Massachusetts Youth Soccer Club Directors of Coaching

1. Massachusetts Youth Soccer Club Directors of Coaching Mike Singleton---Director of Coaching Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association

2. Why have a Director of Coaching? • Player development in Massachusetts is lagging behind other states • Running clubs is becoming a full-time job for volunteers and many clubs are struggling to do everything that needs to be done – players are struggling because of this • Beginning coaches need help • Board members lives can be easier!

3. Why does Mass Youth Soccer recommend hiring a DOC? • Player and coach development is our utmost priority • DOC’s are found in all other states and we are behind the times (VA, GA, TX, CA, FL, AL, HI, WI, DE, CT, ME, NE, IN, IL, OR, WA) • It can help improve coaching education at both recreational and travel levels

4. What is the role of a DOC? • Design a set of coaches selection criteria and hire all the team coaches • Assist the Coaching Committee in designing a Coaches Code of Conduct • Train and monitor the team coaches and help them plan and implement practice sessions • Design and administer a continuing education program for the team coaches • Conduct age specific coaches clinics • Design coaching manuals for the team coaches • Bring in experts such as state, regional, and national staff coaches, to present clinics

5. What is the role of a DOC? • Act as the technical liaison between the club and the State DOC • Create a suitable library of books, videos and articles for all the team coaches to access • Create long and short-term seasonal plans for the club and provide guidance to team coaches in designing their own team’s seasonal plans • Design and administer the team tryouts • Design the playing format for the in-house recreational programs, specifying the number of players on the field, the duration of games, the number of games, the size of fields, etc. • Design the training priorities for each age group and level

6. What is the role of a DOC? • Assist in the design of a Code of Conduct for the players and for the parents • Help the club create a policy for team travel that will address supervision requirements and logistical and behavioral issues while traveling to tournaments away from home • Educate the players and the parents about the playing opportunities beyond the club level, such as the ODP, and encourage the best players to try out for ODP • Design a player evaluation/feedback process and form that instructs the team coaches as to how and when to provide feedback to the players • Design a Player Development Manual for the club

7. What is the role of a DOC? • Organize supplementary age and level appropriate skill clinics for the players • Bring in experts in the sports sciences, such as a soccer fitness expert, a medical expert, a sport psychologist, and a nutritionist, to make presentations and to assist in the overall program design • Identify the most talented players in the club and alert the State and Regional Coaches for possible inclusion in State and Regional Teams • Assist in the design and implementation of a parent education program that would include parent meetings, parent handbooks, handouts, and occasional seminars

8. What is the role of a DOC? • Report to the Coaching Committee and assist the committee in all its duties • Report to the Club Board and attend the board meetings • Promote the club within the community and help with public relations • Create, evaluate and summarize game reports to track team development over seasons and years • Make all final decisions on player placement, players playing up, and movement within teams from the club • Assist the club with the technical coaching aspects of a Risk Management Policy

9. What is the role of a DOC? • Organize and run summer and/or school vacation camps for the club that remain consistent with the club developmental philosophy • Oversee all travel tournament selections • Bring in Referee Instructors to educate the coaches and the parents on the rules of the game • Select and coach the Recreational All-Star team, if you have one • Create a college recruiting information program and educate the players and parents on college playing opportunities • Represent the club at State, Regional, and National coaching seminars and workshops

10. How can we afford a DOC? EventCostPlayersRevenue • U6 day---(Wed. 10am, 6 weeks) $70 10 $700 per season • U6 day---(Wed. 1pm, 6 weeks) $70 10 $700 per season • U7 technical clinic (7 weeks) $85 12 $1,020 per season • U8 technical clinic (7 weeks) $85 12 $1,020 per season • U10 technical clinic (7 weeks) $85 25 $2,040 per season (minus $250 for 2nd coach)

11. How can we afford a DOC? EventCost PlayersRevenue • Feb. vacation camp (10 hrs) $125 30 $3,750 per year (minus $800 gym and 2nd coach) • April vacation camp (10 hrs) $100 30 $3,000 per year (minus $300 for 2nd coach) • Summer Camps (15 hrs/wk $125 80 total $10,000 per year 2 weeks) (minus $2200 in costs) • Total revenue created for DOC yearly salary = $23,910

12. Salary Considerations • National rates for DOCs : $35,000 - $80,000 • Reasonable rate for MA: $40,000 - $50,000 (include insurance, 503(b), disability) • Part-time rate: $20,000 - $25,000 • Recommend this be full year job • If DOC on fields every weeknight and Saturday in Fall and Spring, need time to make curriculums etc.

13. Generation of Salary Funds • Clinics, camps, player fees are good sources • Fundraising events are not good sources (be careful with tournaments) • Summer Camps allow profit sharing • This allows club to raise revenue for fields, goals, financial need cases

14. How to find a DOC? • State is happy to serve as clearinghouse for resumes • We will post positions on our website and send out notification in FreeKick and Baystater • You should post on your club’s website • If you want to conduct a national search, post information at www.nscaa.org

15. Examples of National Postings • DIRECTOR OF COACHING - NK United (Kentucky)Greater Cincinnati's largest select soccer club, NKUnited, is currently seeking a Director of Coaching to work with our 1500 player select club. This is once in a lifetime opportunity for the right individual to have a tremendous impact on the future of soccer in our area. Interested parties can submit an application to info@nkunited.org before December 31st. A detailed job description may be viewed at http://nkunited.org/docjob.html • DIRECTOR OF COACHING AND PLAYER DEVELOPMENT (DCPD) – West Omaha Soccer Club (WOSC) and West Omaha Gladiator Soccer Club (WOG)WOSC and WOG (affiliated clubs) in Omaha, NE seek a qualified individual to fill the role of DCPD. WOSC focuses on recreational/developmental teams and players while WOG is for competitive/select teams and players. There are approximately 1,400 players and 125 teams in the two clubs. Applicants should be extremely well organized and possess a USSF A or B license, or an NSCAA Premier or Advanced National diploma. For more information on the clubs, visit www.wosc.net and www.wogladiatorsoccer.com.  For a detailed job description including compensation information, e-mail Mark Berner at mberner@adestagroup.com. Send letters of introduction, resumes and salary requirements to Mark Berner at the e-mail address noted, or to 3516 So. 94th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68124

16. DOC Search Considerations • Remember you are hiring a person, not a resume • Person should be focused on player and club development not personal glory • Many athletic resumes contain lies • State will verify resumes and claims • State will help verify references • State will serve on hiring committee if you wish

17. Qualifications of a DOC • Possess a USSF ‘A’ or ‘B’ License, or equivalent (NSCAA Premier or National Advanced license). Foreign licensure should be considered as well. Verify all licensure • Possess the USSF National Youth License. This course goes over specific soccer and developmental issues for each age group from U-6 to U-12 • Have earned a minimum of a bachelor degree, preferably in the education or child development field • Possess strong practical coaching experience at the youth level

18. Qualifications of a DOC • Demonstrate ability to relate to and communicate with young players of all levels, from recreational to top select • Possess strong practical playing ability at the professional, semi-professional and/or college varsity level • Possess strong interpersonal skills, solid written and oral communication skills, listening skills, and computer skills • Possess proven ability to influence adults and articulate concepts to large audiences • Demonstrate leadership qualities • Possess experience in instruction of coaching courses to adults

19. Qualifications of a DOC • Possess integrity and follow morally and ethically sound standards • Possess organizational and administrative skills with good time management • Have a dynamic personality with innovative ideas and strong motivational skills • Possess a player development philosophy that is in line with the club’s mission • Be responsible and have a mature personality • Committed to working a non-traditional schedule of afternoons, evenings, and weekends

20. Club Responsibilities • Make sure board is fully behind hiring a DOC • Have a job description and funding completed before hiring(state will provide examples) • Make sure you have soccer knowledgeable people on hiring committee (state will be happy to help this committee) • Have priorities set for incoming DOC to focus efforts upon in first months

21. Club Responsibilities • Provide regular feedback to DOC in first months (state is happy to serve as ad hoc board member for first months to help smooth transition) • Do not bog down DOC with administrative duties (i.e. lining fields, cutting fields, scheduling referees, directing tournaments etc. etc.) • Decide if DOC should coach a team before hiring

22. Summary and Questions • Hiring a DOC should help players, coaches, parents, and board members • We need to improve our youth development in the state as we are lagging behind other states • The Massachusetts Youth Soccer State Staff will help in any way we can………….just ask 