Coaches FAQ
Q: I'm interested in coaching and/or I have questions about coaching or the coaching
program. Whom can I contact?
A: The Regional Coach Administrator is Joel Andersen.
You can reach him via email at coach@EugeneAYSO.org. We welcome any and all inquiries
about coaching in our region, so please do not hesitate to contact our Coach Administrator!
Q: Can I coach in AYSO if I've never coached soccer before? What if I've never played?
A: Yes! No playing experience is necessary. We will train you, and we will provide
you the resources you need. Please see our Important Dates for Coaches page for current
information on training and certification opportunities. For coach resources, please
see next question.
Q: Do I need to conduct a practice? How to pick a practice time? Where do I conduct
my practice? How do I handle player practice conflicts?
A: Yes, all teams should plan
to practice once or twice per week. You can conduct your practice anywhere you like,
but please note that you may need to get a permit or permission from whomever manages
the field. AYSO has many fields around Eugene that are designated AYSO fields at
specific dates and times. You are not required to use only these fields, but we recommend
that you do.
Practices at U8 and above should be approximately one hour long. The day and time
of your practice is ultimately at the discretion of you, the coach. We recommend
that you try to identify 2-3 days/times that work for you, and then work with your
families to figure out which one works best for all of you. That said, if you as
the coach have only one day/time that works for you, then set that as your practice
day/time.
If there are any players who can't make that practice time and would like
to be switch to a team with a different practice time, please notify the Registrar
at registrar@EugenAYSO.org. If and ONLY IF there is a player on a team that can be
swapped 1-for-1 for your player, then we will move players around. No exceptions.
Q: Can you recommend some websites for me to learn more about coaching youth soccer?
A: Please check out our Coaches main page for some great materials and practice games
/ drills.
Q: How much training is involved?
A: For the lower divisions, U6-U12, total training
time runs 3-5 hours. That's all AYSO requires in order for you to obtain your basic
coach certification. However, we do require coaches to attend training every season
regardless of past experience with us or other soccer organizations.
Q: Does AYSO provide coach training equipment? Cones? Soccer Balls?
A: AYSO does
provide most of the training equipment you may need. When you pick up your rosters,
you will be given a bag of equipment to use during the season. We do require you
to return this equipment at the end of the season. The bags typically contain 8-12
balls, 20 disc cones, a ball pump, a first aid kit, line’s man flag and a keeper’s
jersey (U10 & above). Any additional equipment must be provided by the coach. You
can obtain additional cones and balls at any sporting goods store, including Direct
Kick Soccer.
Q: I'm a coach, and I'm interested in getting more involved with coaching at the
regional level. What can I do?
A: No matter what your experience level is, you might
be a good candidate to assist the Board of Directors. Please contact any of the
Board members for additional information - Board of Directors.