1. You get to spend more time with your child
Your child might only be 6-years-old now but there will come a time when he or she will naturally start to spend more time with friends and teammates and less time hanging out with mom and dad. Coaching your child’s team is a wonderful way to keep a strong connection.

2. You’ll expand your social network
Let’s face it, it’s not always easy for busy adults to make new friends. But getting involved in our kids’ teams can be a great introduction to like-minded families who value physical activity.

3. You’ll develop new skills
Even if you played soccer as a child, in high school, or in college, coaching forces you to approach it from a completely different angle which can give you a whole new appreciation for the game.  

4. You’ll learn and re-learn life lessons
While coaching can sometimes test your patience, it also helps to develop your patience. Patience, along with fair play, responsibility, having fun, leadership, and problem solving are just some of the valuable lessons taught and learned from coaching.

5. You’ll get a work out too!
Nothing tests your athletic endurance like trying to keep up with a field full of 8-year-old athletes! Coaches get the benefits of working out with their players at practices and find that as the kids’ skills and fitness levels improve, theirs do too. 

6. You’ll come away with a sense of pride and accomplishment
There is nothing like seeing the joy on an athlete’s face when they reach a goal that they didn’t think was possible. 

7. It’s a lot of fun!
Getting to know the kids, helping them learn, seeing them gain confidence, and taking risks is part of what makes coaching so great. But you’ll also get to run around and play and that is, truly, fun at any age.

This U8 Seasonal Curriculum is available to all Lakewood coaches courtesy of Tom Turner, OYSAN Director of Coaching. Don’t be afraid to use these with older players as well. At your practices try to get every player as many touches with the ball as possible and play lots of small-sided games. The more they play at practice, the more they will love the game!

One of the essential functions of coaches is to manage team communications with players and their families.  If you are a coach, SportsEngine has created a Team Management Guide for Coaches and Team Managers to help you use our website and mobile app to efficiently and effectively communicate and manage your teams. 

Accessing TeamCenter

Easily add and edit athlete info, manage schedules, and message team members

Messaging Your Team in TeamCenter

Send a message to an individual member, selected members, or the entire team directly from TeamCenter or from the SportsEngine mobile app

Basic Team Management

Perform basic tasks using the Team Page Team Management functionality

Add Contacts to Receive Team Messages

Add additional email addresses to a non-member's profile in order to be able to include all athletes in team communications

Managing RSVPs

Manage RSVPs for each athlete within your team’s TeamCenter or within the SportsEngine mobile app

Sending RSVPs for Existing Games or Events

Do you import your game schedules from a third-party scheduler or create them manually on your team page? This article explains how to add RSVPs to those games and events after they are imported.

More Helpful Coach Links

Review help articles about how coaches interact with TeamCenter and the SportsEngine mobile app

Bookmark your Website to the Home Screen of your Mobile Device

Access your website with a single tap from your mobile device's home screen.