First, I am supportive of education and becoming a better coach. The USSF instructors I have had so far are all nice guys with the best of intentions. That’s the good news.
The bad news…it’s going to take a while. Let me start out with my own story. I received my USSF D license in the 1990’s at Hall High School in CT. That was back in the day when USSF gave a paper certificate for passing, and entered your name in the state USSF database. After earning my D license I took some time off, before deciding to take my next license. It turns out that I could not find the paper certificate, so I called the Director of Coaching. He proceeded to tell me that the entire database for everyone who took their license in Connecticut had been erased by accident. Needless to say, this was disappointing because I paid money and earned my D license. With a bad taste in my mouth from the USSF experience, I decided to take the route of the United Soccer Coaches and earned my Premier Diploma with distinction, after many thousands of dollars and traveling all over the country. A year later the USSF refused to acknowledge all United Soccer Coaches credentials, rendering my credentials good for the college game only. For context, in the college game I have won 4 National Championships, have been named the National College Coach of the Year 5X, Educated Professional Clubs around the World for FA education credits, was the only American Coach featured at the Conference for Neuroscience and Soccer in Spain, featured on SiriusXM FC the Coaching Academy twice, Consultant to MLS team, invited into the MLS twice to present on player development methods, featured as the only American Coach presenting at the Football Knowledge Conference, speaker at the Soccer Summit (2nd highest views of the entire conference), guest speaker on Finland Coaches Association Podcast, written and sold 45,000+ coaching books, created one of the most popular Youtube Soccer Coaching Channels in the World, founder of the top 25 coaching education blog in the world, and 35+ years coaching at all levels of the game. Why mention all that? To point out the serious flaws in the soccer coaching licensing system. if you played pro soccer for a certain amount of years, you can go right to the USSF B course. But why? Does being a pro make you a good coach? Do you study academic theory as a player? Do you have years of experience coaching U8 to U16? What actual coaching experience do you have if you were only a player? I played NCAA DI soccer and began coaching while I was still in college, but with all the experience I still need to obtain a grassroots USSF license. I have friends coaching in the Big East and the ACC that do not have a license. These coaches would need to start with a USSF grassroots license according to the current rules. Imagine telling an ACC or Big East football or basketball coach at Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, Wake Forest, or Clemson that they need to take a youth sports license. Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? This brings us to the point that the NFL, NBA, MLB, or the NHL do not have silly licensing requirements. You can get a college degree online but not a grassroots USSF license that counts towards your D license. Why would a USSF license cost thousands of dollars anyways? What magic potion or secret sauce are they really teaching in these courses? In the technology world, you can get certified by passing an online test. The test measures your competency and then you can get a job with the certification. You can get your high school equivalency with a GED test. If the soccer licensing system was 100% online then there would be no need for the newly imposed renewal fees, not to mention the continuing education that is also required to keep the license. It’s not like after all this money you are guaranteed to pass. I can’t count the number of people I know who have failed the USSF licenses over the years. Why would a person fail? I would run the course to simply share information because, in the end, the coach forms their own way of doing things based upon what they personally value. It’s not like a license will earn a high paying six-figure job for most people. To be perfectly honest I do not see any credible methodology within the USSF so far. I believe that some leagues in the US are now creating their own education credentials for coaches, basically letting the USSF know that their licenses are not needed for their leagues. In the future don’t be surprised if the MLS establishes their own in-house licensing, distancing themselves from the USSF. In a sense, the French Course offered to select coaches in the MLS is seen as the new Gold Standard.
By the way, I am not criticizing any of the instructors and people who teach the USSF courses. I respect the hard work and dedication they put in. However, I say shame on the federation for failing to provide a basic foundation for coaches. I recently took the 4v4, 7v7, and 11v11 grassroots courses, so I could re-take the D license that I already earned, which was erased when the states computer server was compromised. I could literally choose multiple lesson plans that the USSF provided, and point out how poor they all were, but below are just two activities from the grassroots 11v11 course that are completely not realistic and have no real meaningful connection to the game (provided for a basic example). I would also point out that there are no constraint-based activities used in a representative game-design environment to teach anything. The courses are devoid of the most important tool we have to teach the game – constraints. The excuse that it is a beginners course, is not acceptable for me.
This first exercise is designed to teach building out from the back in a 11v11 game model. First, there are normally 18 kids at a practice – what are all the other kids doing when only 9 kids are using half a field? Do you even have half a field? Second, there are 2 center backs and a keeper working the ball to 1 center midfielder who is marked – making the movements to get open unrealistic at best. Is this teaching positional play concepts? No – it is the opposite. The center backs must run up the field to support the center midfielder, if they are lucky enough to get the ball to the one marked midfield player. When in a game would both center backs sprint into the midfield 30 yards to score on small goals? The field space is 54 yards by 44 yards – that is huge for 5 field players – not a “real game experience” which is what the methodology is supposed to be, but it essentially is just a bunch of words and not a methodology. Don’t get me started on the absence of any academic theory. The fact these courses are the foundation courses is not an excuse for bad information and inaccurate practice sessions.
This second 11v11 activity is constructed with more flaws then the first activity. The 2 Center Backs dribble and pass as they play against one defender until they score on a small goal. I struggle to even compare this to what ecological dynamics calls representative game design. There is nothing game-like or useful about this exercise. 3 players and a keeper are working on half a field, what are the other 14 doing? Is this the foundation we want to provide coaches? I could provide all the exercises that the grassroots 4v4 to 11v11 gave me and comment on the poor design and lack of a methodology, but I will stop at just two. My question is who approved and designed these courses? The questioning method was used non-stop with no context and not in real time during all the courses. I already wrote a long article on why I feel the questioning method is overrated.
I will end with this, if the USSF is serious about putting out a credible product please email me and I am willing to help design the license so you can distribute it to the masses, all online for a low cost or free. Soccer coaching no longer needs to be a “pay to coach model” for the coaches who can’t afford the cost and time away from work. Soccer is the peoples game and coaching should be affordable and close to free for anyone who wants a license. Seriously give me a call when you truly want to deliver a better product to the masses, and stop with the elitism and pay to coach model.
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