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 one to two weekday practices (depending on age/division) and games up to twice per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays. 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.

How do I become a coach?
You sign up to coach at registration when you register your kids to play. If you need contact information, you can contact the Regional Coach Administrator, TBD.  If you have a child that is already on a team that has a coach, just let the coach know that you are interested in coaching and would like to help. Most of our coaches will be delighted to utilize you.

Does an AYSO coach have to have a child on the team?
No. Anyone over the age of 18 can volunteer to be a coach in AYSO. Generally speaking, most coaches are the parents of a child on the team; however, AYSO welcomes and encourages anyone who wants to volunteer to come out and coach!

What training is provided for coaches?
There are three 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. Second is an online course which is Concussion Awareness. 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.  Click here for more information.

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 AYSOU.org .

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

What and/or where is my certification?
Record of all coach training is stored in AYSO's online database, eAYSO . Every individual that has filled out a Volunteer Registration Form is entered into the database and record of all training is attached to the individual's file. Anyone is allowed access to eAYSO by going through a short, one-time registration on the eAYSO home page. Once in the database you may view your own records by going to Look-Up/Volunteer and looking up your record. Once there, click View Certifications. Alternatively, you may call the AYSO Programs Department at (800) 872-2976 and someone will assist you. If your records do not reflect the training you have taken, please call the Coaching Coordinator (800) 872-2976, ext. 7974.

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.

Does each player have to play half of every game, or can it be averaged out across the season?
True to one of AYSO's founding philosophies, Everyone Plays™, every player must play at least 50% of every game. Additionally, in this region, no player may play four (4) quarters before all players have played three (3) quarters. The only exception to this rule would be a serious injury that truly prevents the player from participating or if the players arrive to the game after it has begun, in which case the following National Rules and Regulations apply.