Coach Orientation & Safe Haven Certification Course
Coaches Game Comments ~ Useful Web Sites
 
Online Safe Haven Certification Child and Volunteer Protection course

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If you have any questions please contact
 
Chris Richards at CoachAdmin@ace65.org
or
Jeff Crittenden at SoccercoachJeff@sbcglobal.net
or
Al Diamati at adbest@eartlink.net

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 Welcome to AYSO Region 65. We thank you for volunteering your time and service to our program.

It is important that you understand and implement AYSO's philosophy, for it is you who will have the most contact with and impact upon our young participants.

Remember that we are playing the game for fun, and for the fun of the children. While you should encourage the very best performance out of your team, never lose sight of the fact that it is just a game.

Remember the 'Ever-yone Plays" rule. Every one of your player's must play at least three quarters of each game during the regular season, and play at least one half of each game during the playoffs. It is suggested that the same players should not always sit out the first quarter of each game, so that they do not think of themselves as permanent substitutes.
Cooperate with the referees. They are volunteers like you and make mistakes like you. And please insist that the parents of the players maintain decorum at all times. Remember - we do not allow protests.  Hold practices, one or two a week. They mean more than the games. I strongly recommend two, depending on your own time commitments.  Make sure you know the game and the coaching techniques found to be most successful. We have available for you several publications / videos' s which ran help you, and we will hold a series of clinics to further your knowledge.
My staff and I will be glad to personally assist you in any way we ran. Have a great season and best of luck to your team!

Make sure you know the game and the coaching techniques found to be most successful.  We have available for you several publications/ video’s which can help you, and we will hold a series of clinics to further your knowledge My staff and I will be glad to personally assist you in any way we can.

Thanks and good luck this season    Thanks agin for volunteering   Chris Richards Coach Administrator Region 65

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Every Season All Coach Volunteers will be required to complete a Volunteer Information Application  Form.

Beginning every  Fall Season All Volunteers Coaches will attend an Age Specific Coach Clinic and will complete a Safe Haven Course (once in a lifetime)

Coaches must complete Coaches Clinic and Safe Haven certification before you can begin to practice

All Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches will be required to wear their Region issued Picture ID Badge issued to be worn during each and every game (worn around the neck, and visible at all times!!).

Badges will be issued upon completion of and acceptance by AYSO NATIONAL of the volunteers application and completion of a clinic/safe haven certification all Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches
 will be issues a Picture ID Badge by the Regional Coaching Staff.

If the Head Coach or the Assistant Coach doesn’t have his/her ID-Badge, he/she will not be allowed to coach that game.  If both do not have their ID-Badge (or the Head Coach if there is no assistant coach), the game will not be played and the team will forfeit the game.  First time Coaches and Assistant Coaches will have their ID Picture taken at the required Coaches Course (outdoor session).

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Try to reduce the player to coach ratio.  Recruit assistants and make sure they go through the requirements to become a coach in AYSO.  They must be certified as per AYSO National.  For U-6 thru U-12 3 or 4 players per coach is a good number, and with older kids try to have one coach for every 8 or 9 players.  The better coach to player ratio you have, the better your players will learn.  Also, this year’s assistants are next year’s coaches, so you’ll be helping your local AYSO region.  Plus your assistants will know a bit more when they become head coaches.

Fun, for you and the players, should be the number one priority.  Your second concern should be that the children learn, and the very last should be win or lose.
Coaches who focus on the win-loss record are the ones whose players don’t return the next season, and that is the true measure of a good coach.

Teamwork should be the key to the development of your players.  DON’T focus on having star players, but work on teamwork instead.  An entire team that works good together can beat two or three star players easily.  Also, like all others, star players might move to club or get hurt, but if your entire team works good together, then one player leaving the team won’t devastate the rest.

It’s very easy for players to bunch up, and that will hurt the flow of the game and the development of the players.  Constantly tell them to create space for themselves and not to bunch up.  Explain to them why!  Another word of advise is to rotate your players through all positions.

Every player should know how hard it is to be a goalie, defender, midfielder, and forward.  Besides the fact that the talents seen in young players might not be the ones that are best when that player gets a little older, you never know when you’ll need one of your defenders to play up on the front line.

Praise the person who made the pass to set up the goal, after all it can be much harder to get an assist than to kick the ball in the net.  Praise the person who made a good defensive play to move the ball back the other way, or showed great hustle and kept the play alive at the touchline.  In addition, when praising the players, make sure the entire field hears it.  It doesn’t take long the players and spectators to realize what YOU want to see!  Use halftime to point out something good that each player did.  Even if it was just touching the ball once, find something!  No matter what the score is after the game, have each player tell the group something they did in the 2nd. half that was really good.  This will help the players leave feeling good about themselves.  Set a goal for the next game ( ex. Dribbling better or passing..).

Don’t be too hard on your players and remember that mistakes are not bad things.

To correct a player is a necessary evil, but you shouldn’t yell at them or be too hard on them.  When you correct a player, do it gently, and still find something to praise.  It is said that in relationships complaints should come in the form of  praise, correct and praise.  This works excellent with children.  Instead of telling little Billy to pass better say, “Great hustle to get to that ball.  Try to make your pass go straight.  OK?  You’re really doing a nice job Billy!”  Players who aren’t making mistakes are either not being challenged or not playing hard enough.  Players should NEVER feel afraid to make a mistake.  Always tell your players that you don’t mind at all if they make a mistake by trying.  The only mistake is by NOT trying.

Coaches must create an atmosphere where players don’t fear mistakes, and coaches must not let parents berate their child for mistakes.

During your parent meeting before the season starts set some ground rules with the parents on your team.  Tell the parents they have 3 jobs as parent.  1- To have the children at the games and practices on time (or let you know in advance if they’ll be absent or late).  2- To only cheer positive things (good job, good steal, keep up the good work, etc.) at the games, and leave the coaching to you and your assistant(s).
3- To only look for the good things that their child did in games and practices and praise them about it on the way to and from the fields.  Tell parents to observe the 3 B’s… be there, be seated, and be quiet.  Not to say they shouldn’t sheer, but they should not be telling their kid where to go and what to do.

The other thing to tell parents is: On the way to the game say to your child: I love you, play your best, and most of all have fun!
On the way home say to you child: I love you, I enjoyed watching you play, and where do you want to go eat?!

Before the season set ground rules as well for your players.  Tell them you want them watching the game when they are sitting out, they will be able to learn from mistakes of their teammates that way.
Small-sided games are benefiting the younger players and this way they get more touches on the ball and they learn faster.  Apply this also during your practice sessions.  The more each child will touch the ball, the faster and better they will learn.