Coaching Opportunities & Requirements

We encourage both adults and teenagers to become volunteer soccer coaches. You will learn to love the game at a much deeper level and find great satisfaction in the tangible improvement of the players you coach. Lawrence Hamnett will provide you with online resources, hands-on clinics, coaches meetings, licensing reimbursement, and the other tools you need to succeed. Each team is typically assigned at least two coaches.

Lawrence Hamnett provides two types of volunteer coaching opportunities:

A. Volunteer Recreation Coaches
Assigned to a team that plays in Lawrence Hamnett's "in-house" recreational program. Players are 5 to 14 years old. The main requirement is a willingness to motivate and availability on Saturday mornings and early afternoons in September through early November in fall or early April through early June in the spring. Coaches can split their time if necessary.

B. Volunteer Travel Coaches
Assigned as Volunteer Assistant coach to a team that plays in sanction NJ Youth Soccer/USYS league. Players are 7 to 19 years old. Requires certified coaching education (9 hours initially), and ideally a multi-year commitment to develop the potential of a select group of players.  Practices are  twice per week and a game each weekend in the fall and spring.  All training for the team is provided at least weekly by a Red Bulls Trainer whose lesson plans you can adapt throughout the season.

Requirements to be a Volunteer LHSA Assistant Travel Coach. (All teams Head Coaches are Red Bull Trainers)

As directed by the New Jersey Youth Soccer State Office and the NJYS Director of Coaching, the current requirements for being carded as a coach on the roster. Please note that only carded coaches are allowed on the team sideline.   Volunteer Coaches need to complete the following:

1) Background check: this is done automatically after you enter your name, birthdate, Drivers' License, etc., at the time your     
             register as a Volunteer Assistant Coach for one of LHSA Travel teams.  Make sure you hit the "Approve" button.

2) SafeSports training: This must be  completed annually to be carded as a Volunteer Assistant Coach.  Click on 
     this link  is for the explanation of New Jersey/USFA Policy 212-3 for SafeSports requirement.

3) Concussion training: a requirement for all coaches in New Jersey need to complete this training to coach youth    
             sports. You only require  to do this once.  Click  this link for the CDC  Heads Up to Youth Sports : Online Training.  It is  
              recommended that you refresh this course every three years.

4) Coach Education Licensing:  Either NJYS State Certificate  or the US Soccer Grassroots training will satisfy this requirement  NJYS     strongly prefers the State Certificate, which satisfies the state-wide Little League Law requirement.  While the Grassroots does not      officially fulfill that requirement, it can initially be used in a pinch for carding coaches. LHSA strongly recommend that all coaches     
    eventually complete the State Certificate and work towards continued Coaching Education (Then Click on Coaching  Education on the      toolbar) through the programs provided by NJYS.

THREE STEPS to Become a Recreational League Coach

Becoming a volunteer recreational coach requires each of the following steps to be completed.

1. REQUIRED: Concussion Training

All coaches are required to take a concussion training course and upload the certificate of completion in their profile in order to be able to coach a team. A free, 30-minute, online concussion training course can be found at the US CDC website: CDC Heads Up Online Training Course.  Recertification is required every two years. This is State Law for all youth sports.

2. REQUIRED: Risk Management

a) Background Check (Yearly)

All youth coaches are required to complete a background check in order to coach a team.  Background checks are done through our registration system.  Background checks are valid for one seasonal year and only cover LHSA programs and other USYS organizations.

b) SafeSports

All youth coaches are required to complete a SafeSport course.  To complete this course, use this link to see how to register:  https://www.njyouthsoccer.com/Default.aspx?tabid=734487&showpageeditor=1.

3. OPTIONAL: Coaching Clinic

We STRONGLY encourage prospective coaches to complete a State Certificate (Formerly the NJYS F Course) with New Jersey Youth Soccer (NJYS). Courses are offered on a regular basis in many different locations across the state, usually a combination of a Friday night and one Saturday morning and early afternoon. LHSA will reimburse the full course fee upon successful completion. A license is good for life, so be sure to store your certificate in a safe place.