The role of a soccer coach may vary in terms of specifics based on what level of soccer the coach is coaching, and even on the team itself.
However, there are some shared components of all coaches, no matter if they are at the top of the league or a small kindergarten team.
First and foremost, it is the soccer coach’s job to manage the team. They are there to help the team to improve together, as individuals as well as a team.
They will be in charge of planning training sessions, developing tactics and strategies for winning games, managing the progress of the team and identifying how they can progress even further, and importantly, boosting the morale of the team.
This means that they need to be very organized, have a fantastic knowledge of the game and the individual strengths of each player on the team, and also be very enthusiastic. They also need to know how to use each player’s strength together to create a winning combination.
Depending on the level at which a soccer coach is managing, there may also be varying degrees of analysis and research that must be done. This relates to both the coach’s team and any opposing teams.
This will help the coach to better manage their team’s tactics for each game as they will be able to prepare them for how the opposing team may be planning to play, and the coach can help them to adjust their tactics based on what the opposing team is doing.
You may also find that some coaches are very hands-on with their team and the individual players, providing a support system for them in other aspects of their life.
A good coach will be well aware of the fact that personal issues can have a knock-on effect on the progress of the team as a whole. As such they will be more than happy to help out individuals in the interests of the team.
What is the job description of a soccer coach?
The job description of a soccer coach may vary depending on who is recruiting for the coach. For example, if the recruiter is an elementary school, then the specific job description may be quite different when compared to a job description for a coach in Major League Soccer.
However, as the basics of the role are similar, you can expect the base of the job description to be similar, too. As such, you can find a template job description for a soccer coach below. We found this on a popular career website called Better Team:
“We are searching for a seasoned football coach to train our brilliant team. The coach’s responsibilities include leading training sessions, providing motivation and advice during gameplay, developing game plans, attending tryouts, as well as scheduling team meetings. You should be able to identify the individual abilities of each player and provide one-to-one coaching wherever required.
To be successful as a football coach, you should demonstrate great love for the game of football, and be able to foster good sportsmanship in your players. Outstanding candidates are highly motivated, committed, disciplined, and patient.” (Better Team)
As you can see from the above job description, some key components are expected from a soccer coach such as motivation, commitment, discipline, ability to develop players and plans, and passion for the sport, that should be shared by every coach in employment, whether in high school the military, or Major League Soccer.
What does an assistant soccer coach do?
An assistant soccer coach’s job role is much the same as the role of the main soccer coach.
First and foremost they will be assisting the soccer coach with all aspects of running the team, such as helping to plan training sessions, motivating the team during training and matches, helping to develop tactics, and getting to know the skills of each of the players better to ensure the team is up to the best standard possible.
As well as this, you may find that some assistant soccer coaches will work very closely with the team members, perhaps even more so than the main soccer coach.
They will be providing more personal one-to-one assistance, helping the players with any personal issues that may have a knock-on effect on their training and development as a soccer player. They may then be able to relay issues back to the soccer coach if needed.
Like the soccer coach, an assistant soccer coach must also have lots of experience in soccer and be passionate about the game.
They will be able to motivate players and encourage them, even when they are losing in a game or not playing as well, providing constructive feedback when needed.
They will be able to analyze the way each player is playing and then help the main coach develop tactics for matches.