INFORMATION FOR COACHES

Thank you for volunteering to coach in AYSO Region 10. It is a fun and rewarding way to volunteer in your community. Coaching is a very important position since so much of the players' and families' AYSO experiences come from the coach. Three of the Six AYSO Philosophies, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship, and Player Development, are mostly the responsibility of the coach. If you need any help, please reach out to your division coordinator or the coach administrator.

Coaching Tips

Organization and Match

• Do not do everything yourself. Get parents to volunteer for some team duties such as team parent, referees, lining field coordinator, picture day coordinator, banner, snacks, and parties. Coaches should focus their efforts on coaching.
• Come to the match prepared. Have your game card already completed and a written game plan showing which players will rest at certain times. You will enjoy the game more when you come prepared.
• Always be respectful to referees and never argue. The coach is a role model for the players. The players and parents will follow your lead.
• Let the players play without constant instruction or commentary from the sidelines. LET THEM PLAY!

Practice

• Arrive on time, make it fun, and be prepared with a training plan. Try and maximize EVERY player's touches on the ball. Scrimmaging is not a strategy for getting players touches on the ball and is only useful in moderation.
• A training plan should include these four stages. You can find examples in the AYSO EBook or by searching on YouTube.

1. Technical warm up. Maximize ball contact and repetition. Introduce technical topic and physical preparation (including dynamic stretching and multi directional running).
2. Small-sided activity. More grid based. Individual and pairs, competition and teamwork, 2v2, 3v3, etc.
3. Expanded activity integrating a goal. Directional with 1 large goal to other goal(s) or targets, opposition (principles of attack and defense)
4. Small-sided match. Unconditional, general laws of age group, emphasize topic and formations, let game flow and players play.

• Follow the 3 Ls: No Lines, No Laps, No Lectures

1. No Lines. Do your best to eliminate activities that involve players standing in long lines waiting on their turn to play. We need to maximize time players have with the ball to avoid boredom and keep them engages (two or three active groups are always better than one long inactive group). Remember circles are also lines.
2. No Laps. You don't run laps of the field during a soccer match and you can easily obtain the same cardiovascular benefit by running with the ball in a dynamic activity.
3. No Lectures. Children come to soccer to participate and be active, not to sit and be lectured for long periods of time (either positively or negatively). Keep your communication positive, brief, and to the point.

Coaching Requirements - AYSO NOW REQUIRES AGE APPROPRIATE CERTIFICATION FOR ALL COACHES AND ASSISTANT COACHES.To clarify with an example, if you are certified at the 12U level but not at the 10U level and you plan on coaching a 10U team, you must obtain the 10U certification before you will be allowed to coach at the 10U level.

AYSO coach certifications are in place to ensure players are learning and playing soccer in a safe and knowledgeable envronment. Anyone interacting with players, including coaches, assistant coaches, spouses, and helpers, must be fully certified. If you are NOT certified, you are not legally allowed to coach in any capacity, including in games and practices.

The grid below shows the certifications required at each level. Any certifications you complete should be automatically updated at various AYSO and SportConnect sites. If they are not automatically updated, you can upload your certifications on the VOUNTEER page of SportConnect by placing a check in the box next to certication and click RENEW & UPDATE.

You can check your cerfications in one of two ways:

1. Current certifications can be found by logging into SportConnect and clicking VOLUNTEER (if you do not see teh Volunteer button on the left side menu then you may not have signed up as a volunteer for this season). The list of your certifications will show a green check mark next to them. Check to ensure that your coaching status matches the age group for which you plan on coaching. (Risk Status refers to your background check, which must be completed every 15 months).
2. Your history of certifications and your official certificates can be found by clicking the AYSOU button on the left menu, and selecting SKILLS PASSPORT. To print a particular certificate, select VIEW CERTIFICATE on the right side.

Additionally, the AYSOU courses that you have completed, have enrolled in, and/or in process of completing can be viewed in AYSOU by clicking MY TRAINING.

3 Steps to become an AYSO Coach:

1. Complete Step 1 yearly - a Volunteer Profile and Background check.
2. Complete Step 2 only once - 3 courses and have a Live Scan performed.
3. Complete Step 3 - Age-specific AYSO Coaches Training at each level.
   

Step 1 (Yearly)

1. FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS: Register as an AYSO Volunteer in Region 10 in SportsConnect (formerly Blue Sombrero), here: https://ayso.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=800401 and create an account. Verify the email to activate.
   
   
2. FOR RETURNING VOLUNTEERS: Create an account or login to your existing account (make certain you are loggged into the correct account). Click here for detailed instructions
   
   
   1. Click on the Volunteer Button on the left, then click on FIND VOLUNTEER ROLES on the top right.
      
      
   2. Find the FALL season and click on SELECT on HEAD COACH, then SIGN UP, then click CONTINUE. If you are certified for any of the courses listed, you can upload your certifications.
      
      
   3. Sign the waivers and pledge and click CONTINUE
      
      
3. BACKGROUND CHECK. Sterling will send an email to compete the process. (please check your spam folder if you do not receive an expected email). Submit payment for a Background check of $25. You can submit the receipt to the Region's Treasurer for reimbursement. (Not for youth volunteers)
   To renew your background check, go to SportsConnect and click VOLUNTEER, check the box next to RISK STATUS, and click RENEW. If you do not receive the email to finish the process, you can sign in or get support from Sterling at https://app.sterlingvolunteers.com/en/Mains/Home
   ***Note that AYSO requires the volunteer profile be completed every year, and that the background check be submitted every 15 months.***
   
   
4.  Complete the SafeSport Certification (not for youth volunteers) https://safesporttrained.org/#/signup-form. For both new and renewal cerifications, go to sportsconnect/bluesombrero and click VOLUNTEER, check the box next to SafeSport and click RENEW & UPDATE. The entire process should take 90 minutes for first time certifications, 30 minutes for renewal certifications. To find your official certification, log into your SafeSport account, click Menu (three lines at top right), and click on TRANSCRIPT. Click the download button next to the course.
   
   

Step 2 (Once)

Step 3 (required at each level)

• For the online portion of the coach course click on AYSOU (left menu), TRAINING LIBRARY, VIEW COURSES under coaching, then ENROLL under the Coaching Courses for your appropriate age to complete the online training.

• If your age group requires an In-Person course, then you will need to click the TRAINING EVENT tab. Region 10 courses automatically populate. If you are looking for training courses NOT being held by Region 10, you must uncheck "Region 10" under the Regions search box.

** VERY IMPORTANT**

Only create one account and make certain you participate in all certifications and trainings while logged into that account. Youth volunteers must create their own account (separate from parents' account) and participate in all the certifications and trainings in that account.

For new coaches and assistant coaches looking to learn coaching techniques or returning coaches and assistant coaches looking to get certified at the correct age level, Palos Verdes AYSO (Region 10), in coordination with surrounding AYSO regions, will be offering age- appropriate classes. Details of these class offerings are below:

6U (Online only)
Required training classes for the 6U age groups are held online at AYSO's online training resource under TRAINING LIBRARY.

8U & 10U & 12U (Online and Field)
Required training classes for the 8U, 10U and 12U age groups are held online at AYSO's online training resource under TRAINING LIBRARY.

In addition, PV AYSO will be holding Field Sessions for the 8U, 10U and 12U age groups in August. These field sessions are MANDATORY FOR ALL COACHES SEEKING CERTIFICATION.

8U Certification (coaching in 7U & 8U) (Field Session) - Register on AYSOU

• Conducted in August of every year.
  • 8/10/24 PV Region 10 @ Highridge Park 8:30 AM - 10:30AM
  • 8/9/24 Los Angeles Region 1031
  • 8/11/24 Garden Grove Region 59
  • 8/24/24 Long Beach Region 114
    
• Alternative dates can be found on AYSOU
  

10U Certification (coaching in 9U & 10U) (Field Session) - Register on AYSOU

• Conducted in August of every year.
  • 8/25/24 PV Region 10 @ Highridge Park 9AM - 11 AM
  • 8/10/24 Manhattan Beach Region 18
  • 8/17/24 Torrance Region 15
  • 8/11/24 Garden Grove Region 59
  • 8/18/24 Beverly Hills Region 76
  • 8/24/24 Long Beach Region 114
    
• Alternative dates can be found on AYSOU.
  

12U Certification (coaching in 11U & 12U) (Field Session) - Register on AYSOU

• Conducted in August of every year
  • 8/25/24 PV Region 10 Highridge 12PM - 4PM
  • 8/10/24 Manhattan Beach Region 18
  • 8/17/24 Torrance Region 15
  • 8/11/24 Garden Grove Region 59
  • 8/18/24 Beverly Hills Region 76
  • 8/24/24 Long Beach Region 114
    
• Alternative dates can be found on AYSOU.

IMPORTANT
If any of these courses don't fit into your schedule, the best resource is to check for more options/dates to find appropriate age-level classes that best meet your needs in another Area. If you are attending a course in another region, please confirm with course contact via email to confirm course and that you signed up for the appropriate certification. 

For any technical problems with logging into SportsConnect or signing up for courses, contact the AYSO Help Desk at (866) 588-2976 (Monday - Friday during business hours) or by email: support@ayso.org

For questions on which course to take please email your Division Coordinator or the Coach Administrator: tonyscotto@pacbell.net

*NFY = Not for youth volunteers

AYSO Coach Training Equivancy. - AYSO's Coach Traning Equivalency Policy explains the equivalency between U.S. Soccer (or United Soccer Coaches) licenses and AYSO Coach certiffications. Designed for U.S. Soccer or United Soccer Coaches license holders that wish to participate in AYSO, the page describes in detail how each U.S. Soccer or United Soccer Coaches license equates to AYSO coach certifications and the eligible AYSO courses that could be taken to upgrade certifications to coach in a desired level in AYSO. 

To summarize, here are some basic equivalencies of U.S. Soccer Licenses to AYSO Coach certification levels:

U.S. Soccer or United Soccer Coaches license holders that would like to receive credit for their current license status can submit this form to the Section 1 Coach Administrator, Mike Riley, at redondoriles@gmail.com for consideration.

Medical Release Forms. - Coaches are required to have physical copies of their players Medical Release Forms at all practices and games. Division Coordinators will provide the forms.

Game Card Template. - Coaches can type, save, and print game day Game Cards to hand to the referees.

Referee Guidelines. - Coaches should print Referee Guidelines for their age group as a reference to common age appropriate rules and keep these guidelines with them.

Playoff Participation Policy. - Coaches should be aware that teams will only be invited to play in the end-of-season playoffs if their team has refereed enough games.

Mismatched Game Guide. - This informative guide put together by Jodi Council, our former Director of Coaching, is a must read for all AYSO coaches. It provides tips on how coaches can handle games that are one-sided/lopsided in ways that are both encouraging and instructive for the players.

OTHER RESOURCES

Volunteer Information

Concussion Awareness - coaches, parents, players, and referees are encouraged to take this online training to recognize the signs and respond to possible head injuries

Parents' Guide to Referees' Decisions - an excellent guide from AYSO Area 2C that describes in layperson's terms why referees make (or don't make) certain calls on the field.


Area 01 Coaching Guidelines

UK Int’l Curriculum

AYSO Rules, Policies and Guidelines
(on the AYSO national site)