U.S. Soccer introduced eight new grassroots level coaching courses right at the beginning of 2018. The emphasis of these courses will be empowering coaches through experiential learning and a player-centered approach in direct relation to small-sided games and the calendar age-groups. The new courses will take the place of the current F and E courses, and the D course has also been updated in accordance with the revamped approach at the grassroots level.
The breakdown of the courses is a balance between four in-person experiences and four online experiences. Whether you are a coach who is just starting out, or you are a long-time coaching veteran, you will have the option to engage in any of the new courses, in any sequence, after completing a free introductory module provided by U.S. Soccer. The courses are divided into 4v4, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 modules.
The Introduction to Grassroots Coaching Module is now the first step for coaches to profess within the coaching pathway and learn about U.S. Soccer’s coaching education philosophy. The new introductory module, which will take approximately 20 minutes to complete, can be accessed on the U.S. Soccer Digital Coaching Center (DCC) and aligns with the Federation’s ongoing effort improve the quality of coaches at all levels.
How to access and take U.S. Soccer’s Introduction to Grassroots Coaching Module:
- Visit U.S. Soccer’s Digital Coaching Center (DCC).
- Sign up (free of charge) or log-in to your DCC profile.
- Select “Courses” from the top menu.
- Under “Available Courses”, select “Begin Course” to launch the introductory module.
- Complete U.S. Soccer’s Introduction to Grassroots Coaching.
North Texas Soccer held its first instructional of the year as coaches were trained in the new courses on Jan. 14-15, and courses are expected to be available for North Texas coaches at the end of February.
The trained coaches are Jeff Hill, Matt Veasey, Bryan Thompson, Juan C. Lopez, Aaron Arellano, Rick Hodwick, Mario Ramirez, Robert Bogus, Gabriel Henao, Davod Lotze, Andre Lo, Cassidy Auff, Chad Cox, Kristin Fellows, Gilbert Richardson, Stuart Hilton, Danielle Vaughn, Fleur Bentar, Trent Wisdom, Kenneth Pena, Andy Varitsi, Taferia, Casey Cantor, Ardavan, Dean Wurzberger, Stephanie Webb and JT Thomas.