CVUSC in partnership with BC Soccer and Canada Soccer offer training for our coaches. 
CVUSC will host the complete series of Grassroots Workshops this March 2023.  CVUSC Coaches can complete the on-line components at their own pace, which will be a pre-requisite for the on-field training.  Then attend on-field session hosted by CVUSC or in partnership with Upper Island Clubs.

CVUSC BC Soccer Coaching Clinics 

CVUSC through our Coach-the-Coach program will be offering Formal BC Soccer coaching clinics and club lead sessions, covering all areas of coaching development from the brand-new parent, novice coach, through to select coach. The intent is to provide you with all the tools you need to develop yourself into the best coach and our youth into the best soccer players they can be, while having fun.  As per BC Soccer guidelines and in support of coach education Head Coaches of any youth team shall complete the appropriate CSA/BCSA coaching course respective to the age group of the team(s) they will be coaching.CVUSC will cover the cost of the clinics for our coaches.

There is no better way to build your confidence and understanding of the basics of coaching We encourage all coaches take at least one clinic per year- our Comox Valley youth deserve it.

BC Soccer coach education is more accessible now that they have moved to a blended learning format allowing coaches to complete the theoretical part of the course online (Online Theory Part 1) and the on-field component (Practical Workshop Part 2) by attending an in person practical workshop.  Age specific course offered are Active Start U4 to U6, Fundamentals U7 - U8, Learning to Train U9 - U11 and Soccer for Life U12+.   No pervious coaching experience is required, coach simply need to be willing to learn, be positive and have fun.

ACTIVE START (U4 to U6)

At this stage, players should participate in stimulating practices and games that develop basic technical skills in a FUN atmosphere. The emphasis should be movement exercises and games that promote a feel for the ball while teaching basic principles of play within a fun but structured setting. Informal games can be set up at the end of practices or as part of a jamboree mixing exercising and games. Play equal time and try all team positions, including goalkeeper, and equal time should be allotted to practices and games.

FUNDAMENTALS (U7-U8)

At this stage, players should participate in stimulating practices and games that develop basic technical skills in a FUN atmosphere. The emphasis should be movement exercises and games that promote a feel for the ball while teaching basic principles of play within a fun but structured setting. Mini game formats are used, ranging from 3v3 to 5v5 and a basic league schedule can be created but no standings should be kept. All players should play equal time and try all team positions, including goalkeeper, and equal time should be allotted to practices and games.

LEARNING TO TRAIN (U9-U11)

This stage introduces players to disciplined training and begins to develop their understanding of principles of play alongside their skills practice. Repetitions are important to develop technical proficiency, but creating a fun and challenging environment is still paramount to stimulate learning and promote a love of the game. Game formats can range from 6v6 to 8v8 as players advance through this stage, and again a simple league schedule can be created, but no standings should be kept – the emphasis is still FUN. All players play equal time and try all team positions, including goalkeeping, and the training to competition ratio should be 2 to 3 training sessions for every game.

SOCCER FOR LIFE (U12+)

Designed for coaches of Boys U13+ and Girls U12+. It consists of completing 2 hours of online training followed by a 4-hour Practical On-Field Workshop. Coaches are also expected to complete the NCCP Make Ethical Decisions Workshop and Online Evaluation; the NCCP Making Headway Concussion Awareness Workshop, the NCCP Online Emergency Action Plan Workshop and the Respect in Sport Activity Leader Course. No pre-requisites required. 

Note: there is no evaluation in the Grassroots Coach Education Program.  Coaches completing all of the expectations noted above will be classified as Trained Coaches. 

HOW to REGISTER:

All coaches must create a "Coaches Centre" account and contact our Director of Soccer Darrin at, darrin@cvusc.org to receive a "access key" code for the online portion of the course they are wanting to take.

At the same time a workshop access code will be provided, needed to register for the Comox hosted on-field workshops.  Following the completion of the online portion of the course coaches will be able to register for the on-field workshop and complete the course requirements.

Steps: 

1. Create a Coach Centre account by clicking here.  If you already have one, please proceed to step 2.

2. Redeem your CSA "access key" received from the club and follow the steps below to enroll in the online portion of the course. 

CSA Online Education Login:

To redeem your "access key". 

1. Go to CSA "smarteru" platform https://app.smarteru.com/Custom/CanadaSoccer/registration.cfm
2. Fill in and submit the registration form with your details. Note Information and email address must match your Coach Centre account details. 
3. You will receive an email with the Login credentials and instructions. 
4. To complete the enrolment in the course, please login to the e-learning platform and redeem your access key, by clicking on the Key Tool option, located at the bottom of your Learner View menu. 
5. After redeeming the key, your course(s) will be enabled.  

3. Complete the on-line portion of the courses.  

IMPORTANT: Please note it will take up to 7-10 days to apply the online theory pre-requisite credit. If you don't follow these steps, you won't be able to register for the on-field workshops. 

4. Register for an upcoming on-field workshop to complete the course requirements.  Find the next list of on-field workshops at www.coachescentre.ca

How to register: Go to www.coachescentre.ca

1. If you do not have an coaches centre account register.
2. Log into your account. 
3. Search for the workshop hosted by Comox you wish to register for.
4.  Use the code provided by the club to register for the course.  

 IMPORTANT: Please note a minimum of twelve coaches are required to have registered seven days in advance of the start of any on-field workshop.  Too few and the workshop will be canceled.  To ensure a workshop goes, please allow for the theory pre-requisite to be credited and register before the deadline.  

What about other coach education requirements or ongoing training modules?

Any questions, please contact Darrin at darrin@cvusc.org 

IMPORTANT:
The 'Making Ethical Decisions' is not mandatory but is recommended by "Coaching Association of Canada" and "BC Soccer" that volunteer coaches complete the online course. MED is a requirement for all coaches if they would like to continue coaching at a higher level.. MED multi-sport module is offered through the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP). For more info, cost and registration:  Making Ethical Decisions (MED)