New AYSO Coach Training Policy
Hawthorne, Calif. (Nov. 16, 2009) -- AYSO has announced important steps to ensure that every AYSO child has the best possible soccer learning experience. Beginning August 1, 2010, coaches and assistant coaches in the U-6 division in every AYSO Region will be required to have AYSO’s age-appropriate training and AYSO Safe Haven® certification when they take the field.
The new coach training policy will roll forward each year adding one additional level of required age-specific coach training until, by the 2015 membership year, every AYSO coach and assistant coach at every level will be appropriately trained for the team they will coach.
To help coaches satisfy this new requirement, AYSO is increasing its efforts to deliver this important training in more places and more frequently. To add even more flexibility for its busy volunteer coaches, AYSO is producing an online training course for U-6 coaches, to accompany its existing U-8 and U-10 online courses. The U-6 online course will be available by March 31, 2010. 
The policy was approved and adopted by the National Board of Directors at their July 2009 meeting and is supported by the National Coaching Advisory Commission.  
“We are excited for the kids,” said AYSO National President Mike Wade. “This will guarantee our players, and their parents, the best AYSO experience possible. They will know their coaches are steeped in the technical and tactical aspects of the game and trained in the important age-specific approach to teaching soccer that AYSO has innovated.”
AYSO’s Coach Training Program is one of only two sport-specific training programs in the country to be certified by the National Council on the Accreditation of Coaching Education. 
Coaches will continue to be required to be currently registered AYSO volunteers and have AYSO Safe Haven® certification. Safe Haven certification, which is designed to protect both volunteers and children, is available as an online or in-person class.
“Thousands of volunteer coaches get trained every year to work with AYSO players,” said AYSO National Coach John Ouellette. “We all have to put the kids first. We find that there are still many volunteers who are concerned about the training time commitment. AYSO training is practical, fun and designed for both the soccer-knowledgeable and soccer-novice. It’s a few hours that will make the experience of every child - and every coach - a better one.”
Following is the training that will be required for each of the age levels in all AYSO games and the schedule for implementation:
 
Division
Minimum Training Requirement
U-6
U-6 Coach
(beginning 8/1/2010)
U-8
U-8 Coach
(beginning 8/1/2011)
U-10
U-10 Coach 
(beginning 8/1/2012)    
U-12
U-12 Coach 
(beginning 8/1/2013)    
U-14
Intermediate Coach
(Including all prerequisites)
(beginning 8/1/2014)    
U-16 & U-19
Advanced Coach
(Including all prerequisites)
(beginning 8/1/2015)    
 
To schedule age-appropriate coach training and AYSO coach certification please contact one of the following:
Contact information for any of the these administrators is available from your Regional Commissioner or by contacting the Coaching Department at the AYSO National Support and Training Center (1-800-USA-AYSO) or by email to crissiehull@ayso.org.