LICENSE/EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
From New York State West/USSF

The CPDP is all about development. Therefore it is very important that the coaches have the information and methods of coaching required to teach their particular age group. There is a cost associated with these courses, the CPDP will try and assist with part of your out of pocket expenses. Each coach will be required to get their age appropriate license within 1 year of joining the CPDP. Please see below.

Youth Module:	U11 Head Coaches	U13 Asst. Coaches
E License:	U13 Head Coaches	U17 Asst Coaches
D License:	U17 Head Coaches

**subject to change year to year

• Since 1999, over 4,000 coaches have taken part in the New York State West coach education courses. We hope that this trend continues long into the future. Many of our member clubs and organizations now recommend/mandate that their coaches have minimum licensing requirements before being placed with any level of team.
• Designed to meet the changing needs of today’s game, the national coaching program creates an environment that immerses coaches in the culture of the game. The four levels of courses that we offer emphasize field instruction in the areas of technique, tactics, and fitness. The courses also offer instruction in methodology, team management, and sport psychology.
• State Director of Coaching, Glen Buckley, has created a faculty of highly trained, knowledgeable and courteous instructors, all of which have completed the courses themselves. Instructional courses are held on a regular basis to keep our staff abreast of all current trends.
• The US Soccer National Coaching School is recognized as the only licensing body in the USA by soccer’s international governing body - F.I.F.A.
• Our objective is to provide all western New York coaches, from the beginner to the experienced, the up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge to ensure that players are provided the opportunity to reach their full potential.

The US Soccer , New York State West Coaches Education Program provides:

1. Courses in which candidates can earn nationally certified credentials and take advantage of the recognition inherent in the attainment of various levels of coaching expertise.
2. A proven curriculum, which improves the candidates knowledge of the game.
3. Valuable information on current coaching trends and international developments in the game.

CERTIFICATION PROCESS
Certification begins at the state level with the introductory courses, which cover the elementary principles of coaching and prepare interested coaches for the 36-hour National D license.

STATE YOUTH MODULE COURSES
The State Youth Module courses are designed for the parent/coach of under 6, under 8, and under 10 age players. The 4/5 hour courses provide a better understanding of the specific age groups and how to place players in age appropriate activities. Developmental characteristics of the age group are covered. The course consists of 3 hours of practical field work and 2 hours of classroom theory. There is no testing on this course. No pre-requisites are required, yet one must be 16 years of age to take the course.

STATE E CERTIFICATION
The State E Certification course is designed for the coach of players that are preparing to or already playing the 11 v 11 game. Focus is on the players aged 12 through 14. Candidates are introduced to the methodology of coaching that is used throughout the National Coaching School Program. The use of small-sided games to teach technique and tactics will be demonstrated. The preparation of lesson plans that progress in a simple to complex fashion is a main focus of the course. Laws of the Game and Team Management are also included in the curriculum. The course is 18 hours in duration and is normally conducted on Friday evenings through Sunday afternoons. There is no testing on this course, however candidates must be in attendance at all scheduled sessions. No pre-requisites are required, yet one must be 17 years of age to take this course.

NATIONAL AND STATE D LICENSE
The D License course is the first step in the National Licensing accreditation. The course is designed to prepare, and is a pre-requisite for the National C License. The course focuses on the youth player that is 14 through 18 years of age. Candidates are tested in their understanding of the technical and tactical demands of the game and the developmental process necessary for players in this age group. The course provides an opportunity to further understand the practical coaching methodology and framework necessary to prepare players and a team for competition. The course also covers Team Management and Match Analysis. Candidates are tested in both practical coaching ability and knowledge of the game through theory papers. This is a Pass/ Fail course. Candidates will be granted a National License or a State License. The latter means a candidate must wait two full years before they can apply for a C License course. Candidates granted a National D License are required to wait 12 months before applying for a C License. The course is 36 hours in duration and normally takes place over two weekends. Applicants must have held the E Certification for 12 months. A waiver of the E License requirement may be granted to candidates who meet the waiver criteria. One must be 18 years of age to take this course.

NATIONAL YOUTH AND NATIONAL C LICENSE
New York State West is now recognized by US Youth Soccer and the US Soccer Federation as one of the few state associations with the required level of instructors with the expertise and experience to host both the National C and the National Youth License courses. We intend to host both on a two-year cycle. This represents a marvelous opportunity for coaches seeking to gain these licenses without the added cost of traveling out of state.

Other Requirements

Player Evaluation Forms – Coaches will be responsible for issuing each player with a Player Evaluation Form 1-2 times per year. We will use a standard format that the Dir. of Coaching will issue before the evaluations need to be complete.

Lesson Plans – It is important for coaches to be prepared for a training session. Lesson plans should be complete before all practices. The Dir. Of Coaching will ask periodically to see copies of lesson plans, or ask the coach to e-mail what they have been working on in practice, and how.

Quality vs Quantity - Recommended training to game ratios over a calendar year are as follows:

• U10 & younger 1:1
• U14 & younger 2:1
• U15 & Older 3:1

These rations will be very difficult for this club to achieve, however it is important that we do what we can to get as close to these as possible. Please see additional handout “Quality vs Quantity”.

Communication – The key to running a successful team as a coach is to work very closely with your Team Manager. The manager should be responsible for all communication to parents and players, regarding practice and game times. It is your responsibility to inform the manager. The coach should not worry about administrative duties………just teach!!!

Age Appropriate Training – Technical vs. Tactical

• U11 & younger 100% focus on technical ability
  Most of the training session should consist of individual work with the ball. Games should be small sided, no bigger than 4v4 or 5v5.
• U14 & younger 75% technical ability / 25% tactical
  Start to introduce tactical awareness (possession, transition, team defending), but a majority of the focus should still be on individual skills.
  Games should still remain small sided, and should not get any large than 7v7.
• U15 & older 50% technical / 50% tactical
  More time can be devoted to tactical awareness because players will have the skills needed to implement them on the field.
  It is still important that players work on individual skills, and a fair amount of time should be devoted to them as well.
• EVERY TRAINING SESSION SHOULD END WITH A GAME, weather it is 4v4 or 11v11! That is why they come to practice in the first place.

**Each player and team will be different, and have different needs. This is just a rule of thumb to go by, coaches must use their best judgment and evaluate their games to see what they need to work on.