COACHING LINKS

Team Meeting

This section will give you ideas of a team meeting to be held within the first few weeks of August.

Meeting Location:
DON"Ts: Crowded parks, restaurants and pizza places are very poor locations to try to get a lot of information out to parents and players. There are too many other distractions.
DO's: Try to have the meeting in a quiet location such as somebody's house or backyard. This is your first impression so you want to have everybody's full attention.

  1. WELCOME
    - Briefly Introduce yourself, players and parents
    - Prepare and pass around a draft roster for any corrections of name, address, phone number, e-mail, etc.
    TIP: If comfortable with email, try to get as many "working" email addreses from your parents to help with communcation throughout the season, This saves on tons of phone calls.

  2. AYSO TENANTS
    Breifly explain the 5 AYSO principles

  3. YOUR BACKGROUND
    Explain your own philosophy of coaching.
    TIP: In front of the families, try not to say this is your first time coaching. Don't lie, but appear confident.

  4. EXPECTATIONS
    Provide a written statement of your expectations of players and parents, especially player conduct and sideline behavior by a parents

  5. CODE OF CONDUCT PLEDGES
    - Briefly go through each section of the Code of Conduct Forms
    - Explain the Kids Zone Pledges . Go through each section.
    - Explain Safe Haven
    - Stress how serious this is.
    - Pass out the forms and have families take them home, read them, sign them and bring back to next practice.

  6. TEAM HELP
    Recruit help. Let parents know that each parent has to volunteer in some capacity.
    Do not leave the meeting without getting volunteers for the following

    - TEAM COORDINATOR: to be team parent to organize snack schedule, phone tree, team party, and odd & ends.
    - ASSISTANT COACH(s) : to help with coaching and possibly refereeing
    - TEAM REFEREE: to help as an assistant referee.
    Other help
    - to help set up field when necessary.
    - to make/buy a team banner
    - to finalize team roster for first practice

  7. SPONSOR
    Each team must have a sponsor befor the season starts. Let the parents know if one is not found, they will have to collect their own money. Sponsorship Info is on the website.

  8. PRACTICE & GAME SCHEDULE
    Explain practice and game schedules and expectations. Note that the Team Zone on the region website will have all schedule and contact information up when available.

  9. SEASON EVENTS
    Explain Special Events (Opening Day, Pictures)

  10. REGION 88 WEBSITE
    Mention the Region 88 website (www.ayso88.org) as a great source of information.

  11. TEAM NAME
    Have the players choose a team name. If you want, you can wait until the unifom color are chosen in a few weeks.

  12. NEXT STEPS & CONCLUSION
    Explain what they need to do next and don't forget the thank you's.