Gahanna Soccer Association

Coaching at GSA

Welcome, Coaches!

If you are a coach, or are interested in coaching with GSA, then this is the place for you. Here you will find all of the information you need to register as a coach with GSA. In the future, we will be providing more information on coaching education and training guides for each age division.

 

Registration Information

 

 

How to Become a GSA Coach

The following are the basic requirements for all GSA coaches:

  1. Register as a coach volunteer while registration for either our fall or spring season is open
  2. You will receive an email with instructions on how to complete your required coaches training, which includes:
    • Criminal background check
    • Completing an approved concussion training course (20-30 mins, required by State of Ohio)
    • Lindsay's Law Training (~10 mins, required by State of Ohio)
    • SafeSport certification (2-3 hours, Federal requirement)

 

Top 10 Coaching Tips

Below are some practical guidelines for your consideration. These are not original ideas, but borrowed from Coerver Coaching. All of these tips are tried and true, and are proven to help you develop those young athletes.

  1. Develop Communication Skills. How you speak, how you listen, and how you demonstrate are really important.
  2. Never Stop Learning. The best soccer people will always regard themselves as students.
  3. Learn from Mistakes Everyone makes mistakes. That’s okay as long as you learn from them and don’t repeat them. As a coach, own your mistakes.
  4. Keep a Healthy Lifestyle. Every Coach is a model to his/her students; young players will copy you, so set a good example.
  5. Coach with your heart, not only your head. Young Players need care and attention. Winning is not everything at this age! So think before you say anything other than encouragement and praise.
  6. Enthusiasm, Encouragement, Energy = Excellence. This is the winning formula to be a good coach.
  7. Enjoy your work. Anyone who teaches soccer is lucky, so enjoy every moment.
  8. Concentrate on the performance not the game result!!! When you are a development Coach, your goal is long term success. In the short term you will lose games, but stick to the principles of Individual player development.
  9. Try not to over-coach. Try and remember be “Simple, Short, and Clear” in your coaching and when you demonstrate. Young players have usually a short attention span, so use each word carefully.
  10. Plan. Never go on the field without a practice plan. Spend time making your practice. Be clear what you want to show and how you are going to show it. Write it down.