Youth Soccer: Coaching Licenses (Part 1, the F License)

My daughter's soccer coach just returned from Pittsburgh where he just completed his C license. This is a big accomplishment that takes a substantial amount of money, time and commitment. If you are serious about coaching soccer, you should consider taking some soccer coaching certification classes and obtaining a license. Start with the F license.

In this 6 part series I will give you information on all the soccer coaching certification opportunities.

F License

Step One: The first thing you need to do is contact your state soccer association. Google Soccer "soccer coaching license" + your State to find the website with the information. You can typically register for coaching certification courses through the state soccer website.

Start with your F license it is easy to get and will give you some exposure to the process. If you know that you are definitely going to get a higher license you should start with the E certification because the F license is not a prerequisite for the E class. If you are unsure about your certification goals start with the F license.

The F license is a 9 hour course that consists of 3 hours of class room instruction and 6 hours of instruction on the field (weather permitting) or a gym. Bring a pad of paper to take notes, a pencil or pen, soccer cleats, shin pads and a #5 ball. If you didn't pay online bring a checkbook to pay for the course which will cost about $35.

The course will cover basic soccer techniques and coaching philosophy. The course is perfect for coaches of very young players or older recreational players.

Everyone who participates in all 9 hours of instruction will receive an F license. There is no written test.

The Main Point

If you want to be a good soccer coach for young players 5 to 8 years old and recreational level players 9+ spend the $35 and 9 hours of your time to obtain your F license. If you are a bit reluctant to take this step because you are nervous about your soccer abilities, don't be.  I have to admit I was a little worried about the 6 hour on field training because I had not played soccer in over 20 years, but every thing was done at an easy to understand and do pace.