This resource is a volunteer coach’s new best friend

Every year when I sign my kids up for our community soccer league, I get a pang of guilt when I don’t check off the box: “Yes, I would like to help coach my child’s team.”

I know the league is hurting for coaches, I know they’re all volunteers, and I know that I really, really should just step up to the plate (or step up to the pitch in this case).

But I never have and I probably never will. For those of you who are reluctantly checking off that box because you know that your child won’t be able to play unless you volunteer to coach, I applaud you, I’m grateful to you, and I will support you as much as I can by being an awesome sideline parent and not getting in your way.

Here’s something else I can do for you — the Coaching Association of Canada has a really valuable group of tutorials that have been designed to help first time and even second or third time coaches give their players an excellent experience from start to finish.

The Get Coaching tutorials are step-by-step; everything you need to be a confident and effective volunteer coach. They even include downloads like a practice plan template, an emergency action plan template, a safety checklist, and long term athlete development information for parents.

Let me know how it goes. With this kind of support available maybe someday I’ll even do it myself.