To Be a Coach

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To be a Region 64 Coach or Assistant Coach, first confirm:

I want my kids to have the absolute best and most fun AYSO experience possible!!!

If you agree, then here is what you need to do:

Apply as a volunteer via the special R64 WebYouthSoccer registration page each season (as a part of registering your player or as a volunteer not connected to a player). Note that this is different from the normal WebYouthSoccer sign in page. If registering a player, please also pay special attention to all the instructions on our normal Registration Page!

Please note that the Division Coordinator (see contacts) is responsible for team formation -- assigning players and coaches to teams. They are the ones first responsible for achieving Balanced Teams (one of AYSO's Philosophies).
The Regional Coach Administrator (RCA) makes sure all coaches are trained and get the support they need to succeed.

Also apply as a volunteer in eAYSO each member year (an AYSO member year is from August 1 to July 31). For step by step eAYSO registration instructions see Volunteer Registration.

As soon as you are an applicant in eAYSO, you may take AYSO courses online and in person using your AYSO ID # (from eAYSO) -- this is so AYSO can record the courses you have completed (otherwise your training history will be lost!).
IMPORTANT: Just filling out the application is not enough -- you must also have one of our CVPAs verify your ID, call your references, and approve your application. You must finish your registration before your first practice and you must register every year that you are a volunteer.

You must complete Safe Haven in order to be protected by the U.S. Volunteer Protection Act, AYSO insurance, and AYSO legal assistance. This course makes sure you understand how AYSO works and protects both you as a volunteer as well as our kids. You must complete Safe Haven before your first practice. If not, your team may be disbanded!!! You only need to take AYSO Safe Haven just once in your lifetime but it can be helpful to take a refresher every few years.

Complete the appropriate AYSO coach training for the division (U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, U19) you are coaching (see "Training" below).

Since you are an AYSO coach, it is important to take AYSO coach training. AYSO's coach training is a key reason AYSO's youth soccer programs are world class. You must complete division training before your first regular season game -- if you do not your first game may be cancelled and team disbanded!!!

Coaching in AYSO is a privilege, not an automatic right. It is essential that we have high quality coaches in AYSO for AYSO to be a success. Coaches are the heart of AYSO. Volunteers who do not complete AYSO's requirements cannot coach.

At least one coach from each team (but preferably both) must attend their division's pre-season coach team balance meeting to pick up their team information and coaching equipment for the season. See our Region Calender for exact dates, times, and locations.
As soon as you can after this meeting, call all of your players and parents to introduce yourself, confirm they are still playing in the fall, set up a team meeting, and establish the best time(s) for your weekly training session (practice). U5/U6 just have a practice combined with their game. U8 has 1 practice/week, U10 1 or 2/week, U12 and up generally 2/week but may vary.

Hold a kick off meeting for your own team to set expectations, educate your parents about AYSO, and layout your plans for the season.
Recruit a team parent who will in turn recruit all the other volunteers necessary to run your team (it takes a team to run a team). If you have no team parent than you as coach will have to do the recruiting.
In the fall, attend the Coach/Referee Dinner Meeting to get uniforms, coach shirts, coach wallets, the Annual Coach & Referee Updates, and more. See our Region Calender for exact date, time, and location (typically the Monday preceding Opening Day). In the spring, uniforms, coach shirts, etc are handed out at Coach/Team Balance Meetings.
In the fall only, attend Region 64's Fall Opening Day with your team for a big Soccer Party!!! (the Saturday before Labor Day weekend)
Support our AYSO Region, Regional Commissioner, Division Coordinators, Coach Administrator, Coach Instructors, Referees, and all other volunteers in our region so we have a successful soccer season for our kids.
Prepare for and attend your team's games and run your team practices:

This is the most fun part that you do with your kids! Thanks for coaching!
For times and locations of Games & Practices see Fields & Games.
Follow our region's Game Protocols.
Abide by the Laws of the Game.
Use the Coach's Game Card program to keep yourself organized and re-enforce Positive Coaching.
Every coach should have a set of signed player registration/medical release forms with them at every training session and game.
If an incident or accident happens make sure an incident/accident form is filled out. Scan or fill out electronically and email to our Safety Director at safety@ayso64.org
Do whatever it takes to be a coach (help parents, help players, schlep equipment around, send emails, talk on the phone, print & carry the necessary forms, etc.)
Be an outstanding AYSO role model for your kids and parents (practice all AYSO philosophies).

Evaluate your players at the end of the season, enter their ratings into our player tracking system (so we can balance teams next season), and congratulate them at your end-of-season party!
The approximate time commitment for an AYSO coach for a 10 game season ranges from 40-160 hours depending on the division.

Coaching is usually the largest time commitment of any volunteer role in AYSO except for certain board positions like Region Commissioner, Registrar, Region Coach Administrator, Region Referee Administrator, and a few others.
Due to the time involved to do a good job, we recommend that a coach handle only one team per season if possible.
Please also read the Coach, Assistant Coach, and other Coach related job descriptions for yet more information.
All official coaches and assistant coaches must be 18 years or older (per AYSO National Policy and Safe Haven). Youth who want to assist coaches are Youth Soccer Trainers and must register and take the same training that coaches would take for the respective division. There must always be 2 adults present (per Safe Haven) whenever the Youth Soccer Trainer works with the team.

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