Develop your coaches the way you develop your players
Ice Hockey UK's 2026-27 coaching pathway, item by item, with each coach's level taken from their verified licence. Observations with the coach's own reflection, hours signed off toward the next level, a mentor, and a portfolio.
Observe, then let them reflect first
A head coach or mentor presses Observe and rates the session against seven coaching areas, from Plans and prepares to Feedback to players and Safety and safeguarding, each Not yet, Developing, Secure or Excellent. The observation ends with Keep doing and Next focus. The coach writes their own reflection before they read the feedback.
Ice Hockey UK's 2026-27 pathway, item by item
The Pathway checklist follows IHUK's coaching regulations for 2026-27, from Foundation through Level 1 Assistant and Level 2 Team Coach. Every level needs an Enhanced DBS check, Level 8 skating, Safeguarding Essentials every year and IIHF Integrity every year. Level 1 adds first aid, four IHUK e-learning modules and the Level 1 course; Level 2 adds four more modules, the Level 2 course and UKAD Coach Clean every year. Each item links to the course.
Levels from Compliance
A coach's level comes from their latest verified licence, so the staff list shows "Head coach · Level 2" or "Level pending".
Check all
A head coach or club admin signs off everything waiting in one go, never on their own record.
The safeguarding lead checks DBS
Only the safeguarding lead marks an Enhanced DBS check as done.
Work ahead
Every level ahead is shown, so coaches can record work before they get there.
Hours toward the next level
Sessions a coach helped on are listed under Did you coach these?, ready to log with their role, and Log other coaching covers the rest. A head coach signs the hours off; nobody signs their own. The pathway runs from Foundation through Level 1 Assistant and Level 2 Team Coach to Level 3 Advanced.
25 and 50 hours
Signed hours count toward Level 1 and Level 2.
CPD
Over three years: at least 2 activities for Level 1, and 4 for Level 2 and above.
A portfolio that travels with the coach
Each coach keeps videos of their coaching with comments pinned to moments, reflections, mentoring conversations, documents and CPD, alongside one to three development goals and a named mentor. The Coaching library holds the club's own material, and anything marked Required shows who has read it.
Assistant coaches
Their own role: they help on their team and take registers, with their own development record, but don't score or write reports.
Private to the right people
A coach's record is seen by them, their mentor, head coaches and club admins.
