Beginning in the Fall 2019 season, all youth soccer coaches under the US Youth Soccer system (including PA West) must complete four hours of age-group specific training provided by qualified professional coaching staff members.
The training sessions will include both classroom and on-field training, targeted to the special abilities and needs of age-specific players. This is an excellent opportunity to increase our coaches’ knowledge and capabilities, both in the technical and tactical aspects of the game. It is also necessary to keep our club strong, growing and providing the best overall experience for our players and their families.
**Candidates must create a profile in the US Soccer Digital Coaching Center (many of you already have one): http://dcc.ussoccer.com. Please note: when creating your profile in the DCC please make sure your name, birth date, and email address match your PA West Soccer Online Registration Admin Profile. This will allow the two systems to sync and your license to be automatically added to your Admin Profile.
**Candidates must then watch The 20 Minute Online Video - Introduction to Grassroots Pathway - prior to registering for any course. Upon completion you will receive a certificate and then get access to registration to the available courses.
** Once you have access to the registration, select the course that you would like to attend and click on that course.
** If the course is full, you will be put on a waitlist and receive an e-mail from US Soccer. Do not register for another course. This will create duplicate records and you will be charged twice.
Frequently asked Questions and Answers
What class do I register for if I coach multiple teams at different age groups?
Please register for the class of the highest level you will be coaching in the Fall of 2019 season. For example, if you will be coaching U9 and U7, please take the 7v7 training.
HOWEVER – the spirit of the requirement is not to take the 11 v 11 class and then think you are OK to coach all age groups below. PA West will not accept this strategy and will not issue you a coaching card for younger age groups.
At what age group are coaching cards required on the sidelines?
*PA West issues coaching (and player) cards for Sunday teams - U11+ for recreational play, and U10+ for D4 (Travel) play. However, we would like all U9 and older coaches to obtain their coaching cards.
*If you are coaching at age groups where both require a coaching card, you should register for both levels of play (example: 11 v 11 and 7 v 7).
*If you have one team that requires a coaching card and are also coaching an in-house team, please take the course that requires the card.
*If you have doubt, questions or a special situation – contact Kim Rios
Do assistant/co-coaches need to get certified?
If you will be an assistant/co-coach in an age group that requires a coaching card from PA West (U9 and above) then you need to be certified. You cannot be on the coaches’ sideline without a coaching card. If you will be a U8 and below assistant/co-coach next season you do not need to attend the classes. The head coach for each team will suffice. If you are not a head coach now at U8 and below but would like to be in the Fall Season or future seasons– please register for the appropriate age group session.
Do I need to attend a certification session if I hold a “A” thru “E” license? (the previous US Soccer model).
If you have a national “D” license or above you do no need to register for any class. It is highly recommended that you take the on-line presentation for any age group you plan to coach. You will need to provide proof to the club – and PA West – that you hold a current and approved “D” license (or above) to receive your coaching card from PA West for future seasons. If you have questions about what previous “A” through “D” license you hold and whether it is approved or not, or if your license is not appearing on your PA West profile, please contact Cheryl Mignogna at PA West.
** Note this exemption only applies to “D” licenses and above. It does not apply to those who took the PA West age-specific online courses in 2017 – those courses/certifications are no longer valid and you must register for one of the new courses.
Additional notes:
**Shaler Soccer Club is extremely appreciative of everything that the volunteer coaches do for our players. We understand the time and commitment required each season and we as a club are very proud of the level of support we get each season from our parent-coaches. The Club is making every effort to make the process of complying with the new coaching requirements as easy as possible for our coaches.