Hello Coaches!

AYSO has created a new 6th philosophy - Player Development. That means that now more than ever it's important for the kids to have coaches who want to bring This Beautiful Game to them with the right mix of fun, skill development, and inspiration that any Child Development program offers. Whether you're a seasoned old veteran or a brand new coach - I want to welcome you to the great sport of Soccer and thank you up front for taking time to help kids build their character while learning this beautiful game.

Remember - a Coach's responsibility is more than simply run drills and show up. Preparation, plannning, listening to your players, working with parents on their child's overall growth, and engaging them in fun activities is all part of the program. All of this within then 6 philosophies from AYSO.

SO - AYSO can get you ready to help the kids. There are two main items to consider. The first one is a one time deal but is VERY important to the overall understanding of keeping our program Fair, Safe, and Fun. The second involves ongoing training and certification - and you never will be without something new to learn.

Your 1st step is to get registered as a volunteer through eAYSO. Look for registration info on our website. You need to mail in a signed volunteer form so our CVPA staff can verify you are who you are. Once that's done -you should take an online Safe Haven course which will help you understand the requirements for a safe and healthy environment for our kids. Your ID number, visible on the eAYSO page after you log in, will be your ticket to the training.

Finally - once you're ready for some certification classes on how to help your kids get better within AYSO. Everyone wants to compete - at all levels - and the way to make your sessions fun and interesting is to get training - and get certified. Even if you have coached for a long time in AYSO a refresher course is always a good thing.

And - if you ever plan on coaching All Stars or AYSO FLEX Extra - then you will need to become Intermediate and Advanced certified - which also requires some pre-requisites.

SO - to review
1) fill out the registration form at http://www.eayso.org (and renew it EVERY YEAR!)
2) bring your form to registration with your ID - or turn it in asap for renewals.
3) get your ID number from your eAYSO home page and take Safe Haven at http://www.aysotraining.org
4) Read the Rules and Regulations for AYSO Region 213. You are required to know the areas of your responsibility as well as any special rules for certain age divisions.
5) Get Certified. Region 213 offers course, and eayso has a way to lookup courses.
6) check the links in the coaching section for more certification courses, and links to websites with some great Training content.

See you out there on the pitch!
Oleg Chaikovsky , Regional Coach Administrator, Region 213