COACHING EDUCATION

U.S. Soccer Coaching Education Courses

U.S. Soccer offers online coaching education courses for the entry level coach and for those coaches wishing to pursue the higher license – D, C and beyond. The philosophy of the courses is the player-centered approach of Play-Practice-Play, with the instructors taking the holistic approach of coaching education.

Learn more here.

The U.S. Soccer’s Digital Coaching Center (DCC), a state-of-the art online educational platform. The DCC allows coaches to create a personal profile, register for courses, communicate with technical staff, take part in online courses, create session plans with an online graphics tool, access an archive of U.S. Soccer training sessions and much more.

I. U.S. Soccer Grassroots 

A four-hour course that builds on the principles covered in U.S. Soccer’s Introduction to Grassroots Coaching Module. Specifically, coaches will learn more about U.S. Soccer’s Grassroots Coaching Education Philosophy, Play-Practice-Play Methodology, the Six Tasks of a Coach, and the characteristics of players. The course will also ask each coach to reflect on their experiences to develop action steps for personal growth in the Six Tasks (Coaching Games, Coaching Training Sessions, Leading the Team, Leading the Player, Managing the Performance Environment, and Leadership).​

Coaches will be asked to participate in discussions so each person should have access to a web-camera/live video capabilities.  Coaches may be asked to participate in the field component as either coaches or players, so please come prepared to actively learn.

Coaches may be asked to participate in the field component as either coaches or players, so please come prepared to actively learn.​

11v11 Grassroots Courses

February 4 & 9, 2025

June 17 & 22, 2025

9v9 Grassroots Courses

February 5 & 9, 2025

June 18 & 22, 2025

7v7 Grassroots Courses

February 6 & 9, 2025

June 19 & 22, 2025

II. U.S. Soccer D Course

Course duration:

Nine (9) weeks (Including summative assessment) with two (2) in-person weekends

• Virtual meetings (Large group/small group)

• Videos

• Individual meetings with Coach Educator

• Independent learning and investigation/research

• Individual assignments

• Collaborative projects

Assessment:

Formative Assessment (course assignments during the course) in:

• Leadership and Managing the Performance Environment

• Leading the Player within the Team

• Coaching Games

• Coaching Training Sessions

Summative Assessment (Final projects at the end of the course) in:

• Coaching Training Sessions

o Design and coach one (1) activity within the training session

Students that register for this course are expected to attend all course meetings and

complete all assignments in order to be eligible for the final assessment

III. U.S. Soccer C Course

The candidate will discuss, collaborate, and develop knowledge and skills in the following areas as part of the course learning environment:

• Learning is designed around the candidate being part of a club or program where they are expected to:
• 2-3 training sessions per week
• Learning is designed around this player profile:
• Age: U11–U19 
• Skillset: Beginner to Intermediate
• Motivation: Loves to train and play / self-motivated
• Learning is designed around teams in this competition profile: 
• Local - State 
• Variance in duration of the season   

Learning Objectives:

• Create a positive and safe environment that encourages respect, inclusivity and belonging 
• Plan and design two training sessions within a one-week cycle 
• Implement activities and facilitate player learning 
• Prepare an age-appropriate game plan aligned to the training week objectives 
• Observe and describe player and team behavior during the game 

Course Experience:

4 months (16 weeks) with a blended learning approach: 

• Four (4) in-person days 
• Virtual meetings (Average of two (2) virtual meetings per week) 
• Individual meetings with assigned Coach Educator 
• Independent learning and Individual assignments

U.S. Soccer B Course

Eligibility

To register for the U.S. Soccer B Course, individuals must meet the following prerequisites: 

• Is at least 18 years of age 
• Hold a U.S. Soccer C license for at least one (1) year 
• Have three (3) or more years of coaching experience (any level) 
• A waiver of the U.S. Soccer C License may be considered based on previous professional or national team playing experience or foreign licensure at the hosting member’s discretion. Please reach out to the hosting member for a waiver application. 
• Student Coaches must have access to a team playing 11v11 (U13+) for the duration of the course 

Learning Objectives 

• Create a positive and safe environment that encourages respect, inclusivity and belonging 
• Create and apply individual player development plan to enhance development and performance 
• Plan and design three training sessions within a week 
• Implement and optimize designed training sessions and facilitate player learning 
• Analyze implemented sessions and player and team responses to coaching 
• Prepare an age-appropriate game plan aligned to the game model and the training week objectives 
• Implement the game plan and monitor coaching behaviors  
• Analyze and report team performance 

Course Experience 

6 Months: January–June or July-December with a blended learning approach:

• Two (2) in-person meetings 
• Virtual meetings (Average of one (1) virtual meeting per week)
• Live webinars with guest speakers 
• Individual meetings with assigned Coach Educator
• Independent learning and Individual assignments 

Women's Coaching Collective

All women coaches, staff, administrators, and volunteers at NCFC Youth are automatically part of the Women's Coaching Collective and have opportunities to learn, network, and develop.

Anyone can be a teammate and join the Women's Coaching Collective community today! There’s no cost or commitment required to join or support; simply join/like us on our Facebook Group and stay up to date with the latest news, information, and opportunities.