Interested in coaching, where to start?

Welcome.

I started by attending a low level course and just getting a feel for how to structure sessions.

Coaching is a rabbit hole and you can get really deep into it if it's something that interests you.

However, the basics are to be positive and enthusiastic, try to challenge the kids so they're not bored/stagnating but also don't make your sessions so difficult that they lose interest.

The only real way to figure all this out is to go out and do it. If it's easier for you then maybe assist another local coach, see how they do things, get a feel for working with the kids, before going off on your own.

If you've played in high school, chances are you can skip over some of this stuff as you'll have experience bring coached.

Regardless, I wouldn't give up on playing yourself even if you're of shape. You'll find that coaching will help your playing and vice versa.

 

First, you should go to the G training. You will see that they stress very different things than I expect you went through in High School. Also, they show you how to organize a training session, how to teach the kids, etc.

You mentioned that you work at a library - did you need to have any type of background check to work there? If so, make sure you mention that. If not, I would recommend contacting local government (parks/recreation type) to ask about submitting to a background check. It is mandatory in many areas and it will look much better to local teams if you come to them already having passed.

Next, I would recommend that you talk to the people who run your local club and let them know you would like to help. There are always more kids than coaches, so they will surely welcome you. If possible, find a team with an established coach and offer to help. A season or two learning the ropes will do wonders.

Lastly, keep an open mind and cheerful lookout. For young kids, sports are a way to have fun. Keep it fun for them and they will come back.

Good Luck.

 

The education background is very valuable. Coaching is teaching. Find a rec team and play. Regardless, start learning the skills that you will be teaching the kids. (It's best to use the players as demonstrators, but that is not always practical.)

Your age is not a problem. I didn't start playing organized soccer until I was 32 years old. (My first opportunity.) Until then I practiced skills and played pickup whenever I could.

 

This. I was playing for a few years on teams where I either didn't need to use too many ball skills (no competition around) or with teams that I didn't have time to play with the ball (teammates weren't good at help on D so spent lots of time on the wrong side of 3v1). Getting into coaching helped me regain my abilities in a hurry. Plus, I've gotten into better shape again. It's hard to talk to kids when you are gasping for air.

 

I think it is awesome that you want to coach at such a young age, bravo. Couple of suggestions...

1) Basic coaching course is fine
2) Contact your local rec league/they likely are short on coaches and can use the help (they are probably sending out emails to the parents looking for more volunteer coaches)
3) If not, volunteer to be an assistant coach your first season and learn from another coach first (I've had a few asst coaches branch off to be coaches and they have done great)

Really it depends on what age group you want to coach. I started out with 3-year-olds, it was all about focus and fun at that age. I have the same group today with one exception and they will be playing U8 in the fall. Even at this age, they now play academy and I teach them very different things than you would starting out at this age in a rec league with new players.

I think Coach_Hayles said it best "The only real way to figure all this out is to go out and do it."

 

I'm new here, trying to get my 10 posts in. I've seen several posts my Coach Hayles, and he's very knowledgeable. Yes, there is a but! You should not skip over anything, you should learn from the very basics; technically and tactically. You will be surprised at the number of basic things you did wrong as a player, or the things you well meaning youth coaches did incorrectly.

Be a clean slate and get good training.

 

I have played (and coached) for many years, but the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.

My weakest area has always been soccer specific technique and the physical aspect. The physical aspect largely because theory (strength and conditioning) has changed dramatically since conventional wisdom in 1970. The technical aspect because while I was coached in other sports I was self-taught in soccer and never coached before I was on a college-level men's competitive team. And on that team they did not train fundamentals.

My strongest area is tactics, as I have played with and against many people from all over the world playing many different systems and styles. I won't even say "incorrect" or "correct." There are so many ways of playing that there are very few black and white notions. Almost everything depends on the circumstances. And there are infinite ways to put the ball into the net. I still learn something new about tactics almost every day.

Finally while I try to understand everything I see and hear about technique and tactics, I am still judging it against my own experience. For instance I didn't like teaching dribbling skills by teaching "moves" in isolation. Then after more research I found out that the Coerver method does not teach the dribbling pieces in isolation. They teach the pieces but also have the player perform the moves in a game-like context, so the player doesn't think of the "moves" in isolation but rather as the words in a poem he will write. There are certain techniques that I don't like, like spin turns by stepping on the ball. I think the way I do spin turns is superior. I also don't like the way they teach scissors and stepovers (no contact with the ball, which doesn't change direction if the same move is repeated), but I haven't figured out anything better.

Another example is distingushing tactics from technques. I hate the idea of telling U-Littles that they have to pass the ball on the ground. The type of pass you use is a tactical choice, not a technique. Barca likes to play quick 1-touch, short combination passes. To maximize their chances of retaining possession, they keep the ball on the ground, put it on the team mates foot, perfectly weighted and without any spin. But that doesn't mean that the only technique that you want U-Littles to learn is a side of the foot short pass which stays on the ground. They need to master all techniques including first touch for difficult balls. Once the players master techniques and you want to teach team tactics, telling them to keep it on the ground is perfectly okay. But you can't lose focus on the coaching progression and jump ahead.

 

This is slightly off subject, but fairly related.
I'm interested in doing personal training for soccer. I don't have any coaching licenses but I have experience playing college, training at the tahuichi youth academy and playing amateur/semi-pro in Germany. I'm 23 and in college so I could use some extra cash, and it would be great to get some experience that I could possibly use for coaching in the future. I have a few balls and some cones. My goal would be to teach basic technical skills, and maybe some fitness depending on the players age. Any tips on how to get started, and how much I should charge? Constructive criticism is also welcomed.

 

Go to a club with your player resume and tell them you want to be a trainer. I was a coach/trainer in club when I first started. Start as a skills trainer they like you can move to a coach in no time. What college did you play for a good college player can get a trainer job in club fairly easily especially in a new club.

Later I was the Brooklyn college trainer they were a men's D 1 team at the time. I was also a current player for my club at the time.

I never trained players individually I and they found it boring. I think trainers get 30 to 50 an hour. Better to train in small group training more fun for everyone. 4 or 5 players you can do more individual in small group setting game related.

Apx 80 an hour I would think. That is about 20 an hour per player and it is not boring.

Tell me about tahuichi did you go for a month? What did you think about how they train players for the first 2 weeks. What did you do there for the first two weeks

Where in Germany did you play? I lived in Germany in Berlin. Still have an apartment there. My daughter lives there as well.

 

So if I got a job as a trainer at a club, would I just work on skills on the side while their practice is going on? or how would that work? I played for Shasta College. It was a small college, but had decent local talent, generally crap coaching, and no backing of the athletic department. But had a good soccer culture within the team, so I actually improved while I was there.

I was thinking of trying to get a few players at the same time. If I got 4 players for an hour session, would I then charge them 20$ each? Would just posting an add on craigslist be a good idea too?

I loved Tahuichi! I wish I had been through that kind of training my whole life. The first week there was hell week, we ran our asses off, but still got some ball work in. The sand dunes sucked, but felt good to finish. The rest of the time was lots of ball work, some tactical work, and lots of games. We even did some fustal during rainy days.

I lived/played in Cologne. Nice city, but it was tough being a nobody american trying to go pro working a part time under the table job. I kinda got burnt out and homesick after a year. I would have loved to keep playing in their club system though. Its too bad we don't have more lower league teams in every city and down.

 

So if I got a job as a trainer at a club, would I just work on skills on the side while their practice is going on? "

It depends on the club usually their will be a separate skill day that's your domain.

You can assist the coach at his practice. I liked station training you had separate stations where a player weak in a skill can work on that skill. 3 or 4 players in a station. One player in each station who is good at each skill. You can move from station to station to demostrate or make a coaching point.

"I was thinking of trying to get a few players at the same time. If I got 4 players for an hour session, would I then charge them 20$ each? Would just posting an add on craigslist be a good idea too?"

Got to tell you man never used Craigslist for anything. I am not on face book either try not to google. I think the government is watching just too paranoid to se that stuff.

You might watch a rec league talk to the guy in charge. The more people you know in the game the better.

"I loved Tahuichi! I wish I had been through that kind of training my whole life. The first week there was hell week, we ran our asses off, but still got some ball work in. The sand dunes sucked, but felt good to finish."

The running is not fun. Advice don't get hurt there they have a medical trainer they don't always have a doctor. You live with a typical family that was probably interesting for you. What about the food everyone that goes digs the food.


The rest of the time was lots of ball work, some tactical work, and lots of games. We even did some fustal during rainy days.

That is what everyone says.

"I lived/played in Cologne. Nice city, but it was tough being a nobody american trying to go pro working a part time under the table job."

I never really had a lot of German friends. I had a ton of Turkish friends in Berlin. I had one very famous German friend I knew him since when he played for the old Cosmos. Had another friend who was a tv sponser for the Cosmos. I got to meet them all through him.

He would let me watch their club and national team train.m

" I kinda got burnt out and homesick after a year. "

The women have a free spirit mentality over there.

 

"It depends on the club usually their will be a separate skill day that's your domain.
You can assist the coach at his practice. I liked station training you had separate stations where a player weak in a skill can work on that skill. 3 or 4 players in a station. One player in each station who is good at each skill. You can move from station to station to demostrate or make a coaching point."

Interesting, I'll look up some clubs in the area and see if there's any opportunities.

"Got to tell you man never used Craigslist for anything. I am not on face book either try not to google. I think the government is watching just too paranoid to se that stuff.
You might watch a rec league talk to the guy in charge. The more people you know in the game the better."

Haha I don't blame you for being paranoid, but I doubt the government cares about soccer trainers on craigslist. Would a rec league even be able to pay me any money? Unless maybe a coach or director could just recommend players to me who want to improve...

"The running is not fun. Advice don't get hurt there they have a medical trainer they don't always have a doctor. You live with a typical family that was probably interesting for you. What about the food everyone that goes digs the food."

No it wasn't fun, but at the same time it feels good to be in the kind of shape where you don't get tired. Luckily I didn't get hurt, they had a doctor while I was there, but the medical trainers were around more. I did live with a family, which was interesting, definitely improved my spanish. The food was good too! Did you go to Tahuichi?


"I never really had a lot of German friends. I had a ton of Turkish friends in Berlin. I had one very famous German friend I knew him since when he played for the old Cosmos. Had another friend who was a tv sponser for the Cosmos. I got to meet them all through him.
He would let me watch their club and national team train."

I had a similar experience with German friends. Just a couple teammates that were kind of friends. They all had jobs and ate out all the time, they got tired of paying for me haha. I had American, Japanese, and African friends. That's awesome you knew someone who played for the old Cosmos! We're you over there to try and play as well?


"The women have a free spirit mentality over there."

It seemed like most of the attractive women there were in serious relationships. The dance clubs are different, its not like here where you can just go up to a girl and start dancing with her. Although I didn't have a lot of extra time to chase girls either. I did meet one really cute Spanish girl, but unfortunately it was right before I left.

 

"Haha I don't blame you for being paranoid, but I doubt the government cares about soccer trainers on craigslist. Would a rec league even be able to pay me any money? Unless maybe a coach or director could just recommend players to me who want to improve."

This is how paranoid I am when I bought my first house in brooklyn wirh my wife and oldest son. I though the feds taped my phone. So I took the phone out I went ovber 2 years without a phone. This was before cell phones I dont use those either but I do have one in case of an emergency. When my wife had to make a call she had to use a pay phone.

Some rec league and club teams do player instruction camps.Some do it for a week. They hire a name coach and he hires his staff work in the staff.

Some rec leagues hire a few traners the player can see them once a week. You can make some decent money doing that.

I moved to Germany because I though it would be better for my health outside of the US for a few years and to study coaching style.

My daughter got a language and culture award from the German Consulate while at Columbia University. That led to her going to live in Germany and going to school in Berlin. She fell in love with the place we are not German incidently. In 2002 after her graduation she moved their permenately. I took an apartment two buildings away so I can spend some time with my Grandson Henry during the summer.

If you know Berlin my building over looks the canal.

Clubs hire trainers to work on their teams when the coaches get too old to demonstrate skills properly. It is a common practice with keepers.

A medical trainer might be an interesting profession for you as well. All the good clubs have one. You can even get a job doing that with a club while your learning to become one.

 

Well I put up an ad on craigslist, and I had a coach recommend me to contact a local competitive club. They said they're accepting applications for next year and one of the directors will let me know how it works or something. So I guess I have to wait for now... But at least its some progress.

Wow you must have a very understanding wife! None of the girls I've ever dated could survive like that haha.

That's great you got to live outside the country for a few years. I think everyone should live somewhere else for at least a year. It helps give you a different perspective on the world. Did living there help ease your paranoia?

That's pretty awesome! Obviously she had a great time going to school there. Unfortunately I didn't get to go to Berlin or many other cities. I've heard its pretty awesome. Although I did get to see Amsterdam
I liked Germany but I'm definitely a Nor-Cal boy. I like to have scorching summers after my rainy winters... instead of more rain.

 

"Well I put up an ad on craigslist, and I had a coach recommend me to contact a local competitive club. They said they're accepting applications for next year and one of the directors will let me know how it works or something. So I guess I have to wait for now... But at least its some progress."

Good man

"Wow you must have a very understanding wife! None of the girls I've ever dated could survive like that haha."

Everyone said it would not last we been married way over over 4 decades. Best move I ever made was to marry her. I am not sure it was a good move on her part

"That's great you got to live outside the country for a few years. I think everyone should live somewhere else for at least a year. It helps give you a different perspective on the world. Did living there help ease your paranoia?"

Yes and I made a lot of business connections there. It turned out to be a great move for a lot of reasons.

"That's pretty awesome! Obviously she had a great time going to school there. Unfortunately I didn't get to go to Berlin or many other cities. I've heard its pretty awesome."

It was for her.

"Although I did get to see Amsterdam "

Get to see the Dutch national team play? Did you go window shopping. Can't go there without going window shopping