Welcome IKWF Coaches!

Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation has adopted the American Sport Education Program's coaching education courses as part of the requirement for becoming coach in IKWF programs. Coaches have several choices as to which course they take. Any of the options below is considered acceptable means of training according to the IKWF bylaws. Coaches should have the course completed prior to their first practice. Once a coach has completed an ASEP course, they can print/e-mail their transcript record from the ASEP National Coaches Registry as proof of completion. For more information contact IKWF. 

All IKWF coaches are required to take at least one of the courses below, but coaches are welcome to take any of the courses listed. Remember that all USA Wrestling sanctioned events require the Copper Level Certification as a bare minimum.

The steps for gaining Copper Level Certification are:

1) Establish an online profile with USAW and obtain your USAW membership ID;
2) pass the background check required by USAW;
3) purchase your USAW membership; and
4) purchase and pass the USAW Copper Level Coaching Youth Wrestling online course offered by ASEP through this page.

In a new initiative this year, youth wrestling coaches looking to take the Coaching Youth Wrestling online course for Copper Level certification must be a USAW member (by completing steps 1-3 above) in order to purchase and take the online course. This ensures that each coach has met all the standards (including a background check) for becoming a USAW coach.

Please note: The process for becoming a USAW member can take up to two weeks. Be sure to secure your membership well in advance of the time you plan to take the online course for certification. Coaches who are not USAW members and who wait until the last minute (for example, they have a weekend tournament coming up in a day or two) to obtain their certification will likely find themselves ineligible to coach at that event.

If you've completed steps 1-3 above and are ready to register for the course, click on the online course icon in the table below. At that time, you'll be asked to provide your USAW membership identification number. If you are not a USAW member, if you have not completed steps 1-3 above, or your membership has expired (annual renewal is required; memberships run September 1 through August 31), you will be denied access to the course and be directed to the membership area of the USAW Web site. If you have misplaced or forgotten your ID number, or if you feel your ID number is being denied in error, you will need to contact USAW directly.

Coaching Principles Online Course with IHSA Bylaws Exam - $90
This online, self-paced course works in tandem with the text Successful Coaching, Third Edition, and two CD-ROMs of video clips to give learners an engaging, interactive experience. Geared toward those who coach athletes age 14 and older, the course challenges coaches to define who they are as coaches (their coaching philosophy, objectives, and style); enhance communication and motivational skills; become more effective teachers and trainers; and improve team, relationship, risk, and self-management skills. Coaching Principles covers the fundamentals of being a successful coach. This course is part of the IHSA requirement for non-teacher coaches in the state of IL and includes the IHSA Bylaws Exam.

Classroom USA Wrestling Copper or Bronze Level Certification: Several classroom courses are being offered. Contact IKWF for more information on classroom clinics.

More wrestling books, DVDs and other resources can be found in the ASEP Store.

Board members and club directors are strongly encouraged to take the ASEP Directing Youth Sports Programs Online Course. To be an effective youth sport program director, you need to know a little about everything. Finance. Human resources. Risk management. Marketing. Event planning. The ASEP Directing Youth Sports Programs online course is your vehicle for putting that knowledge into practice by giving you the tools you need to get the job done. The course includes more than 50 electronic forms and practice exercises that you can use as is or modify to your needs. Novice and experienced administrators alike will appreciate the real-world application this course brings.