Youth Athlete Assessment Specialist Certification
Stop Guessing To Determine If Your Training Is Making Your Athletes Stronger, Faster, More Explosive and Injury Resistant
The Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist Certification is the IYCA’s comprehensive protocol for assessing movement quality and athletic performance in the young athletes that you serve.
This Credential is a product of years of innovation and current research. The Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist Certification combines:
- The IYCA’s proprietary Big 5 Movement Assessment. This Assessment screens 5 different movement patterns that are commonly deficient in young athletes and allows you to score those patterns to better identify limitations and asymmetries to better allow you to program effectively.
- Sport Specific Testing Batteries. 9 Individualized Sport-Specific Testing Batteries that will allow you to assess and evaluate performance over time.
- Practical Application. The use of specific tools, actual case studies and real world application to better empower you to implement testing protocols and serial athletic assessment.
Any Fitness Professional or Coach who is developing program for and / or training young athletes should be Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist Certified.
This Credential directly addresses three of the common challenges young athletes are facing today:
- A growing emphasis on Sports Specific Testing as a means of evaluating athletic potential.
- One-size fits all training programs that don’t specifically address individual athletes’ needs.
- More Sport Specificity at younger ages leading to imbalances and overuse injuries.
If you’re coaching or training young athletes that are experiencing any of these challenges, then the Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist Certification will better equip you to serve those athletes and help you keep them injury free and performing their best.
There are a number of benefits to becoming a Certified IYCA Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist, including:
- The confidence that your programming is based on real world evidence and specifically designed to maximize results for each athlete you coach.
- The ability to identify imbalances, weaknesses and limitations in a matter of minutes so you can immediately begin addressing and resolving those issues.
- Positioning as a ‘higher quality’ fitness professional that doesn’t simply get athletes tired in workouts, but one who actually makes them better with each and every training session with evidence based programming.
- A tool to improve your business or career by having unique offerings that you can present to coaches, athletes and parents to immediately show them how you can help them with the things that are most important to them now.
- The ability to get better results, maximize performance and minimize injury in the young athletes you serve.
- The power to better prepare your athletes for the competition and Sport Specific Testing they will be engaging in.
While there are many other benefits to becoming a Certified IYCA Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist, the bottom line is this: it will make you better at what you do and allow you to better help the athletes you serve.
When you decide to become a Certified Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist you’ll gain online access to the following materials:
Interactive Online Digital Manual – The official manual (delivered in digital PDF format) delivers practical concepts supported by the latest research. This interactive manual covers the following content areas:
CHAPTER 1: Youth Athletic Assessment Basics and the IYCA
| Objectives The Need for Athletic Assessment Establishing a Baseline Tracking Progress Over Time Training Why the IYCA? Foundations of the IYCA Continued Growth Certifications Courses Other Resources Learning with Purpose For Review References |
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CHAPTER 2: Long-Term Athletic Development and Serial Athletic Assessment
| Objectives Training with the Goal in Mind Divergent Beliefs Serial Athletic Assessment Improved Goal Setting Enhanced Training Motivation Reduced Risk of Overtraining and Injury Optimized Training Results Summary For Review References |
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CHAPTER 3: General Athletic Assessment
| Objectives Introduction Onset and Progression Prevention Functional and Integrative Assessment: The Big 5 Guided Discovery (6-9) Big 5 Scoring |
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CHAPTER 4: Sport-Specific Testing Batteries
| Objectives Administrative Guidelines Multi-Sport Assessment Multi-Sport Assessment Component Tests Football Assessment Baseball/Softball Assessment Basketball Assessment Soccer Assessment Hockey Assessment Volleyball Assessment Lacrosse Assessment Tennis Assessment Summary |
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CHAPTER 5: Test Administration
| Objectives Introduction Measurement Errors Athlete “Cheats” or Compensations Environmental Factors Practice Trials Test Measures Measures of Lower Extremity Power References |
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CHAPTER 6: Testing Tools and Tips
| Objectives Introduction Tools Coach’s Eye Application Summary |
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CHAPTER 7: Basic Data Analysis
| Objectives Nothing to Fear Types of Data Nominal Data The Need for Statistics |
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CHAPTER 8: Practical Applications
| Objectives Case Study #1 Case Study #2 Case Study #3 Case Study 1 Discussion Case Study 2 Discussion Case Study 3 Discussion Summary Closing Thoughts About the Author |
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Video Instruction – A companion video presentation makes learning the practical components of the YAAS Certification much easier and more engaging. This Master Video is also divided into 21 separate Modules so that you can review each test or component more easily.
Also included in your video instruction is the 3-part Team Assessment presentation which teaches you how to perform a group athletic assessment easily and efficiently.
Once your register to become a Certified Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist, you will be directed to create your IYCA account if you do not already posses one. You may begin your studies immediately after registering, or log in to your IYCA account later to start your studies.
The materials will be released to you immediately. You can test when you are ready.
You may take up to one year to complete your Certification, and review the materials as often as you like. You will immediately know the results after you take your test. Most students finish within 2-3 weeks.
The only technology you will need is an Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash video player.
Both of these are installed on most computers.
Exam Requirement – Passing a 55 multiple choice, non-proctored online exam with 70% or higher. One attempt at the exam is given. Results are known immediately.
Retest Fee – $50 retest fee applies if the passing requirement is not met at the end of the second exam attempt.
Completion Time – Approximately 2-3 weeks (complete within one year of purchase)
Earn the credential of IYCA Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist.
I understand that this is an online, downloadable product. Nothing physical will be shipped.
How does the Certification process work?
When you register to become Certified, you will be immediately directed to create your personal IYCA account.
Once you login to your IYCA account you will gain immediate access to your Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist Certification materials and step-by-step instructions how to successfully complete your certification. You will also receive an email confirming your order.
How long will it take to complete the Certification?
Typically 2-3 weeks is average. If you have completed other assessment programs, you can likely complete the program more quickly. When you enroll, you will be given immediate access to your entire curriculum. You will also be given access to take your certification exam online. There are no additional fees to take your test. You have 365 days following your enrollment in the YAAS Certification program before you must test. You are given one attempt to pass the test. You will have 2 hours to take the test. It is 100 questions, primarily multiple-choice. If you do not pass the exam you can purchase a retest for $50.
Are any Certification study materials mailed to me?
No. The course is 100% online.
When do I receive my Certification?
After you successfully pass your test, we will register you in our global database as a Certified Youth Athletic Assessment Specialist. It can take up to two weeks for your certification to be mailed to you.
Do I have to be IYCA Youth Fitness Specialist Certified as a prerequisite for this Certification?
No. There are no prerequisite Certifications to become YAAS Certified.
Can I download the video lessons or do I have to watch them within the IYCA Membership site?
You can either watch the videos within your account, or download them to your computer to watch later.
Does it matter where I live? Can I complete the program if I live outside of the United States?
IYCA Certified professionals come from all corners of the World. With the online learning platform it’s easier than ever before to study for and complete an IYCA Certification. You can study at your own pace and complete the Certification no matter where you reside. The only consideration is that all Certification materials are in English.
Mandatory Background Check
Our highest priority, alongside providing a healthier lifestyle for our youth, is their safety. Therefore we feel in order to maintain an environment with the highest level of security, we must maintain certain standards for our applicants and members. For this reason, we require that a criminal background check be performed by our third party screening organization.
If you already hold an IYCA certification and have undergone a background screening from us, you do not need a new one for subsequent certifications.
After you purchase your exam, you will be sent an email with links to complete consent to the Background Screen. There are fees associated with the screening, depending on your country. If you are in the United States, there are no additional fees (the IYCA will cover those fees). Please be aware that if you live outside the US, additional screening fees apply (click here for international screening fees).
I understand that this is an online, downloadable product. Nothing physical will be shipped.