Volunteer Information

AYSO is a volunteer-run organization. Coaches, referees and administrators are volunteers. In Redlands over 700 parents, neighbors, relatives and friends lend their time and talents so that each child gets a terrific AYSO experience.

AYSO’s volunteer foundation ensures that it’s all about what’s good for kids. It also makes AYSO very affordable. AYSO operates in a business manner, but volunteers ensure its “profits” are happy, healthy kids playing a sport they can enjoy for life.

AYSO has developed special training that helps parents who may have little or no soccer experience quickly gain the age-appropriate knowledge and skills they need to be effective coaches and referees. It also has unique administrative and management training. This ensures that each community program:

• Abides by the AYSO philosophies
• Offers a great AYSO experience
• Continues to grow, offering the AYSO opportunity to more children

It only takes a few hours to become qualified as an introductory-level coach or referee. But if you’re not able to commit even that much time, there are many small jobs you can help with. Even a couple of hours each season are an important contribution to your team and Region!

AYSO training doesn’t stop as long as you’re having fun. Referees, coaches and administrators have clinics, workshops and other advanced training available to advance their skills.

How Do I Become a AYSO Volunteer?

Referees

Referees are as critical to soccer as players and coaches. In AYSO, the game can’t be played if there aren’t enough referees. It’s most common for a volunteer to begin their AYSO referee career by refereeing their own child’s game. However, as they learn the rules, develop their own techniques for managing players, coaches and fans, and gain an appreciation for how important the role of the referee is to a fun, fair and safe soccer experience, they often find it very rewarding to expand their knowledge and experience through AYSO’s advanced training and certification process. AYSO’s referee training is considered some of the best in the U.S. and includes both in-person courses in your community and online opportunities. Soccer knowledge is a plus, but is certainly not required. The AYSO referee training will give you all you need to know to have a terrific experience on the field.

How do I become a referee?

You must first complete an AYSO volunteer application form and be approved as an AYSO volunteer by your local AYSO Region. This can be done by registering at eayso.org. Once you are approved as a volunteer, the training to become an AYSO referee is provided to you for free. You should contact the Region's Referee Administrator to get more information about the training schedule for referees in your Region. His contact information is on the board members page.

Coach Information

Why Coach?

It's a chance to spend quality time with your child and it's fun. It's a great break from work. It makes you feel good. It's a great way to give back to the community.

The rewards come in the form of helping kids have fun at a game or practice, and contributing to their individual skills and teamwork. There is also a great sense of accomplishment when you reach the end of a season, look back and see how far the team has come.

How old do I have to be?

You must be 18 years old or older to be an AYSO coach. Though AYSO appreciates and encourages young people to participate in all aspects of soccer including coaching, an individual under 18 years of age may not be listed as the head coach or assistant coach on the official roster due to liability issues. They can certainly assist in training and even make decisions regarding the team, but may not ever be left alone with players and may not be listed on the official roster.

Do I have to be trained?

Yes, AYSO requires you to hold an age specific certification or higher. This means that if you coach in the U6 division, you must hold an U6 certification, etc. Here are the levels of certifications that you must hold in order to coach.

U6 - U6 Certification
U8 - U8 Certification
U10 - U10 Certification
U12 - Intermediate Certification
U14 - Intermediate Certification
U16/U19 - Advanced Certification

Trainings are offered at different times throughout the year through Region 50 and other regions throughout the state. For Region 50 trainings, please check AYSOU.org for a full list of courses in ours and other regions.

In addition to the coaches certification, each coach must take the Safe Haven Certification course. This can be done online at aysotraining.org

Are Coaches paid?

No. AYSO is an all-volunteer organization, so all coaches are volunteers. As are all of the board members, referees, team managers and everyone else who works hard each week to provide a quality soccer experience for the kids.

Can anyone be an assistant coach?

We only allow two coaches during a game - a head coach and one assistant coach per team. As of 2011, all assistant coaches must have the same age-level training as the head coach of the team.

I've never played soccer before; can I still coach?

Absolutely. Our training classes cover everything from the rules to the basic fundamentals. At the younger age levels, youth soccer is about creating a fun environment for the kids to learn the game. .

Will I be able to coach my child's team?

Yes. All coaches are guaranteed to be assigned to their own child's team.

What should I do if I'm having problems with the coach?

If a serious problem should arise concerning the coach, the parents should talk with the coach in a calm manner and try to work out the problems like adults, away from the players (preferably this meeting will be done outside of practice or games). If no solution can be reached at this meeting, the parents should contact the Division Commissioner. If the problem persists, set up a meeting with the Coach Administrator, Division Commissioner and Coach. Problems can usually be solved through effective and timely communication.

My daughter doesn't get along with her coach; can she change teams?

Discuss the problem with your child and the coach and try to resolve the problem between yourselves. It is almost impossible to move players between teams after they have been formed.

AYSO Volunteer Instructions (and get that cool ID Badge)

Without volunteers there is no AYSO