Start Here

Youth soccer coaches have the unusual distinction of being some of the best-educated coaches in youth sports. Few other sports in the United States provide such an extensive amount of resources and opportunities for coaching education.  We have created this guide to help you navigate the myriad of available resources.  Here you can find some guides to get you started, practice plans to help organize your practices, and links to videos to help demonstrate drills and techniques. Use the links on the left to browse the various resources. 

Many thanks for your willingness to volunteer and coach. Youth coaches, particularly the recreational coaches, are the backbone of the club and we appreciate all that you do.

Three Documents to Help Get You Started

Below are three great resources to help you begin your coaching adventure.  Each is a PDF that can be downloaded and printed.

1) United States Youth Soccer Association Coaches Manual:  

US Youth Soccer is delighted to present this coaching resource to our greatest asset—the youth soccer coach. Many great players can trace their success to the coaching that they received at an early age. We hope that you, the youth soccer coach, will one day look back with pride at the opportunities you created for learning and enjoyment. A supportive, child-centered, positive experience in youth soccer is vital to the growth of our sport.  

2) United States Youth Soccer Association Parents Guide:

This is a PowerPoint that should be shared with all parents.  This is a great resource you can use to help set parent expectations and help get parents to support your efforts. 

3) United States Youth Soccer Association Skills Guide:

The game will show you what the player needs to practice. In this manual, the coach will find the basics of all ball skills. From this core set of techniques, the growing player will be able to add on many variations and subtleties to the techniques.  

Practice Planning

The key to successful practices is planning. The Practice Planning section has quite a few tips, ideas, videos, and other resources that can be used to build your practice plans.  

Earn a Coaching License

For those who may want to take their soccer coaching skills to the next level, and possibly coach a travel team, there are state-level and national-level licensing programs that you can take advantage of.  The requirements for attaining a license may involve personal study time, participating in some coaching clinics, and taking a test.  Obtaining a license is considered a personal choice.  The costs associated with obtaining any coaching licenses are not covered by the league.