The ACE (Achieve, Certify, Educate) Coaching Certification Program is a coaching certification program, developed and designed to provide softball coaches of all levels – from beginning coaches to experienced veterans – an opportunity to certify as a coach with a national softball organization.

As the National Governing Body of Softball, it is the ASA’s responsibility to ensure that our coaches achieve a certain level of understanding of what their duties are as coach of a youth softball team. The ACE Certification videos and the ACE Certification Manual are practical guides to the everyday situations you will encounter as a youth softball coach. After obtaining your ACE certification, you will be well prepared to coach a youth softball team. For ACE check lists, please click here.

The guiding principles behind the ACE Coaching Certification Program are:

A-chieve: A certain level of knowledge.
C-ertify: To confirm that a coach has obtained a level of understanding over that which he/she has been tested on.
E-ducate: To assist with the gathering of knowledge and information.

There are now more ways to become an ACE Certified Coach. Certifying as an ACE Coach is a simple, straight forward process. The best and quickest way to complete your ACE Coaching Certification is online at www.registerasa.com. In each of the first three levels you will watch the ACE video that corresponds to your certification level and then be tested on the material in the video. The videos cover such topics as Principles of Coaching, Legal Issues in Sports, First Aid, Practice Organization, Coach/Umpire Relations, and Sport Specific Skills. Once you have passed the ACE Certification test you are an ACE Coach and receive full ACE Benefits. It is that easy! Please allow 2 weeks for processing.

Benefits of ACE membership:

Here is a quick run through of the ACE Coaching Certification program and how one would become certified and achieve the highest level of ACE Certification

The first step to complete for any coach who is attempting to become certified using the ACE Online System is a profile lookup. If you are an existing coach* who is coming to the site to complete another level of certification your profile should be located and you should be able to continue from the position that you left off. For example if John Doe has completed ACE Levels 1 and 2 in an ACE Clinic through its local association, when he looks up his profile the system will recognize this and make ACE Level 3 available for purchase and completion. For the system to properly find your coaches profile, you must enter your information (i.e. member ID, first name, last name and date of birth). If you are a previously registered coach and the system does not find your profile properly, DO NOT create a new profile. Instead, contact the ACE Administrator at the ASA National Office. The administrator's contact information can be located on the ACE Website under the Contact ASA tab.

If you have never registered with ASA you will need to create a new profile before you begin the ACE certification program.

Once your profile has been found or you have created a new profile here is what you will have to do to become an ACE Certified Coach:

ACE Level 1 Coach Certification

Prerequisites: ASA’s background check clearance.

1. Purchase the ACE Level 1 option (includes background check and certification exam).
2. Submit your background check information.
3. Wait for background check to clear.
4. Successfully complete the Level 1 ACE certification exam (questions will be taken directly from the ACE Level 1 video)
5. That’s it! Your certification packet will be shipping within a few business days.

Benefits: Insurance coverage, background check clearance and ID card

ACE Level 2 Coach Certification

Prerequisites: ASA’s background check clearance and must have successfully completed ACE Level 1.

To maintain a current ACE certification in subsequent years you must:

1. Purchase the ACE Level 2 option (includes background check and certification exam).
2. Submit your background check information.
3. Wait for background check to clear.
4. Watch the ACE Level 2 Video and complete the ACE Level 2 Certification Exam as you watch the video.
5. That's It!

Benefits: Insurance coverage, background check clearance and ID Card

ACE Level 3 Coach Certification

Prerequisites: ASA’s background check clearance and must have successfully completed ACE Level 1 and Level 2.

To maintain a current ACE certification in subsequent years you must:

1. Purchase the ACE Level 3 option (includes background check and certification exam).
2. Submit your background check information.
3. Wait for background check to clear.
4. Watch the ACE Level 3 Video and complete the ACE Level 3 Certification Exam as you watch the video.
5. That's It!

Benefits: Insurance coverage, background check clearance, and ID Card

ACE Continuing Education Certification

Prerequisites: ASA’s background check clearance and must have successfully completed ACE Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.

To maintain a current ACE certification in subsequent years you must:

1. Purchase the ACE Continuing Education option (includes background check and certification exam).
2. Submit your background check information.
3. Wait for background check to clear.
4. Complete the ACE Continuing Education Exam.
5. That's It!

Benefits: Insurance coverage, background check clearance and ID Card

If you have any questions or comments regarding the ACE Online Coaching Certification Program please contact the ACE Administrator.