PRSA Coaching Requirements

Diploma or License

The Park Ridge Soccer Association attempts to have all its coaches attend training sessions so they can better serve the players and create a positive climate where skill development and fun can be achieved. Two different kinds of training are available, along with monthly seminars presented by local trainers and high school coaches.

House coaches must attend the State Diploma Course (5 hours) sponsored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. It is presented as needed, but usually at least once early in the spring and fall seasons.  Currently over 250 house league coaches have earned the State Diploma.

The NSCAA Regional Diploma (13 hours) is recommended for all Travel Team Coaches and any House League coaches desiring more coaching education. The Advance Regional Diploma will be offered for interested coaches. The Advanced Regional adds a practice component (7 hours) to the Regional Diploma course. For ambitious coaches the NSCAA offers a National and Advanced National Diploma at week long residential sessions on college campuses and a Premier Diploma given in England. More information can be obtained at nscaa.com.

United States Soccer and the Illinois Youth Soccer Association require that all Travel coaches earn an "E" license. The "E" license is a weekend course and is given at various locations around the state. The "D" license runs for two consecutive weekends for about 36 hours and is given at various sites. The "C", "B" and "A" licenses are only for the upper level professional and college coaches. More information on these licenses can be found at IYSA.org.

Both the NSCAA and USSoccer are in the business of making better coaches to assist our young players. The presentations may differ, but the goal is the same----let the kids play, let the game be the teacher and let’s all have fun.

Contact the Director of Training, Chris Caudill via email at parkridgesoccer@hotmail.com for more information or with questions.

SMALL-SIDED SOCCER AND USE OF GRIDS

The purposes of small-sided soccer games for practices are many:

1. Most Park Ridge Soccer Association teams, whether house or travel, do not have a full compliment of 22 players to play full-sided scrimmages in practice.
2. There are not enough full-sized soccer fields at any age level to allocate a full field to only one team, even if it had 22 players available.
3. Even if a team had the requisite 22 players, it would be better to play 2 or 3 small-sided games.
4. If the purpose of the practice is to give players more opportunities to touch the ball, small-sided activities on appropriately sized areas provide just such an opportunity.
5. Grids or portions of a full field offer flexible lines that can be used to set various sized boundaries. Players of any age need lines within which to play. Cones or discs alone cannot provide those boundaries. It would be like trying to play tennis without a net.
6. Other parameters such as playing with uneven numbers per team i.e. 2 v 1 or 4 v 2 or 4 v 4 with a neutral player who plays offense for both teams also increase opportunities for teamwork as well as skill building.
7. Technical skills such as dribbling, passing and receiving are enhanced in these activities.
8. Physical skills such as running, jumping, kicking and balance will improve in this environment that allows for many repetitions.
9. Mental skills will increase with use of controlled situations, simple rules and basic tactics that create opportunities for success.
10. Tactical concepts such as support and combining with teammates can be taught on a smaller scale using triangulation.

Coaches practicing on game fields should understand that one half of the field, depending on the age level involved, is anywhere from 40 x 40 for a midget field to 50 x 45 for a junior field to 55 x 50 for a Mid Senior field. Small group activities can be tailored to these sizes using existing lines, or perhaps using the penalty area lines. Instructional fields measure 25 x 30 and can be affectively used by any age group during the week, since the instructional teams do not practice and those fields at Centennial Park are unused.

Painted grid areas are available at various sites in various sizes. Use these areas rather than asking young players to imagine boundaries outlined by cones on the four corners of an imaginary box.

Small-sided activities can be found in the appendix of the NSCAA State Diploma Course Manual.

Contact the Director of Training, Chris Caudill via email at parkridgesoccer@hotmail.com for more information or with questions.

Game Results / Publicity Notes:  ( Accessible via PRS Publicity Entry )

• Publicity login information is provided to head coaches each season, link to Instructions for entering and submitting game results.

If you are the "team publicist" responsible for providing your team's publicity information, direct all questions regarding procedures to your team's head coach.
Coaches: If you have misplaced your login information, please contact your travel or division coordinator.

• If the team standings appear incorrect...

The standings page will only include games in which the opposing team either

• didn't enter a publicity record at all
• entered a publicity entry where the score matched exactly that entered by you.

For example, if the Bears record game results as Bears: 3 to Bulls: 2 and the Bulls record Bears: 2 to Bulls: 0, this game will NOT be included in the standings. To fix the standings, one of the teams will have to change their score entry.

• Game results / Publicity is due by 8 AM MONDAY morning for publication in the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate, no exceptions!

Publicity questions should be directed to the PRS webmaster.