National Association of Police Athletics/Activities Leagues, Inc. AND ASEP PARTNER to bring coaching education to nationaL pal coaches

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.( December 19, 2006) — National Association of Police Athletics /Activities Leagues Inc. (National PAL) has partnered with the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) to provide online training and certification for National PAL coaches beginning February 2007.
As the exclusive coaching education provider to National PAL, ASEP is designing and hosting a National PAL Coaches Education Program portal page through which National PAL-branded online coaching youth courses will be delivered to the organization’s coaches.
Mike Dillhyon, National PAL executive director, is excited about the opportunity coaching education brings to his organization. “This is an exciting step in developing quality standards for our coaches and volunteers, adding even more credibility to National PAL’s championship event and its youth participants,” says Dillhyon.

 The courses under development include:

 National PAL Coaching Essentials is a sport-neutral course centering on general coaching principles, sport first aid, practice and game-day planning, and team management. National PAL Coaching Essentials is recommended for National PAL coaches of sports for which ASEP does not have a sport-specific course, such as boxing and taekwondo.
The sport-specific courses include the National PAL Coaching Essentials content, plus units focusing on sport-specific technical and tactical skill instruction.           A coach achieves National PAL Level One Certification by completing the online course for the sport he or she coaches. National PAL courses are priced at $19.95 each. Level One Certification is valid for three years, computing to less than $7 per year.
“National PAL truly appreciates the positive influence that sports, and coaches in particular, can have on our youth today,” says Jim Troy, ASEP Director of National Accounts and Sponsorships. “ASEP is proud to work with National PAL and to bring our ‘Athletes First, Winning Second’ philosophy to its coaches, a philosophy that places the emphasis first on developing citizens then on developing athletes.”
The courses will be made available for purchase through a customized portal page on the ASEP website. The portal page will launch in mid-December, while the courses will make their debut in February 2007. National PAL coaches can preregister for the courses beginning December 17 by visiting www.NationalPAL.org and clicking on the National PAL/ASEP Coaches Education Program link. The link takes visitors to the National PAL portal page where they can preregister for and eventually purchase and take the courses.

Based in Jupiter, Florida, National PAL is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization created nearly 100 years ago to prevent juvenile crime and violence. All PAL programs are conducted with the cooperation of law enforcement agencies in their communities. Today, more than 360 PAL programs are National PAL members. To learn more about National PAL go to www.nationalpal.org.

Based in Champaign, Illinois, the American Sport Education Program is the leading provider of youth, high school, and elite-level sport education programs in the United States. With the most easy-to-use and the highest quality programs, ASEP has educated more than one million coaches, officials, administrators, parents, and athletes. ASEP’s motto is “Athletes First, Winning Second,” and for 25 years local state and national sport organizations have partnered with ASEP to make sport a safe, successful and enjoyable experience for all involved.