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 don't know anything about soccer. Can I still help coach?
Yes! AYSO provides training and materials. Being a coach involves skills you probably already have in addition to specific soccer knowledge. If you are uncertain, try being an assistant coach. Your Region's Coach Administrator will be happy to try to match you up with somebody with a little more experience.
What is the time commitment of being an AYSO coach? Assistant coach?
Coaches run two weekday practices and a game on Saturday or Sunday. Coaching in AYSO is all about teaching and encouraging kids, and having a lot of fun. Parents will help with the team's organization tasks.
How old do I have to be to coach?
You must be 18 years old or older to be an AYSO coach. Though AYSO appreciates and encourages young people to participate in all aspects of soccer including coaching, an individual under 18 years of age may not be listed as the head coach or assistant coach on the official roster, due to liability issues. They can certainly assist in training and even make decisions regarding the team, but can't ever be left alone with players and can't be listed on the official roster.
What training is provided for coaches?
There are two parts to coach training. One is an online course which covers team management, safety, volunteer protection and AYSO's principles. This course is known as Safe Haven
®. There is also age-specific training which covers soccer techniques, strategies and teaching ideas appropriate to the age group. These clinics are held online and on weekends, and vary from a half day to two days. You must attend coach training to be covered by the Volunteer Protection Act.
What is Safe Haven®?
AYSO makes a commitment to provide a safe place for children to play and compete. 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 a short in-person or online-training session called Safe Haven™. 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.
What are the various levels of coach certification?
AYSO offers coach training for every age group. The various levels are as follows and each one has its own course: U-6, U-8, U-10, U-12, Intermediate, Advanced and National.
What are the requirements and time involved with the various coach certifications?
AYSO's U-6, U-8, U-10 and U-12 courses are all considered "stand-alone" courses, meaning that you may take any one of them without having taken any prior courses. The U-12 course then becomes the prerequisite for taking the Intermediate course, which is the prerequisite for taking the Advanced course, which is the prerequisite for taking the National course. The U-6, U-8 and classroom portion of the U-10 course are available online at
AYSO Training . Course times are as follows:
U-6 Coach – 40 minutes online (2 hours in-person) U-8 Coach – 30 minutes online (2 hours in-person) U-10 Coach – 40 minutes online and 1.5 hour field session (3 hours in-person) U-12 Coach - 5 hours Intermediate Coach - 15 hours Advanced Coach - 18 hours National Coach - 56+ hours
Do I have to coach little kids before I can coach the older kids?
There is no requirement to coach younger players before coaching older players. The only requirement is that you have the age-specific certification, meaning if you are coaching U-10-you've taken the U-10 coaching certification course.