Coaching Soccer 101

The Importance of a Good Assistant Coach

PLayer Safety

This is a topic you don’t see too often in “how to coach” articles but it is a very important one. It can make or break your season and take the FUN right out of coaching if you pick the wrong assistant coach.

Just because the person checked “I would like to be an assistant coach” box does not mean that person will be a good assistant coach. So, how should one pick an assistant coach ?

#1. First, examine your coaching style and philosophy. What are your goals for the team? What types of practices are you going to have. And how are you going to coach the game from the sidelines?

#2. Next, write down what you think the role of your assistant coach should be. With a big emphasize on the assistants coaches role on the SIDELINE during the game.

#3. IMPORTANT. Sit down and talk to the assistant coach candidate. Even if you know the person as a friend or a casual acquaintance. First, ask the candidate what they think the goals of the team should be, and what they think would be a good role of an assistant coach. Especially what their role on the sideline should be.

#4. Take some time to think about your candidate option.

#5. Lastly, before you commit, meet with the candidate again. Go over YOUR goals, and how you would like to see the practices run, and most importantly, go over what you would like the role of the assistant coach to be on the sideline.


Of course, before the assistant coach becomes official, your organization should do a background check and offer any training that is available.

Hopefully, because of the little extra leg work, you and your assistant coach will have a FUN and successful season. But more importantly, your PLAYERS will have a fun and successful season.

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