Coaches

No experience is necessary to coach U-8, U-10, or U-12 teams - we can provide all the training you need.

To do:

Register in eAYSO following the instructions for volunteer registration on the Join Us page
After the CVPA processes your registration, obtain your 8-digit AYSO volunteer ID number by logging in to eAYSO, then pressing the AYSO Volunteers button, then the Click Here button next to "Current volunteer(s):See AYSO ID # or Update my contact information".
Complete the Safe Haven for Coaches course available on online AYSO training. Note: to ensure you pass this the first time, please take notes while you're viewing the coures. Also, be sure to print your certificate of completion, and keep this for your records.
Sign up for and attend age-appropriate coach training (contact the person by e-mail or telephone). You can be assured of a place in the course if you log in to your eayso account, then choose "Enroll to take a class", then search on the city and state. While in-person training is preferable, U-8 and U-10 coaches have the option of online AYSO training. U-8, U-10 and U-12 Coach courses have no prerequisites. The U-12 Coach course is a prerequisite for the Intermediate Coach class, so U-14 and U-19 coaches should sign up for the U-12 course if they have not yet completed this.
Learn the rules of soccer

AYSO's Hey Coach Let 'em Play training videos
AYSO Coach Training Games are available for U08 and U10 divisions.
on-line curriculum from our trainers, go to (this only works with Internet Explorer) UK International Soccer Camps and press Online Curriculum. The Account Name is AYSO697. Ask the division coordinator for the password.

AYSO's Ask the Coach - Everything You Wanted To Know But Were Afraid To Ask
AYSO News series offers weekly news of interest to all parents
USSF's Best Practices for Coaching Soccer in the United States includes research on age appropriate training as opposed to coaching adults.
Don't micromanage your players during games. See Why Sideline Screaming Can Stifle Your Child's Game
Blog: Positive Kid Coaching
The AYSO National Coaching Program Manual contains information on AYSO, short-sided soccer, the psychology of coaching, program guidelines for the various age divisions, overview of coaching courses, and practice time recommendations.
Review information about goal safety
AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches contains the laws of soccer, national rules and regulations, short-sided games information, Safe Haven manual, and more.

Watch the 12 minute Kids Zone video and encourage all parents to watch
Read and sign our AYSO Coach Pledge and return it to your Division Coordinator.
You may wish to ask your players to sign our AYSO Player Pledge and read the FIFA Code of Conduct for Football
You may wish to ask the parents of your players to sign the Kids Zone Parent Pledge
Read about our stance on Treatment of Referees

Fill out lineup cards (with at least all players on the roster) prior to arriving at the field.

Tim Oey's free and open-source Coach's Game Card is very useful for computer-savvy coaches to track attendance, playing time, positions, goals, assists, teaching points, ratings, and for printing lineup cards on letter size paper
You can also print lineup cards on legal size stock (stock available from Kevin Shalla) using the printable lineup card.
If you don't have access to a computer, you can get blank lineup cards from the division coordinator and fill them out with a pen.

The first game is the first Saturday after Labor Day in Fall, or the first Saturday after the Oak Park District 97 schools resume after the Spring break.
There are 9 games per season (some divisions play a tournament on the last weekend).
Make sure the field is open for play / practice - see our rain and storm policy
If games run behind schedule, the referee may shorten the length of the halves by notifying the coaches.
Uniforms are distributed about one week prior to the first game
Fall 2009 Field Permits: