Dear Fellow Coach,

Congratulations! You, as a youth soccer coach, are about to enjoy a rare privilege - becoming a surrogate parent to 12 to 18 kids who are looking to have fun and learn the game of soccer. You are not alone. Youth soccer in Oregon is flourishing. In communities from Coos Bay to Bend, and Grants Pass to Sandy, the sport of soccer is enjoyed by 40,000 other members of Oregon Youth Soccer. With this much activity, OYSA needs all of its’ member coaches to be their BEST - as leaders, teachers, and friends to every player.

With youthful exuberance and enthusiasm, the seven-year-old player finds challenges, excitement, and fun with his or her classmates and friends on the soccer team. For the prospective coach, who likely has never played the sport, the task of organizing a team, understanding the rules, running effective and enjoyable practices, and making a positive experience of the Saturday game, is another matter. But just as your child player will develop soccer skills over time, the parent-coach can learn age-appropriate and effective coaching techniques over time as well.

The members of the OYSA Recreation Council, who have compiled this manual, believe that your educated participation is vital to the overall experience of your youth players. We offer this manual to our family of youth soccer coaches with the expectation that you will use it in conjunction with the full complement of coaching clinics supported by OYSA’s coaching staff. We hope that together these resources will give you the confidence to be the BEST - for your child, your team, and the sport of soccer.

Doreen Adams

Vice President, Recreation

Oregon Youth Soccer Association

As you work with this manual during the season, please note any suggestions that you might have regarding:

• ADDITIONS:

• CORRECTIONS:

• topics you would like to see expanded:

Please forward your ideas to us at the following address:

In addition, if you have a favorite skill game that has worked well for you, please send it to us along with a diagram and description, plus a brief statement of the objective(s) and coaching points.