Thank you for stepping up to coach—we’re thrilled to have you on board! Coaching with AYSO is an incredibly rewarding experience, where you’ll help young athletes learn new skills, build confidence, and develop a love for soccer in a fun, supportive environment. Whether you’re a seasoned coach or brand new to the game, we provide everything you need to feel confident and prepared, including training, resources, and a fantastic community of fellow volunteers.
Tobias Policha – tobias@springfieldayso.com
Getting Started
To ensure a positive experience for everyone, there are a few important steps to complete before your first practice.
First, you will need to register yourself as a coach in the same Sports Connect portal as you registered your player (ayso93.org). This will give you access to an array of resources!
Please note that sometimes Chrome works better than Firefox to access the online training material.
1. Online Safety Courses (via “AYSO University” – AYSOU)
- Log into your Sports Connect account and click the “AYSOU” button.
- Once on the new webpage, select “Training Library” on the left.
- Under “Safe Haven Courses”, click “View Courses” and complete:
- Safe Haven Online Course
- CDC Concussion Awareness Online Course
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest Online Course
- Safe Sport
2. Know the Rules
Please take the “AYSO Summary of Laws of the Game” course in AYSOU. Even if you’re familiar with soccer rules, this course is designed to align with AYSO’s player development philosophy.
3. Coach Certification
AYSO requires all coaches to be certified for their specific division. This starts with an online training module in AYSOU. Under “Coaching”, click “View Courses” and look for your division.
The only requirement for 6U & 8U is to complete the online training, although we also offer an optional on-field session to help get you comfortable. For these divisions, please enroll in either “6U Coach – Full Online Course,” or the “8U – Full Online Course.”
For 10U coaches, there is a required two-hour in-person field training as well. This is a great chance to get hands-on coaching practice, connect with other coaches, and ask any questions before your first session! Go ahead and complete the online portion of “10U Coach – Online + In-Person Course”. We will let you know when the in-person training event is set up in AYSOU so that you can enroll in that as well.
For 12U coaches, there is a required two-hour classroom session and a three-hour in-person field training in addition to the online portion. This is a great chance to get hands-on coaching practice, connect with other coaches, and ask any questions before your first session! Go ahead and complete the online portion of “12U Coach – Online + In-Person Course”. We will let you know when the in-person training event is set up in AYSOU so that you can enroll in that as well.
4. Mandatory Team-Level Volunteer Orientation Come learn about new resources and guidelines for this season!
All team-level volunteers (coaches, refs, and team managers) are required to attend this two-hour event. This is where you will get your coach bag and jersey. Please note that coach certification and safety trainings are a prerequisite for obtaining your coach bag.
5. Coach Mentor Training
We also recommend (but don’t require) taking the “AYSO – US Soccer Foundation Coach Mentor Certification – Online” course on AYSOU. Coaching youth is about more than just soccer. This module encourages you to think about all the ways that you can support your players as they grow and develop in the world. This training is about mentoring your players, not other coaches!
DATES for FALL 2025
U6/U8 optional field sessions: either 8/19 5:00-6:00 pm at Thurston Middle School, or 8/24 11:30 am-12:30 pm at Willamalane Park (baseball field at N12th, between and I & G streets).
U10/U12 field sessions: either 8/19 6:00-8:00 pm at Thurston Middle School, or 8/24 3:30-5:30pm at Thurston Middle School.
U12 classroom sessions: either 8/18 7:00-9:00 pm on Zoom, or 8/24 1:00-3:00 pm in the Calvary Open Bible Annex (1176 Centennial Blvd Springfield, OR 97477).
Team-Level Volunteer Orientation: 8/26 6:00-8:0 pm in the Calvary Open Bible Church (1116 Centennial Blvd, Springfield, OR 97477).
U12 classroom sessions: either 8/18 7:00-9:00 pm on Zoom, or 8/24 1:00-3:00 pm in the Calvary Open Bible Annex (1176 Centennial Blvd Springfield, OR 97477).
Please RSVP for in-person and Zoom events to tobias@springfieldayso.com