Recreational Soccer Coach- Fall 2024

Title: Recreation Soccer Coach

Department: Community Soccer

Supervisor: Community Soccer Program Manager, site supervisors

Works With: Youth Soccer players ranging in age from 5 to 19, caregivers

Overview:

South Bronx United (SBU) is a sports-based youth development organization that uses soccer as a tool for social change. Its mission is to prepare youth to succeed in high school, college, careers, their community and beyond. SBU serves more than 1,400 young people annually through programming on the field and in the classroom, including academic enrichment and tutoring, college prep, mentoring, leadership development, health and wellness, immigration legal services, and other individual and family support. 

Rec League Coaches work with one team of athletes (either co-ed or single gender) within the SBU Recreational Soccer League during the fall and/or spring seasons. Coaches run short practices and manage games for youth that compete against the other teams within the SBU league, which consists of nine age groups and 62 teams. Coaches not only share the joy of playing the sport but also reinforce the values that sport develops (teamwork, discipline, respect, etc).

Time Commitment:

Please note- this is an in-person volunteer opportunity.

Rec League Coaches are asked to commit at least an hour and a half for approximately 11-12 Saturdays during the rec season. The fall season runs from September 7th to November 23rd and the spring season runs March to June. Time and location will depend on the age level of the team you are assigned to.

Our rec soccer program runs at the following locations:

Macombs Dam Field: The location is E.157th W. 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451 161st Street between River and Jerome Avenues.

Foster Park: The location is 1055 Jerome Ave, Bronx NY, 10452 Jerome Avenue at 165th Street. Park is on the north side of Yankee Stadium.

Primary Responsibilities:

Coaching according to positive principles:

• Use encouragement and positive reinforcement as your primary method of motivating. No screaming, hyper competitiveness, or overcoaching during games.
• Reward effort, not just good outcomes. Recognize players even for “unsuccessful” effort and allow room for mistakes.
• When providing feedback/coaching, utilize positive reinforcements to each correction and learn to coach in private (1v1), ask permission, and avoid criticism in non-teachable moments.
• Teach respect for the rules, opponents, refs, teammates, and themselves
• Ensure players receive equal play time on the field

Be Present:

• Coaches are expected to be on-time. They are expected 30 minutes prior to practice. Players are expected to be at the field 15 mins prior so coaches should be there before them!
• Be engaged. When you’re at the field you’re focused on the kids and running engaging sessions (we’ll provide practice plans). 

Communicate with your players/families:

• Call your players’ parents ahead of the season to introduce yourself and share details. The more of a relationship you foster the more likely you’ll be to get full attendance.
• Follow up with any absent players each week
• If you ever are unavailable to coach immediately let coordinators know and arrange for coverage (talk to your co-coach, and players’ parents to find a fill in).

Desired Qualifications:

• Previous soccer knowledge is not required, but enthusiasm for working with children is a necessity.
• Passion for our mission and a genuine desire to make a positive impact in the South Bronx community.
• Ability to commit to the majority of practices on Saturdays
• Strong interpersonal skills are a must. We're looking for individuals who are empathetic, culturally aware, and adaptable.

Training:

We will provide volunteers with orientation materials, coaching training, and a coaching manual. A formal orientation/ training will be held prior to each season. Coaches will be assigned to age groups (age 4-19) based on experience, availability, and preference.

Benefits:

In addition to helping provide the resources and support to allow under-resourced youth the opportunity to participate in an organized sport, coaches will have opportunities for professional coaching training and will be connected to a network of caring volunteers for fun soccer-related events throughout the year.