License coach- thoughts

S

Soccermaverick

SILVER ELITE
I’m a newbie so be gentle ... Why are most coaches I see in so cal clubs not licensed by the USSF? I see a couple of Fs... and Ds.. but while clubs just mention life experience (especially the ones with Puma as a sponsor).

Is there an advantage to having a USSF rated coach?
 
Soccermaverick said:
I’m a newbie so be gentle ... Why are most coaches I see in so cal clubs not licensed by the USSF? I see a couple of Fs... and Ds.. but while clubs just mention life experience (especially the ones with Puma as a sponsor).

Is there an advantage to having a USSF rated coach?
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If your coach does not have a license recognized by Cal South he is probably not covered by Cal South insurance and certainly not covered by their risk management program.
 
Soccermaverick said:
I’m a newbie so be gentle ... Why are most coaches I see in so cal clubs not licensed by the USSF? I see a couple of Fs... and Ds.. but while clubs just mention life experience (especially the ones with Puma as a sponsor).

Is there an advantage to having a USSF rated coach?
Click to expand...

Coaches are licensed by the USSF if they are coaching competitive youth teams. AYSO has its own licensing pathway, but US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer (90% of competitive teams in SoCal) must have their "GrassRoots License" (formerly E) and should have their D license if older youth. I have an E license, which has been swallowed up by the Grassroot license.
 
Soccermaverick said:
Thanks...What do you consider the minimum rating... is F “the get in the door license”?
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F isn't given any more. It was a one day course with only minimal soccer content. Most of it could be summarized as "NO" - no scores, no standings, no orange slices, no Gatorade, no yelling at the ref. Everybody who showed up passed - and you may have noted it had a negligible effect on youth soccer programs in So Cal.

My E course was Friday night and Saturday. We got a little more soccer theory and coaching practice in that, and two people in wheelchairs passed. Positive note - I finally learned how to head a soccer ball properly.
 
Soccermaverick said:
Thanks...What do you consider the minimum rating... is F “the get in the door license”?
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The "F" license was US Soccer's attempt to get into coach licensing for recreational soccer. It was a completely online two hour course. They have replaced it with the grassroots courses you have to take before you go for the D.
 
Follow up ?... why don’t clubs market the D, C ratings for their coaches..?. I see a lot of Bios of coaches that look like summer camp counselors and not seasoned professionals. Wouldn’t a D or C license inspire confidence for a parent. Yes I understand it costs money.
 
One of the best coaches my DD ever had only had a lowly e license.... It was too expensive and time consuming for him to get more as he taught second grade inner city ..... there’s a lot of bad e license coaches too.... same with an a license.... there are good and bad coaches with these.... I’d be most wary of any coach who boasts about their license level.... their philosophy and team’s performances on the field should do the talking......
 
futboldad1 said:
One of the best coaches my DD ever had only had a lowly e license.... It was too expensive and time consuming for him to get more as he taught second grade inner city ..... there’s a lot of bad e license coaches too.... same with an a license.... there are good and bad coaches with these.... I’d be most wary of any coach who boasts about their license level.... their philosophy and team’s performances on the field should do the talking......
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License is like anything, just part of the equation. I hired a kid with an Ivy league education once and he was awful. Letters and acronyms after names only mean so much.
 
The reasons for licenses like anything are to ensure a certain level of competency. A cosmetologist is not a barber. Most people don’t need barber to cut their hair. It seems like CALSouth has found the minimum requirement in order to keep the insurance company happy.

Does this effect how our kids learn ? Coaches don’t have to abide by a set standard . We just let coaches wing it or get by on reputation.
 
pokergod said:
License is like anything, just part of the equation. I hired a kid with an Ivy league education once and he was awful. Letters and acronyms after names only mean so much.
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That is classic. I tried to get hired at Enterprise rent a car and they said, "buzz off" because I had 4 classes left before I got my PE degree. I went to job market fairs and 75% told me I was a loser. No joke!!! So I sold water door to door and made a killing. I made more 20 hours a week than teaching full time school kids in 19995. I went for sales and never looked back. I got hired as a door knocker in the YPs and my training sales class of 20 recruits all had a degree but me. That is 100% true. I had a guy who was from NY who went to Syracuse and girl who went to FSU all in my sales objection group. Example of objection: Get the hell out of my business, now!!!!! Fresh out of college and ready to take on the world these recent college grads were. Back than a college degree was a must for interview with YP or any company like Johnson & Johnson. I got through because my buddy was #1 in socal and they asked him if he had any friends like him and he gave them my number. I was recruited without a college degree. I interviewed with tara the terrible first and she was from Illinois. She hammered me in the interview process. "How come you didn;t finish your degree?" I told her because I tore my ACL playing hoops and no mommy or daddy or insurance to help me so I had to work and put school on hold. Her boss said, "wait, I like this cocky guy. He has no fear to knock on doors." The two college kids never had a door close in their face. I went on for 10 years winning President club, top sales and then the big promotion of being the boss of the lady who was a big no it all because i never finished college. That was fun times and she was really cool about it and actually left about a month after I became her boss.
 
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Soccermaverick said:
The reasons for licenses like anything are to ensure a certain level of competency. A cosmetologist is not a barber. Most people don’t need barber to cut their hair. It seems like CALSouth has found the minimum requirement in order to keep the insurance company happy.

Does this effect how our kids learn ? Coaches don’t have to abide by a set standard . We just let coaches wing it or get by on reputation.
Click to expand...

The most valuable part of the coaches' license program in Cal South is that no one can get the license with passing through risk management. Even so, there are some licensed coaches and permitted administrators who commit acts after getting approval that would have excluded them from licensing if committed (and know of) before.
 
"Coaching" is too big of a name that covers tasks such as teaching, managing, organizer, etc. etc.

I have a 5 year old who doesn't know how to swim. I find him a swimming coach to teach him how to swim. However, it turns out knowing how to swim is not a requirement to be a swimming coach. How do I make sure that my swimming coach who is teaching my kid Swim 101 knows how to swim himself?

Same question I have with soccer.

Yes, at a higher level, the swim coach may not need to know how to swim or float on water. Because teaching is no longer a big part of the curriculum at higher levels. But at Swim 101 level, there is an expectation that the swim coach knows how to swim.
 
It's straightforward, let's not complicate it.

Go and watch the coach 'coaching' in both practices and games. Listen to how they talk to players, officials and parents. Talk to them yourself; ask some tough questions and see how they react and respond.

If you are happy with what you see and hear, the license likely doesn't matter too much (as long as they are covered by insurance of course).

Does having a better license mean the coach has more coaching knowledge? Yes, usually. Does it mean they are a quality coach? No, not always. And that is why you carry out the above due diligence.
 
You ever wonder why only the old white guys have A and B licenses?
There are some great young coaches out there (and females too!!). But the cost for someone who just finished college and trying to make a living as a coach is prohibitive.
  • The 4 Grassroots licenses are $25 each. 100% online (the 11v11 does require a short on-field session) A pretty big waste of time. I never saw the online F course content, but it was probably similar. The purpose of the current grassroots courses is to teach a coach the "Play-Practice-Play" method of coaching. Good idea for someone who has never played before and would typically just line kinds up and have them practice kicking the ball for an hour.
  • The E license no longer exists, but if you have one, you are grandfathered in.
  • The D license costs about $500 and requires a weekend of your time. If not near where you live, hotel and meals will cost extra. They do offer quite a few of these around So Cal each year. (Why they don't do more of them over the winter when lots of teams are on a break is beyond me).
  • The C license - Cost for the course is $1,750. Plus you are in the class/field environment for 8 days (4 days in a row. And then go back a few months later for another 4 days). Travel, hotel, meals are on your own.
  • The B License - Cost is $3,000. Requires 15 days of onsite class/field work. 5 days. Come back 8 weeks later. 5 more days. Come back 8 weeks later. 5 more days
  • The A License- Cost is $4,000. Similar schedule as the B.
You can see the classes and cost info here: USSF Coach License

Yes- Many clubs will help fund the cost for their coaches. But usually they need to prove that the coach is someone they want to keep around for a while. And the coach pays out of pocket and is then reimbursed a portion (or fully) when they pass the class.

So for someone who just finished up their playing career (college?) and wants to become a full time coach- They are going to have to offer a lot of private training's to pay for their C license. I figure with the grassroots, D and C license costs - you are looking at between $3-$4k out of pocket (depending on your travel situation). Lots of newer coaches are also working a "normal" job during the day, so they also have to take time off of work to attend the C.

Getting a C/B/A license is a big accomplishment. Those who have dedicated themselves to improving their education should be commended - But don't let the lack of a C or greater license deter you from someone that might be great for your kid.
 
Thanks I appreciate
timbuck said:
You ever wonder why only the old white guys have A and B licenses?
There are some great young coaches out there (and females too!!). But the cost for someone who just finished college and trying to make a living as a coach is prohibitive.
  • The 4 Grassroots licenses are $25 each. 100% online (the 11v11 does require a short on-field session) A pretty big waste of time. I never saw the online F course content, but it was probably similar. The purpose of the current grassroots courses is to teach a coach the "Play-Practice-Play" method of coaching. Good idea for someone who has never played before and would typically just line kinds up and have them practice kicking the ball for an hour.
  • The E license no longer exists, but if you have one, you are grandfathered in.
  • The D license costs about $500 and requires a weekend of your time. If not near where you live, hotel and meals will cost extra. They do offer quite a few of these around So Cal each year. (Why they don't do more of them over the winter when lots of teams are on a break is beyond me).
  • The C license - Cost for the course is $1,750. Plus you are in the class/field environment for 8 days (4 days in a row. And then go back a few months later for another 4 days). Travel, hotel, meals are on your own.
  • The B License - Cost is $3,000. Requires 15 days of onsite class/field work. 5 days. Come back 8 weeks later. 5 more days. Come back 8 weeks later. 5 more days
  • The A License- Cost is $4,000. Similar schedule as the B.
You can see the classes and cost info here: USSF Coach License

Yes- Many clubs will help fund the cost for their coaches. But usually they need to prove that the coach is someone they want to keep around for a while. And the coach pays out of pocket and is then reimbursed a portion (or fully) when they pass the class.

So for someone who just finished up their playing career (college?) and wants to become a full time coach- They are going to have to offer a lot of private training's to pay for their C license. I figure with the grassroots, D and C license costs - you are looking at between $3-$4k out of pocket (depending on your travel situation). Lots of newer coaches are also working a "normal" job during the day, so they also have to take time off of work to attend the C.

Getting a C/B/A license is a big accomplishment. Those who have dedicated themselves to improving their education should be commended - But don't let the lack of a C or greater license deter you from someone that might be great for your kid.
Click to expand...

Thanks I appreciate the info... To me based on what you are saying....a D should be a standard. What is preventing flyby night clubs from setting up shop and hiring well meaning but incompetent coaches? Any club that is new say...2 years old or less you are just gambling with your kid.

What are the new clubs in the So Cal area? How are they picking their coaches?
 
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