Individuals 18 years of age and older are eligible for certifications, provided they meet all of the requirements.
$25 of the payment for any program or course constitutes an administration fee and is not refundable under any circumstances. Refunds, less the $25 administration fee, will be granted if requested in writing a minimum of 8 days prior to the start of the course. Refunds are not available when cancellations occur within 7 days of the start of the course or in case of failure to attend without notification. In these cases, the funds paid constitute a credit that can be applied to any other Track and Field Academy Program that is taken within 12 months of the cancellation. Credits expire after 12 months. Any Room and Board packages purchased for programs are non-refundable under any circumstances.
Non-U.S. citizens and persons who reside outside of the United States are welcome and eligible to take coursework in the Track and Field Academy. Such persons are subject to all posted qualifications and/or prerequisites prior to undertaking coursework. Non-U.S. citizens and persons who reside outside of the United States are subject to all application, registration, and payment deadlines. The USTFCCCA nor the Track and Field Academy will not provide any documents to any state department, aside from materials that are currently accessible on the website and our usual acceptance letters and information bulletins. The USTFCCCA nor the Track and Field Academy will not provide any assistance to any prospective course participant during the visa acquisition process. The Academy’s courses are offered in English and no translation services are provided. The presence of translators in the class may or may not be allowed depending upon space availability, and any expense associated with translation services are the responsibility of the course participant. Students who plan to employ translators in class should notify the USTFCCCA for approval before any arrangements are made.
NOTE: We no longer mail out physical certificates for the certification courses; only digital PDF copies will be available for download through your TFA transcript page. Electronic verification of course completion is provided on each individual’s TFA transcript page for each successfully completed course.
200 Level Certifications
- are valid for 3 years after receipt
- can be extended by successfully completing an academy program at the 200 level or higher. Certifications are then valid for 3 years from the date of renewal program completion.
300 Specialist Certifications (excludes 310: Strength and Conditioning)
- are valid for 5 years after receipt
- can be extended by successfully completing an academy program at the 300 level or higher. Certifications are then valid for 5 years from the date of renewal program completion.
310: Strength and Conditioning
- The Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification is valid for 3 years from the date of successful completion of the Strength and Conditioning Certification course and all of its requirements. Certification can only be maintained by successfully retaking and completing the course and all of its requirements.
Students who successfully complete and pass the Sports Sciences portion of any TFA 300-level course will not be required to retake that portion for a period of three (3) years, should they enroll in a different 300-level course during that time.
This policy is designed to recognize prior academic achievement and reduce redundancy for students pursuing multiple specialist certifications, while maintaining the integrity and relevance of scientific instruction.
TFA 305: Endurance Event Specialist Certification includes a unique and specialized Sports Sciences curriculum specifically designed for the physiological and biomechanical considerations of endurance-based training. As such:
Students enrolling in TFA 305 must complete its Sports Sciences portion in full, regardless of any prior completion in other 300-level courses. Completion of the Sports Sciences portion in TFA 305 does not exempt students from retaking the Sports Sciences content in any other TFA 300-level course.
Examinations for all Academy courses must be completed within 14 days of the completion date of respected course, with the exception of the Track & Field Technical Certification (201/251), which must be completed within 30 days of purchasing the course. For courses requiring the submission of a project, all project materials must also be submitted within 14 days of the completion date of respected course. The Academy is a genuine certification program, so academic standards and deadlines must be upheld if the certifications are to be meaningful within and outside of the profession. If Academy Certifications are to have genuine value to its students and their employers, these standards are important. These certifications must not only represent the knowledge of the recipients but also the levels of responsibility and professionalism that athletic administrators and other parties should expect of Academy graduates. For this reason, deadlines for submission of Academy Examinations will be strictly upheld, except in extreme cases where prior arrangements have been made.
All exams may be taken once. Any subsequent attempts, regardless of improvement or detriment to a students score, are purely for the students educational benefit and have no bearing on official course grading.
All projects (TFA 300 level) must be completed and submitted in line with the template provided to be considered for grading. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that their project is completed to Academy standards, as detailed by their instructors.
All submissions, either project or examination, must be submitted via the designated page on a students TFA Course materials and Testing page. Submissions made in any other manner, such as email or fax, will not be considered for grading. It is the students responsibility to ensure all project files and / or examinations are completed and submitted in their entirety.
The Track and Field Academy’s mission includes offering educational opportunity to all coaches, regardless of gender, race, nationality, or sexual orientation. The Academy remains especially active in the recruitment of women and minorities to its programs in order to positively effect the diversity of the Track and Field and Cross Country coaching professions.
