The Board feels that there continues to be a need to improve the basic skills of the players within our Youth Soccer League. Skills learned at an early age serve as the foundation for future success. The basic skills of soccer include, but are not limited to, dribbling, turns, passing, receiving, ball control, shooting, defending, and attacking. We can’t expect these young players to master all skills in a single season but if taught consistently from season to season they will get it over time. Keep this in mind as you read through this document.
The basic role of the parent coach is to provide instruction in the proper skills and rules pertaining to the game, recognizing that player development is the primary goal. All coaches are encouraged to become certified through the U.S. Soccer certification program. The U.S. Soccer Coaching License Pathway consists of a series of courses designed to meet the specific needs of a coach at every step of the way.
The Board recognizes that there is a disparity between the skills and experience of parent coaches, with some coaches needing assistance beyond that provided by the U.S. Soccer certification program. To address this issue, the Board has made arrangements with the DWU soccer program to provide coaching assistance as needed.
The Board has established the following Player Development guidelines to be used by YSL parents, players, and coaches. These guidelines are intended to serve as milestones for the development of skills by age level; U6, U8 & U10. Keep in mind that while some players may learn to perform these skills faster than others, mastery of the skills will take a whole lot longer than one season. Repetition is the key and mastery is what we are looking for.