of teaching fundamentals, the players will not be able to compete at higher levels because of their basic skill deficiencies.  
In order for athletes to develop their full potential:

• They must be properly trained at each phase of development.
• Coaching must be dedicated to the needs of the player, instead of coaches or administrators.
• The program must allow practice time for both players and coaches to develop.

American Indoor Lacrosse will be scheduling Coaching Certification programs at all our facilities during the summer, fall and winter.