With over 1500+ players in our soccer programs the Fond du Lac Soccer Association is always in need of dedicated coaches. The recreation league is comprised of 100% volunteer coaches who are mainly parents willing to go that extra mile to help out. The Academy and Select League Coaches are compensated and are required to hold active coaching licenses sufficient to the level they are coaching.

If you are eager to help please consider volunteering your time to be a soccer coach. The coaches’ corner page has been developed as a resource for all of our club coaches; ranging from the recreational level all the way up to elite level coaches. Various educational articles will be posted along with some club guidelines and recommendations on various topics such as: nutrition, warm-ups, cool-down’s, sample session plans, etc.

With U.S. Soccer Grassroots player development initiatives, a critical concept that all Grassroots coaches continue to learn about is Play-Practice-Play. Researched and developed by technical leaders across the domestic Grassroots landscape, Play-Practice-Play is the optimal manner to structure a practice session for youth players, as it utilizes best practices for the learning and application of game-like scenarios

Here are five things you should know about this important component of U.S. Soccer’s Grassroots initiatives:

WHAT IS PLAY-PRACTICE-PLAY?

Play-Practice-Play is a Grassroots developed philosophy designed around a player-centered approach to coaching. Taking a player centered approach places the needs and motivations of the player at the forefront of a coach’s approach to coaching his or her players. The concept of Play-Practice-Play is to allow young players to experience the game and game-like situations as much as possible. This approach differs from traditional practices that may have children standing in lines, running laps and participating in drills that don’t resemble the game of soccer.

STAGE 1: PLAY

When players arrive to practice, the first responsibility of the coach is to create an environment that is safe, engaging and fun. In the first Play phase, players engage in small-sided games with the primary focus on having fun. It is important that these pickup-style games are led by the players and facilitated by the coaches. During this first Play stage, players have the opportunity to experience the game while the coach observes and guides them towards developing their own solutions rather than being directed what to do.  

STAGE 2: PRACTICE

In the second phase of Play-Practice-Play, children are engaged in different forms of targeted learning activities to further guide their opportunities to develop. The goal of the Practice phase is to create an environment filled with opportunities for players to experience and learn about the goal of the training session through repetition.

Practice activities should be of appropriate challenge (striking a balance between success and failure), resemble the game, involve the players making decisions and allow for creative problem solving. The role of the coach during this phase is to guide players while using teaching actions. While it is during this phase that targeted learning takes place, there should always be an emphasis on keeping the atmosphere fun and enjoyable for the players.

STAGE 3: PLAY AGAIN!

The final stage of Play-Practice-Play is the game. This phase offers players the opportunity and freedom to play, without interruption, in an environment that mirrors the actual game. The focus of the final Play phase is to encourage players to express themselves and demonstrate what they learned during the Practice phase. A coach should observe and guide using minimal dialogue if possible. By silently observing the application of the Practice phase in the final Play phase, the coach is able to check each player’s understanding and ability to execute the goal of the training session.

WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION

Through U.S. Soccer’s Grassroots Licensing Courses, prospective coaches have the opportunity to learn more about the Play-Practice-Play methodology. These opportunities include gaining access to already created Play-Practice-Play training sessions. Click here to access U.S. Soccer’s free Introduction to Grassroots Coaching Education Module and start your journey towards becoming a licensed coach!

RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY

WYSA Risk Management Policy
Under this policy, any coach, assistant coach, team trainer, team manager, referee, club or district board member, WYSA administrator, WYSA Board of Directors member, independent contractor, or any other individual seeking affiliation with WYSA or WYSA Affiliated Clubs who has direct or indirect contact or influence on a youth player is required by WYSA to complete a Risk Management Disclosure, every two years through WYSA’s online risk management system. Each Club has a responsibility to ensure compliance across their organization. 

SAFESPORT CERTIFICATION

• A WYSA State Issued Pass Card will not be issued to an applicant without verification of SafeSport completion
• SafeSport certification or refresher must be completed annually
• SafeSport Guide

RISK MANAGEMENT REGISTRATION PROCESS

WYSA is currently in the process of transitioning to PlayMetrics for all Risk Management. Please contact your club administrator for instructions.
How to complete your RM requirements as a member.

Questions about Risk Management, please contact Chad Collett at president@fondysoccer.com