How to become a soccer coach?

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world: millions of people play it and/or are fans of this wonderful sport that can stop all activities during its most spectacular matches. The focus of the fans is on the protagonists, the players. They are the ones who entertain the audience, but they aren’t the only important figures on the soccer field. Indeed, a fundamental role of this sport is the coach.

• What does a coach do in soccer?
• What level of qualification does a soccer coach need?

What does a coach do in soccer?

The reality is that, in order to play soccer, you will only need three elements: players, a ball and a soccer field. The coach isn’t necessary. The only reason for their presence is that players can gain an advantage from the coach’s knowledge and preparation. The coach should help players improve their abilities and become more competitive. Let’s see how.

• Team’s management: A soccer coach has to create and promote a healthy and respectful environment throughout all the sport season, so that there can be a correct development of sports activity. A series of rules of conduct can be useful to help the group behave in the right way.
• Training sessions: It is a coach’s duty to propose training sessions throughout the season that provide the perfect learning experience for the players, teaching them new concepts and ensuring the improvement of what they already learned. The training process should be divided into phases in order to fill in the gaps of each training session.
• Matches: The role of soccer coach includes the correct management of the competition. It is important to choose which players will play the match from start to finish based on the work they have done during the week. The coach will also manage all the other aspects and decisions linked to the match, such as the lineup on the field and the adjustments during the competition, in addition to all the suggestions and advice given directly from the pitchside.
• Players’ technical and tactical growth: It is the coach’s responsibility to propose a training method with tools that can actually help each player grow their technical and tactical abilities. There should be a periodic assessment of the players’ improvements to evaluate which areas have improved and in which areas there should be an intervention to fill in the gaps. Soccer coaches should adapt their methodology to age groups and players’ abilities.

What level of qualification does a soccer coach need?

In order to become a certified soccer coach, it is necessary to earn a coaching license that certifies the coach’s expertise and ability to correctly perform the tasks that this role requires. Soccer coaching licenses in the US are the following:

• Pro: With this license anyone can work as a head coach with a senior team at the highest level of national and international professional soccer;
• A (Senior and Youth): This license allows to perform in a coaching role in a high-performance senior or youth team environment;
• B: This license prepares the coach to work with youth (U13+) or senior teams in a performance environment;
• C: This license prepares the coach to work with youth teams (U11 to U19) in a participation environment;
• D: This license prepares the coach to work with youth teams (U6 to U19) in a participation environment.

Each of these licenses allows you to coach specific age groups in different environments.

This is what you need to become a soccer coach. If you are a coach already, you should read our article on how to become a better coach.