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I’ve always been a fan of soccer. It’s the most popular sport in Europe, and every time I travel there, I can’t help but notice that soccer is played on almost every street corner. There’s nothing like being able to play a game of soccer with your friends or watching the World Cup on TV. So if you’re considering becoming a coach for your local high school team, here are some reasons why it might be worth your time:
First off, if you’re looking for something fun to do in the summer months and enjoy working with kids, coaching soccer could be an option.
As someone who has played the game at various levels (junior high school through college), I know how much potential talent there is within our youth programs. These kids could become valuable contributors to their own teams and other schools if given proper instruction.
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Steps To Coach Certification
- Be a member of the Ontario Soccer Association.
- Meet the age requirements.
- Complete the Online Soccer for Life Coach Certificate course, which costs $99 and can be taken online or in person at any participating location (see details below).
- Register as a coach with your respective club.
You’ll need to be 18 years old to coach soccer in Ontario. If you’re under 18, however, don’t worry; there are still ways for you to get involved.
Complete The Respect In Sport Course
The Respect in Sport course is a 30-hour online course that you can complete at your own pace. It covers topics like:
- How to prevent discrimination against soccer players and coaches
- How to promote equality among athletes, coaches, and parents
- How to teach respect for other sports
* Once you’ve completed the course and received your certification, it’s valid for a single sport for two years. The cost for the Respect in Sport course is $30.
Sessions from the likes of Xavi and Graham Potter.
Visit The Coaches' Voice NowCreate A Coach Profile On The Ontario Soccer Database
Successfully completing this step will allow you to create a coach profile on the Ontario Soccer database. Your profile must be complete and accurate and have all the information required to apply for coaching licenses.
- You must have a valid email address: The Ontario Soccer website requires that coaches use an actual email address while creating their profiles so they can be contacted if they need additional help or clarification on certain aspects of coaching (e.g., course content).
- You must have a valid credit card: The Ontario Soccer website requires that coaches use an actual credit card number when registering their accounts, allowing them access to paid services such as online registration tools and payment processing systems like PayPal.
Complete The LTPD Workshop For Coaches
You can earn a coaching license in Ontario by completing the Long Term Player Development (LTPD) Workshop for Coaches. This program is designed to help coaches develop their players, and it’s used in Canada and the United States. Many other countries use this program as well.
The LTPD Workshop for Coaches consists of three modules:
- Module 1: Philosophy of Leadership Development
- Module 2: Skill Acquisition and Teaching Knowledge Enhancement through Practical Applications
- Module 3: Competency Assessments for Professional Coaches
Complete The Online Soccer For Life Coach Certificate Course
- The online course is a free, self-paced program you can take at your own pace.
- You can take the course anywhere you have internet access—so long as it’s not during hours when your school is closed.
- You don’t have to be connected to any particular device or location (like home) to complete the course; all that matters is an internet connection.
We strongly encourage all coaches to complete this course, designed specifically to help new soccer coaches develop the necessary skills and knowledge needed for coaching in Ontario. This course will give you a solid foundation as an Ontario Soccer coach. If you complete the course and pass the exam, you will receive an Ontario Soccer coach certificate for five years.
Register As A Coach With Your Respective Club
To become a soccer coach in Ontario, you must register with the province of Ontario and your respective club. It can be done through the following:
- Registration with the Province of Ontario: You must register as a coach with your respective club (i.e., FC Barcelona). It’ll ensure that you and your team are covered by provincial insurance coverage if an injury occurs on the field or court during games or practices. It also provides that any money earned during practices pays staff wages rather than going into personal pockets.
- Registration with Football Canada: You’ll also need to register with Football Canada (FC) as well; this is because FC has its own set of regulations governing coaches’ qualifications, requirements for certification courses, etc., which differ slightly from those required by FIFA/FIFPro standards but still apply generally across most leagues worldwide today.
Everything You Need to Know About Becoming a Soccer Coach in Ontario
If you’re interested in becoming a soccer coach in Ontario, there are several steps that you’ll need to take. These are all of the steps:
- Check if your region has different requirements for different age groups and divisions. For example, if you plan on coaching U9s and U11s, then make sure that these groups have different requirements than U6s or U8s (which may not).
If you don’t know what level(s) your team falls into or how many players they have at each level, don’t worry! There’s nothing wrong with asking this question before applying for coaching positions to help guide them towards their goals and ensure they’re being honest about themselves and what it takes for them to succeed at those levels.
To Sum Up
As you can see, becoming a soccer coach in Ontario isn’t as complicated as you might have thought. These steps require dedication and hard work, but if you follow them closely enough, it won’t be long before you can help young athletes grow their skills and teach them life lessons like teamwork and respect. Thanks for reading!
Woodland Soccer Team
We're a team of soccer experts, fans, coaches, and players. The world's game is our game.
Sessions from the likes of Xavi and Graham Potter.
Visit The Coaches' Voice Now