Coaching Courses are run by instructors from the Massachusetts Youth Soccer. The MA Youth Soccer instructional staff is a group of men and women who are dedicated to the development of excellent coaches. Most are teachers, many are college coaches; all have wide experience in soccer. Most of the staff coaches have US Soccer A or B licenses.
Resourceful, confident coaches are vital to the development of our children as soccer players. These courses stress: enjoyment, positive spirit, enthusiasm and creativity. MA Youth Soccer runs two parallel sets of courses: US Soccer Federation (USSF) Coach Education Courses and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) courses. The NSCAA courses can form a bridge between the USSF License courses.
The G and F courses are introductions, designed for Parents, first time coaches or those with little experience should start with the National F License course from USSF and then move on to other courses. The intention is to help you to become a more resourceful and confident “activity leader”.
Key links
USSF Courses
| Who: |
All parents and coaches of youth players. The focus of this grassroots course is to share U.S. Soccer’s best practices in creating a fun, activity-centered and age-appropriate environment for 5- to 8-year-old players. Must be at least 16 years old. |
| Duration: |
2 hours online. No prerequisite. |
| Course Content: |
US Soccer’s philosophy of coaching, characteristics of young players, designing and running activities and full lesson plans, technique, and many ideas for games to use in your practices.. |
| Who: |
Coaches with some experience with U10 and U12 teams. Must be at least 16 years old. |
| Duration: |
18 hours. F course is a prerequisite. |
| Course Content: |
Laws of the game, long term player development, designing and running age-appropriate technical training sessions, tactical concepts in small-sided games. |
| Who: |
Experienced coaches of U14 teams. Must be at least 17 years old. |
| Duration: |
36 hours hours plus at least 10 weeks. E course license for at least 6 months is a prerequisite. |
| Course Content: |
US Soccer’s philosophy of coaching, characteristics of young players, designing and running activities and full lesson plans, technique, and many ideas for games to use in your practices.. |
NSCAA Courses
| Who: |
Coaches of U6-U8 players. |
| Duration: |
1 day. No prerequisite. |
| Course Content: |
This Diploma is designed to help coaches implement developmentally appropriate training games to improve skill levels in a fun and safe environment. |
| Who: |
Coaches of U8-U10 players. |
| Duration: |
1 day. No prerequisite |
| Course Content: |
This Diploma develops on the ideas in Level 1 and is designed to help coaches implement developmentally appropriate training games to improve skill levels in a fun, safe and challenging environment. |
| Who: |
Coaches of U6-U10 players. |
| Duration: |
1 day. No prerequisite. |
| Course Content: |
The material in this course is designed to assist the coach who has been asked to step up for the first time to coach a team in competition. |
| Who: |
Coaches of U10-U14 players. |
| Duration: |
1 day. No prerequisite. |
| Course Content: |
This Diploma is strongly partnered with Level 5. The primary focus of the Level 4 Diploma is to assist coaches in their teaching of technique as it is applied in the game. The course includes coaches designing a lesson plan, participating in practical field work and observing a model session. Level 4 concludes with the presentation of small side game activities that teach technique. |
| Who: |
Coaches of U10-U14 players. |
| Duration: |
2 days. No prerequisite. |
| Course Content: |
This Diploma is strongly partnered with Level 4. The primary focus of the Level 5 Diploma is to assist coaches in their teaching of tactics as applied in small groups. The course discusses the principles of play and the roles of players. Coaches spend time designing a lesson plan. Coaches also see tactics taught in small games and are exposed to a series of different teaching methodologies. |
| Who: |
Coaches of U10-U14 players. |
| Duration: |
1 day. No prerequisite. |
| Course Content: |
This Diploma is an excellent preparatory course for coaches going onto the National Diploma. One third of the course is dedicated to candidates presenting on assigned topics and enjoying feedback on their performance in both methods and content. Expanding upon the content of the Level 4 and 5 Diplomas this course includes a session on reading the game as well as coaching technique and tactics within 4 vs.4 and 6 vs. 6 models of play. |
| Who: |
More experienced coaches working at high school or above or with significant youth coaching experience. Must be at least 18 years old. |
| Duration: |
45 hours. Level 6 Diploma or USSF E License strongly recommended. |
| Course Content: |
The overall objective of the National Diploma is to acquaint the coach with the needs of the soccer player and provide an organized and progressive methodology of coaching those needs. Basic technical and tactical knowledge is the central theme of the course in a 6 vs. 6 model. The course includes sessions on the teaching process, psychological skills training and Laws of the Game. Participants receive a curriculum that outlines the course content and includes valuable resource material. Testing includes oral, written and practical (coaching) evaluations. |
| Who: |
Experienced coaches working with advanced players. Must be at least 18 years old. |
| Duration: |
45 hours. Prerequisite is NSCAA National Diploma, USSF D License, Canadian National B License or UEFA Level 2 Certificate. Minimum 10 years’ coaching experience recommended. |
| Course Content: |
The emphasis is on training those players within a team concept designed to produce a successful environment. The 8 vs. 8 model is the main focus. Candidates receive a curriculum which outlines the course and includes valuable resource material. The curriculum includes team organization and training, advanced methodology, analysis and understanding systems of play, a focus on tactics within thirds of the field, technical position overviews, match analysis and the psychological aspect of coaching. Testing includes oral, written and practical (coaching) evaluations. |
