Coaches Corner

Below are resources designed to support our coaches & the development of our players.

Coaches’ Meeting 3/27/23 – Download presentation slides HERE.

NE Surf & Real Boston Practice Drills

1v1 Drill King/Queen of the Ring
2v1 Drill Over the River
4v1 Possession Drill Treasure Chest
4 Lines Shooting 1st & 2nd Grade Coach Training

NSC Coaches’ Resource Center

(updated weekly and including session of the week and the coaches handbook).  The resources include:

  • Coach communication samples
  • Handbook
  • Training plans by grade level
  • Training session of the week
  • Game Day resources and warm-up plans
  • Player Roles and Responsibilities
  • Coach To-Do List

Mass Youth Soccer Training Sessions and Resources

https://www.mayouthsoccer.org/coaches/session-plans/

BAYS Guidelines (Travel program)

Information about the Boston Area Youth Soccer (BAYS) league in which our travel teams participate can be found at www.bays.org and additional guidelines for travel coaches (including the Rule Book, how to report scores, reschedule games, manage lopsided games, details on Zero Tolerance protocol, etc.) can be found at BAYS Information Guide Spring 2021.

IFAB app

We highly recommend you download this app, which outlines all the official rules of the game, developed by the International Football Association Board.  This is helpful for coaches, players, referees and fans.  It is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Online Courses – US Soccer Federation

Recently the US Soccer Federation have changed their content to allow coaches to obtain their licenses online. The courses are conveniently split into the 4 categories, 4v4 7v7 9v9 and 11v11. There is a fee, however this will be reimbursed up to $100 by Natick Soccer Club should you chose to take the course. I have sat all of the online content and found it very beneficial and would strongly advise giving one of these a go prior to the start of the season. The course takes around 3 hours to complete. More information can be found at the below link: https://dcc.ussoccer.com

NSC Fall Classic Tournament- Coaches Checklist

  • View a checklist of all the things you need to do to get ready for the Fall Classic HERE.
  • More details about the Fall Classic can be found HERE.

Coach Development Clinics – TBA

Coaches can take advantage of additional development opportunities this season run by professional coaches.  Details about the Fall 2022 opportunities will be announced soon.

Questions?

If you have questions throughout the season, please contact your Age Group Coordinator or our Development Team:

Coaching Overviews & FAQs

Intramural Coaching

In order to volunteer for coaching in the Intramural program, please check the volunteer box when registering your child. No experience is necessary and there will be opportunities for coach education to assist you with your development. All possible coaches, assistant coaches, or parent managers will need to comply with the CORI process.

Travel Coaching

The Natick Soccer Club fields as many as 50 travel teams each season and relies exclusively on its volunteer coaches (a community of parent and non-parent volunteers with varying levels of backgrounds and experience).  Due to the size of the program we need volunteer travel team coaches every year at every age level from Grade 3 to Grade 8.

What’s the commitment?
Travel coaches are expected to run a minimum of two practices a week and will play in the BAYS league which has a 10 week season (one game every Saturday). The club encourages travel teams to participate in tournaments and any other additional clinics or soccer activities.
How do I apply?
Anyone interested in coaching must complete a coach’s application each year. This applies to new coaches as well as ALL current coaches – regardless of level or experience. The travel committee reviews all applications and conducts interviews of any new applicant coach or any returning coach who is interested in coaching a team for which there is more than one applicant. Natick Soccer Board members are subject to exactly the same process and criteria as non-board member coaching applicants.
What is the travel committee?
Each year, the Club’s Board of Directors form a travel committee which during the spring/early summer solicits coaching applications from anyone interested in coaching in the fall (and/or spring). It is the Club’s policy and the travel committee’s duty to objectively review ALL coaching assignments. Only the travel committee has the authority to appoint a coach to a team.
Where do I send my application?

Completed travel coaching applications can be emailed to Ken Boggis at kboggis@naticksoccer.org or mailed to:

NSC Travel Committee
P.O. Box 393
Natick, MA 01760

When must my application be submitted?
For the Fall season, the deadline for submitting travel coaching applications is June 1st of that year. Coaches will be notified and asked to coach a specific team by July of that year. Current coaches are requested not to discuss future coaching assignments with parents and players until coach selection process is completed.
What criteria are used in selecting a travel coach?
The following criteria, in no particular order, are considered when selecting a travel coach: years of experience, familiarity with appropriate format (7v7, 9v9, 11v11), familiarity with age group and gender, MYSA or other coaching certifications, other coaching experience, playing experience, and results of CORI check. Additionally, information obtained from coaches evaluation forms may also be considered. The Club actively solicits coaching evaluation forms from parents at the conclusion of each soccer season. These forms are reviewed by the President and Vice President.
Does Natick Soccer reimburse coaches to attend coach development courses?

Yes. NSC will reimburse the tuition cost up to a maximum of $100 per course for US Soccer or NSCAA courses offered through MYSA. Please refer to http://www.mayouthsoccer.org/coaches/coach_education/ for additional information on available courses.

Does Natick Soccer reimburse coaches to attend coach development courses?

Yes. NSC will reimburse the tuition cost up to a maximum of $100 per course for US Soccer or NSCAA courses offered through MYSA. Please refer to http://www.mayouthsoccer.org/coaches/coach_education/ for additional information on available courses.

Are travel coaches selected before travel teams are selected?

Travel teams are finalized before any coaches are assigned to a team.

How do I avoid lopsided scores in games?

To help prevent large goal differentials in future games, BAYS has made available to coaches some proactive game management strategies. By way of background, BAYS would like to see goal differentials of no more than +5. Beyond that, BAYS believe it shows poor sportsmanship and lack of respect for your opponent. We have to remember that our players are all young, and teaching sportsmanship is much, much more important than racking up goals. It is the coaches’ responsibility to manage the scoring and take the necessary steps to keep within the suggested goal differential. Please note that BAYS Division Directors monitor scores each week and will follow up directly with Clubs where egregious situations arise.

Strategies on how to avoid lopsided scores can be found HERE.

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