Becoming a Coach

Coaching children is a very rewarding
experience. And coaching your own child's team can be one of the most rewarding experiences of all! Coaches are pivotal to having children get the AYSO experience.
Do you have little or no experience with soccer? No problem! AYSO will teach you based on the age level you are coaching. Unique age-appropriate coach training is one of AYSO's specialties. If you plan to be at your child's soccer practices and games, you'll also have time to be your child's coach.

To become an AYSO coach, you must be certified in the age level you are coaching. Certification takes three easy steps.  First, fill out a volunteer form. Then either attend a short Safe Haven™ course in person or online. Lastly, you must attend a brief age-specific coaching course. It's only a few hours.

Coaches are essential to the game. They teach children soccer skills and help develop a healthy, positive attitude, teamwork and good sportsmanship.  Coaching is a rewarding experience because you have the opportunity to build a child's self-esteem, help them learn new skills and just have a lot of fun.

Coach FAQ

Hey Coach! Welcome to AYSO 183
You will find that being a volunteer coach in AYSO 183 is a rewarding experience.

In AYSO, our six philosophies are intertwined to ensure that we as a coaches, we bring a world-class youth soccer program to enrich children’s lives.

The six philosophies are:
•    Everyone Plays
•    Balanced Teams
•    Open Registration
•    Positive Coaching
•    Good Sportsmanship
•    Player Development

Why Should I Coach in AYSO?
It's a chance to spend quality time with your child and it's fun. It's a great break from work. It makes you feel good. It's a great way to give back to the community.

The rewards come in the form of helping kids have fun at a game or practice, and contributing to their individual skills and teamwork. There is also a great sense of accomplishment when you reach the end of a season, look back and see how far the team has come.

I’ve never coached before!
Don’t’ worry.  The game of soccer is simple, a ball and two teams.  Yes.  There are rules to follow but what’s important is that you provide a safe and fun environment. 

I heard the Internet saves time in coaching! Is that true?
Yes!  Instead of calling your team for those coaches before the Internet,  many coaches and team parent these days use the App to communicate the game schedule, automated reminders for practices and games.    What a time saver?!   All you need to do is focus on being a coach as oppose to a manager.    We want you to the coach.   The Internet wants you to coach! 

How much time commitment is coaching?
Your time commitment will need to be about 2-4 hours per week.    Typically a practice session lasts for 1 hour and games are 1 hour as well.    You’ll be doing other responsibilities as a coach such as team preparations, practice plans and/or team communications.

Can I have an Assistant Coach?
Yes! We’ll either assign you an assistant coach or you can recruit a new volunteer to be your assistant.   You’ll also need a team parent to volunteer. 

What is a Team Parent?
A Team Parent is a supportive role for the team.    The Team Parent helps coordinate and manages other aspects that are not game or practice related.   Such as phone calls, email, snack schedule, flyer hands outs, etc.   

Can you teach me how to coach?
AYSO provides free certification training for all coaches.  There are free courses to take in the summer or winter (off season) where our nationally trained AYSO Instructors teach you the ins and outs coaching youth soccer in AYSO.

When and where are practices?
You as the coach can also set your own practice schedule and locations.   AYSO 183 historically has held reserved practice field space with Peterson Park for Tuesdays and Thursdays.

When and where are the games held?
AYSO 183 plays on Saturdays at Peterson Park and Hollywood Park.  

How long do we play during year?
The Fall Season and Spring Season are both about 8 weeks long.   The Fall Season players play in September and October.  The spring season players play in mid April, thru May and thru June.

When does the Fall Season start?
The first game of the season is usually the first Saturday after Labor Day.

When does the Spring Season start?
The first game of the Spring Season is usually the 1st of 2nd Saturday of April.

What is Safe Haven and Training Certification?
The coach has a responsibility to help make the environment safe, as well as fun. To ensure the safety of both children and volunteers, each volunteer is required to take Safe Haven training. It focuses on safety and appropriate behavior with children as well as first aid and other on-field issues. Agreeing to a background check is also required for each volunteer.

AYSO has developed the coaching program that was created by our AYSO National Coaching Staff. The materials certified by the National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE) and influenced by Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).