Soccer Club of Newington coaches come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are former soccer players looking to stay involved. Others are looking to coach with youth in their community. However, more often than not, our travel coaches are parents with children that started volunteering to coach when their children were in our Recreational program. Whether or not you have any prior experience with soccer, we encourage you to look into becoming a youth soccer coach with SCN. We have opportunities available for a variety of levels, and we strongly believe coaching soccer will enrich your life in the following ways...
Connect with your child and your community
The top reason parents volunteer to coach soccer is to connect with their children in a new way. As the backbone of the soccer team, coaches are highly influential mentors and teachers in the lives of their players. Team bonding events can provide an opportunity to become closer to your own child. By showing your child a commitment to volunteering and to their passion for soccer, you will help motivate them to be generous and supportive in their own lives.
In addition, coaching soccer puts you at the forefront of building relationships with other coaches and parents with kids of similar age and gender. As part of your role as a coach, you are in constant contact with many parents throughout the season. Many times, lifetime friendships grow between the families on a team.
Teaching valuable life lessons
Every player’s individual development is our top priority. Yes, development includes the technical, tactical, and physical soccer skills a player learns, but it also includes the psycho-social life lessons that make our player's strong leaders and teammates. From quick and correct decision-making to a hard-working attitude, these attributes will extend from the soccer field into a child’s life. As a coach, you’ll be expected to display these characteristics in your coaching and mentorship as well. The good sportsmanship and respect a coach shows will resonate with each player, helping shape the way they respond to situations in their future.
Find a sense of pride as a coach
As you lead a group of children to success, you will find yourself feeling pride in their growth and accomplishments. As a coach, you will experience players overcome individual development objectives, from specific soccer techniques to psycho-social growth. And yes, you will also have an extra reason to celebrate on the days when your team wins games.
Fun and exercise
It is no secret that running around outside is good for our health. While coaching soccer, you often do not even notice how much exercise you are getting because you will be engaged with the children. This type of exercise refreshing after a long day of work and gives you the opportunity to not only connect with children, but with yourself. On top of everything, coaching soccer is FUN, which is sometimes exactly what we need.