Working With Minor Participants

NWANA applies additional professional, educational, licensing, and participant-protection requirements when an Instructor, Coach, Judge, Race Director, Competition Technical Official, or other NWANA professional works directly or regularly with participants under age 18.

Work involving minor participants is not a standalone professional pathway.

A person must first qualify in the appropriate primary professional role and then complete the additional education, specialist licensing, participant-protection, and other requirements applicable to work involving children or youth.

A primary Professional License alone does not automatically satisfy all requirements for working with minor participants.

Begin with the Primary Professional Pathway

Before seeking approval to work with participants under age 18, the applicant must establish the appropriate primary professional role.

The primary pathways are:

• Nordic Walking Instructor;

• Nordic Walking Coach;

• Nordic Walking Judge;

• Race Director;

• Competition Technical Official.

Every primary pathway begins with the Nordic Walking Instructor – Beginner Level Certification through NWANA Academy and continues according to its own progressive requirements.

The Minor Participant License does not replace the education, assessment, practical preparation, or license required for the primary professional role.

The Required Combination of Licenses

The licenses and qualifications required depend on:

• the professional role;

• the ages of the participants;

• the nature of the activity;

• the program or organization;

• the professional’s responsibilities;

• the frequency and type of contact;

• whether the work is instructional, coaching, competitive, administrative, or operational;

• applicable participant-protection requirements;

• applicable law and organizational policy.

A professional may need more than one active license.

Requirements for Instructors

An instructor approved to teach participants under age 18 must hold:

• an appropriate Active NWANA primary Instructor License;

• the applicable Children’s or Youth Nordic Walking Instructor License;

• an Active NWANA Minor Participant License;

• any additional participant-protection education, screening, or documentation required for the role.

The Children’s or Youth specialist license supplements the primary Instructor License. It does not replace it.

A Minor Participant License also does not replace either the primary or specialist Instructor License.

Children’s Nordic Walking Instructor

The Active NWANA Children’s Nordic Walking Instructor License is for qualified instructors approved to teach Nordic Walking to children within the professional scope established by NWANA.

Eligibility requires the applicable:

• primary Instructor preparation;

• children-specific education;

• assessment;

• practical preparation;

• participant-protection requirements;

• NWANA review and approval.

Annual specialist license fee: $49

Youth Nordic Walking Instructor

The Active NWANA Youth Nordic Walking Instructor License is for qualified instructors approved to teach Nordic Walking to youth participants within the professional scope established by NWANA.

Eligibility requires the applicable:

• primary Instructor preparation;

• youth-specific education;

• assessment;

• practical preparation;

• participant-protection requirements;

• NWANA review and approval.

Annual specialist license fee: $49

Requirements for Coaches

A coach approved to work with athletes under age 18 must hold:

• an appropriate Active NWANA primary Coach License;

• the applicable Children’s Development, Youth Development, or Elite Youth Coach License;

• an Active NWANA Minor Participant License;

• the applicable youth-athlete-development education and qualification;

• any additional participant-protection education, screening, or documentation required for the role.

A Children’s, Youth, or Elite Youth specialist Coach License supplements the primary Coach License. It does not replace it.

A Minor Participant License does not replace the primary Coach License, specialist Coach License, or youth-athlete-development qualification.

Children’s Development Coach

The Active NWANA Children’s Development Coach License is for qualified coaches approved to work with children within the professional scope established for their coaching role.

Eligibility requires the applicable children-specific education, assessment, practical preparation, participant-protection requirements, and NWANA approval.

Annual specialist license fee: $69

Youth Development Coach

The Active NWANA Youth Development Coach License is for qualified coaches approved to work with developing youth athletes.

Eligibility requires the applicable youth-athlete-development education, assessment, practical preparation, participant-protection requirements, and NWANA approval.

Annual specialist license fee: $89

Elite Youth Coach

The Active NWANA Elite Youth Coach License is for qualified coaches approved to work with youth athletes at an advanced competitive level.

Eligibility requires:

• an Active NWANA Competition Coach License;

• the applicable youth-athlete-development qualification;

• advanced youth coaching education;

• documented coaching experience;

• practical and technical assessment;

• participant-protection requirements;

• an Active NWANA Minor Participant License;

• NWANA review and approval.

The license does not appoint the holder to an NWANA youth, junior, development, or national team.

Annual specialist license fee: $119

Judges, Race Directors, and Technical Officials

The presence of participants under age 18 at a competition does not automatically mean that every Judge, Race Director, or Competition Technical Official requires a Minor Participant License.

The additional license may be required when the assigned role involves:

• direct professional work with minor participants;

• regular or repeated contact;

• individual supervision;

• access to participant information;

• responsibility for minor-participant check-in or release;

• transportation;

• private or electronic communication;

• access to restricted participant areas;

• another position of authority or responsibility involving minors.

NWANA reviews the actual assignment, responsibilities, competition structure, level of contact, and policies of the organization responsible for the event.

Additional participant-protection requirements may apply even when a Minor Participant License is not required for every event official.

Active NWANA Minor Participant License

The Active NWANA Minor Participant License is an additional annual professional license for an NWANA professional whose approved role involves direct professional work or regular contact with participants under age 18.

It confirms that NWANA has reviewed the professional role and the minor-participant responsibilities presented during the eligibility process.

It is not:

• a primary professional qualification;

• a standalone professional pathway;

• a substitute for a Children’s or Youth specialist license;

• a substitute for participant-protection education;

• a background check;

• a guarantee of legal or organizational authorization;

• an appointment to a particular program, school, team, organization, or competition.

The license must be held together with the primary and specialist licenses required for the work being performed.

Annual license fee: $49

Children, Youth, and Competition Age Categories

The professional licensing requirements for working with minor participants are based on the participant’s actual age, developmental context, program, activity, and the responsibilities of the professional.

Competition categories such as U12, U14, U16, or U18 may be relevant to a particular competition, but a competition category does not by itself determine the professional license required.

NWANA reviews the actual ages and professional responsibilities involved.

A professional working across both children’s and youth programs may be required to hold more than one specialist license.

Participant-Protection Requirements

Depending on the role, program, organization, activity, and applicable law, additional requirements may include:

• participant-protection or safeguarding education;

• background screening;

• identity verification;

• codes of conduct;

• parental or legal-guardian consent;

• supervision requirements;

• limits on one-to-one interaction;

• electronic-communication requirements;

• photography and media-consent procedures;

• transportation procedures;

• participant check-in and release procedures;

• reporting requirements;

• emergency and safety procedures;

• recordkeeping requirements;

• policies established by a school, club, facility, federation, event, or other organization;

• local, state, provincial, federal, or other applicable legal requirements.

The applicant and the organization responsible for the program remain responsible for identifying and satisfying all requirements that apply to their activities.

NWANA may require documentation or verification before approving or renewing a license involving minor participants.

What the Minor Participant License Does Not Replace

The Active NWANA Minor Participant License does not replace:

• a primary Instructor, Coach, Judge, Race Director, or Competition Technical Official License;

• a Children’s or Youth specialist license;

• a youth-athlete-development qualification;

• required professional education;

• required assessment or practical preparation;

• participant-protection or safeguarding education;

• background screening when required;

• parental or legal-guardian consent;

• supervision, communication, and reporting procedures;

• emergency and safety requirements;

• permission from the organization responsible for the program;

• any legal, occupational, educational, or organizational requirement.

Holding the license also does not guarantee that a school, club, federation, facility, government agency, healthcare organization, or another institution will authorize the holder to work within its program.

Programs and Organizations

When professional work is conducted through a school, club, sports organization, healthcare organization, community program, government agency, faith community, facility, event, or other institution, the professional must have any permission required by that organization.

An NWANA License does not authorize the use of an organization’s:

• name;

• logo;

• facilities;

• participant information;

• internal communication channels;

• equipment;

• staff;

• programs;

• other resources;

without its permission.

The organization responsible for the program may impose requirements in addition to NWANA requirements.

How the Approval Process Works

1. Establish the Primary Professional Role

Complete the education, assessment, practical preparation, and licensing requirements for the applicable primary NWANA professional pathway.

2. Complete the Applicable Specialist Education

Complete the Children’s, Youth, Elite Youth, or other role-specific education and qualification required for the intended work.

3. Complete Participant-Protection Requirements

Complete the applicable safeguarding education, screening, documentation, consent, supervision, communication, and other requirements.

4. Submit an Eligibility Review Request

After completing the applicable requirements, submit information describing:

• the program or organization;

• your primary professional role;

• your intended responsibilities;

• the ages of the participants;

• the nature and frequency of contact;

• the primary and specialist licenses requested;

• the completed education and qualifications;

• other information required for the review.

5. NWANA Reviews the Complete License Combination

NWANA determines the primary, specialist, and additional licenses required for the reviewed role.

Additional information, education, documentation, screening, or clarification may be requested.

6. Receive Private Purchase Instructions

If eligibility is confirmed, NWANA identifies the approved licenses and provides private purchase instructions.

No license should be purchased before approval.

Approval Applies to the Reviewed Role

NWANA approval is based on the professional role, program, organization, participant ages, responsibilities, and type of contact presented during the Eligibility Review.

A material change may require an updated review.

Examples include:

• changing from instruction to coaching;

• beginning work with a different age range;

• moving to a different program or organization;

• assuming individual supervision responsibilities;

• beginning regular electronic communication with minor participants;

• accepting transportation responsibilities;

• moving from recreational activity to competitive athlete development;

• accepting a position involving greater authority or access.

Holding approval for one professional role does not automatically authorize another role involving minor participants.

Annual License Period

The Active NWANA Minor Participant License and Children’s or Youth specialist licenses remain valid through December 31 of the applicable license year.

RunSignup automatically prorates the annual license fee according to the time remaining in that license year.

Licenses do not renew automatically.

Continued eligibility may require:

• updated participant-protection education;

• current background screening when required;

• updated documentation;

• policy compliance;

• confirmation of the current professional role;

• an updated review of the program or organization;

• renewal of the applicable primary and specialist licenses;

• other requirements applicable to the new license year.

Request an Eligibility Review

Submit the request only after completing the primary professional preparation, applicable specialist education, participant-protection requirements, and other requirements associated with the intended work.

Describe the program or organization, your professional role, participant ages, responsibilities, and nature of contact.

No payment is collected during the review.

Submission does not activate a license or guarantee approval.

If eligibility is confirmed, NWANA will identify the required combination of licenses and provide private purchase instructions.

Questions may be sent to info@nwaofna.org.