COACHES
COACHES CHEAT SHEET
When does offsides start? Do we have a goalie this year? How long is the game? Get quick answers to your questions with this handy cheat sheet for coaches detailing the rules for each age group.
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SEASON DETAILS
There are 8 games per season, run on consecutive Saturday’s.
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Teams will be formed by Southside one month prior to first game
• Player registrations will be accepted after this point as spaces/coaches are available.
• Additions are possible and encouraged, but may need to find more coaches
• Southside makes every attempt to accept any registered player, however special requests and late additions may not be able to be accommodated the closer to the season start the late additions are requested
• Rosters are formed with a bias to keep previous team intact, however changes may occur season to season to balance teams and numbers as needed to manage the overall pool of players. The priority for Southside is always to maximize the number of players who have access to the program, and special requests are then managed as able. While we do all we can to accommodate each family, not all preferences can be satisfied. Registering as early as possible gives us the best chance to proactively ensure any requests!
• Coaches will contact families two weeks prior to first game
Practices
• Practices will start two weeks prior to first game, at your discretion
• You will choose the practice times and locations and manage any conflicts with your players/families
Uniforms & Gear
• The Coaches Meeting will occur three Thursday’s before the first game, where you will receive your roster, gear, and sign up for practice times/locations
• Uniforms will be made available to you for pick up the week prior to first game
• Players are to return uniforms to you at the end of the season, after the last game.
Please ensure your players bring a shirt to change into so their Southside jersey can be handed to you after the game.
• Gear/uniform return will occur the week after the last game where coaches can return their gear, goals, and collected team jerseys to the Southside Board
COACHES BACKGROUND CHECK
Background checks and training are required before you can be cleared to coach. This process is done entirely online and can take up to 3 hours. To make this process easier, please refer to the Compliance document below which will walk you through the process. Thank you for your commitment to coaching!
EXAMPLE EMAIL TO SEND TO PARENTS
Download this Word doc to see an example email to send to your soccer parents. A great way to introduce yourself to your new team and it hits all the key points so you don’t forget anything. Just fill in the names and dates and you’re good to go.
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WCYSA HANDBOOK
Download the Whatcom County Youth Soccer Association Handbook for all the official rules.
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COACHING TIPS
Whether you’ve been doing it for years or just getting started, we could all use more tips, drills and ideas for successful practices. Also, every Southside coach should have a set of Ace Soccer Coaching Cards in their equipment bag. Look through these cards for ideas and bring them to practice for quick reference.​
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BECOME A COACH
Interested in becoming a coach? We’d love the help. Every season we have lots of kids that want to play so coaches are in high demand. If you haven’t coached before or don’t really know much about soccer, no worries. We provide access to training sessions and coaching experts that can come lead your practice for a day to give you tips. You can register to be a coach through the Whatcom County Youth Soccer Association.