After qualifying as a coach in which I completed the UEFA B, A and Pro courses under the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), I wanted to know the process in other countries.
So I did some research and found some valuable information that I thought might be helpful to other aspiring coaches.
To become a qualified coach in the U.S, you must enroll in the following courses:
- Introduction to Grassroots Coaching
- 4v4, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11
- D Course
- B Course
- A Youth Course
- A Senior Course
These qualifications must be completed within a certain period of time, from when you begin the course, and will be done in the order of the above list. Some of the initial courses can be done online, however as you progress you will have to attend the courses in person.
There are various amounts of work, requirements and costs to all of these courses which I will cover throughout this blog.
Introduction to Grassroots Coaching
You can start by taking one of the introductory courses, “Introduction to Grassroots Coaching” which only takes 20 minutes and can be completed online!
There are no prerequisites to enroll on this course and is a quick and easy introduction to get you on the coaching ladder.
Upon completing this module, each coach will receive four Play-Practice-Play training sessions.
4v4, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 Modules
In this next step there are two parallel phases. First, these modules are all available as an online 2 hour course. To be able to enroll on these modules, you must have completed the Introduction to Grassroots Coaching course. You do not need to do all of them, in fact you only need to do one of these to qualify for the next stage.
Secondly, these same modules are also available as an in-person course in which you must attend a meeting in person. The course takes 4 hours (2 online / 2 hour meeting) and again you only need the Introduction to Grassroots Coaching to apply for the course.
D Course
Next up we have the D course, which is where it starts to get a little more difficult. To be accepted for this course, you must complete two of the previous grassroots courses that are in-person (one of these must be the 11v11), and one online course. The course has two options.
Option 1 :
- 12 weeks (45 hours)
- 1 in-person meeting (practical on the field)
- Online meetings
- Independent learning period
- One-one meeting with an instructor
Option 2:
- 24 weeks (60 hours)
- 2 in-person meetings (separated by 6-8 weeks)
- Independent learning period
- One-one meetings with an instructor
Once this has been successfully passed, you will need to gain a year’s worth of experience before being allowed to move up onto the next step of the ladder.
C Course
Once you have your one year experience, the C course is the next challenge. This requires you to be at least 18 years old and have access to coaching a U11-U19 team 2-3 times per week. The course will consist of:
- 4 months (90 hours)
- 2 in-person meetings
- Online meetings
- Independent learning period
- One-one and one-two meetings with instructors
B Course
If you are considering going further, after achieving the C license, then it must mean that you are pretty serious about your coaching career. Also from this point, the entry requirements start to become more stringent. To be accepted on this course you must:
- Been in possession of the C license for at least one year
- Have at least 3 years coaching experience at any level
- Have access to a U13+ team
- A signed letter from your clubs leadership to confirm your position and role at the club
As for the course:
- 6 months (January-June or July-December)
- 120 hours
- One-one in person meeting
- Online meetings
- Independent learning and development period
- One-one meetings with an instructor
- Individual and group assignments
A-Youth Course
If you are wanting to get into the professional game as a coach then the A-Youth course is the next step. In order to be eligible for this course, candidates must have the following:
- Held a B license for 1 year
- Have access to a U13 – U19 in a club academy structure
- Attend four training session per week
- Team must be competing in a regional or national competition for a period of 10 months with a minimum of 20 games
- A signed letter from the club’s leadership to confirm your position and role
During the application process, it is possible that you will have to attend an interview. The course will consist of:
- 10 months, August – June (180 hours)
- 3 in-person meetings
- Virtual meetings
- Independent learning and development periods
- One-one meetings with an instructor
- Guest speakers
- Exit interview
A-Senior Course
Now you are ready to reach the top of the ladder and become the head coach of a professional team. This is the course that will open the gate for that opportunity. Once again, the prerequisites and admission criteria for this course are as follows:
- Held a B license for at least 1 year
- Access to a U19 or Senior team
- Coaching 4 times a week
- Team must be competing in a regional or national competition for a period of 10 months with a minimum of 20 games
- A signed letter from the club’s leadership to confirm your position and role
Once again, you will be required to attend an interview during the application process.
Cost of the courses
| Course | Cost |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Grassroots Coaching | FREE |
| 4v4 – 11v11 Online Courses | $25 |
| 4v4 – 11v11 In-Person Course | Set by the Hosting Member |
| D Course | Set by the Hosting Member |
| C Course | Set by the Hosting Member |
| B Course | $1,750 |
| A-Youth Course | $3,500 |
| A-Senior Course | $4,000 |
If you are considering becoming a coach, you might want to know about the following topics:
- Why should I consider being a soccer coach?
- How do I start?
- What is the role and responsibilities of a soccer coach?
Why should I consider being a soccer coach?
Everyone has their own reasons for becoming a soccer coach, and to be honest it is a personal thing. However, I will share my reasons why I believe coaching is a fantastic opportunity that you should consider.
Being a soccer coach can be one of the most rewarding jobs on around. You get to help young people develop their skills and discover a love for the number 1 sport in the world, while building character at the same time. Not only that, but coaching sometimes pays well as many coaches are paid by their club/organization.
How do I start?
If you would like to take that first step into coaching but you do not know where to begin then simply try these:
- Go online and search for all the soccer clubs in your area.
- May be go and visit to see which you would prefer to join (although you do not have the option of being too picky at this stage).
- Call or email the clubs in your area and ask if they are looking for any coaches or help (you might have to accept helping in a non coaching role first but at least you will have one foot in the door).
- Be proactive, go and observe other coches, and try to make contacts when you visit local clubs.
What is the work schedule of a soccer coach?
In general, the typical roles and responsibilities will include:
- Planning the long-term, short-term and individual training sessions
- Organizing equipment
- Being responsible for the player’s safety
- Assessing players progress
- Communicating with parents
Other responsibilities that may be expected as you become involved at a higher level could include:
- Team and player analysis
- Supervising other coaching members of the your particular club
- Being a club coordinator
- Being a mentor for less experienced coaches
- Player recruitment
These are just some of the duties that might be expected of a coach.
The work schedule of a soccer coach varies from one team to the next. Furthermore, it also depends on the level that you are coaching as well, grassroots level or professional setting, for example.
ROUND-UP
There are many coaching courses available for you to choose from. Whichever you decide on, make sure that it fits your needs and requirements for the future as a soccer coach!
If you would like to see more information then you can visit the U.S Soccer Federation to all of the courses mentioned.
I hope this blog post was helpful and if you decide to enroll on a course, good luck!