Coaches Corner

We are very pleased to have each of you as a volunteer coach or assistant coach. Without such volunteers, LAYSL would not be able to function. Almost all of the LAYSL Board has coached in some capacity, and we understand the time commitment it takes. Thank you!

To the right, you will find many resources to make your job easier. First, you will find forms to get reimbursed for purchases, for players to apply for financial aid, to report injuries, to petition for age exception requests, and to help with evaluating players during tryouts. There are also coaching resources broken down by age group, including age-specific rules, practice plans, philosophies, and parent tips. Over time, we will add links to articles about coaching from some of the leading coaches in the world. If there is something you wish would be located here, please do not hesitate to drop the league a note. We will be adding to this section on a regular basis.

LAYSL Philosophy

Our goal is to provide a fun positive environment in which our children can exercise, interact with their peers, and get better at soccer. Coaches need to realize this is our number one goal … not winning, not focusing on just the “super stars”. Yes, the focus changes somewhat as players transition to competitive teams, but coaching instruction should always be balanced, emphasizing the positive, and never being mean spirited. Your “job” as coach at any level is to make the players love soccer, to enjoy the beautiful game. If you can do that, you have been successful.

Equipment

LAYSL will provide soccer balls, cones, pennies, pop-up goals, and medical kits to all coaches at the beginning of the season. Equipment will be handed at a special meeting at the beginning of the year, or you can contact the LAYSL equipment coordinator here! Jerseys will be handed out to our Rec team coaches by our Rec League Coordinator, while competitive team uniform kits are ordered on-line by the parents.

Training & Education

We highly encourage all coaches to take the US Youth Soccer Grassroots online training here [+]!  They have online and in-person courses for the different age groups, starting with U8 4v4, U10 7 v 7, U12 9/9 and U13+ 11 v 11. LAYSL will reimburse the $25 online fee and the $70 in-person fee after you complete the course. In-person courses are often in Santa Fe and Albuquerque on a Saturday morning. We have found in-person courses more interesting, since the coaches can ask the instructor questions. LAYSL/LAFC has often brought up the NMYSA Technical Director of Coaching for a two-hour condensed training session in the Fall and Spring for our new and returning coaches.

LAYSL will also reimburse coaches for so-called “pro” level in-person coaches training for the USSF E and D licenses after they have coached a season with LAYSL, as well as NSCAA Level 3 thru 6 Diplomas. Partial reimbursement for other special courses (e.g., the USSF National Youth License, and A, B, and C licenses) will be considered as well. Please contact LAYSL before signing up for the course to ensure that LAYSL has the budget to reimburse.

Fields

Everyone wants to have their field, when they want it. So this leads to many difficulties in scheduling, especially given the large number of LAYSL teams and other programs needing fields as well (e.g., YMCA Kinderkicks, YAFL Football, youth cheerleading, LAHS Rugby and Lacrosse clubs, LAHS soccer teams, adult ultimate frisbee and soccer pick-up games, after-school programs, dog training, and special events like the Kite Festival). To compound the issue, some of our coaches are asking for full fields to play on, often 3 times a week. The field coordinator does their best to accommodate all of our coaches’ requests but note that LAYSL’s policy is for coaches to have half a field, with goals, or a full area without goals. Further, U10 teams have special preference at North Mesa and Spirio fields due to the specially sized U10 goals. U6 and U8 teams, that use small portable pop-up goals, have last priority for fields with goals since they really don’t need them.

To compound our field issues, the county is constantly doing work to maintain the quality of the pitches. LAYSL hears a lot of complaints, and to be honest, LAYSL been one of the complainers. The County does mow the fields when we ask, have purchased many of the goals on the fields, and currently are refurbishing Community field. Note that we cannot reserve school fields, rather they are first come, first serve.

Please remember that we are working to do our best. If a field is not available ask our volunteer fields coordinator for alternatives and do your best to be flexible.