Welcome to coaching with SnVYSA! Outlined below is a list of resources that will educate and assist you in getting started to coach.

Click HERE to print out the Coach Checklist.

• Download SE App. Snoqualmie Valley Soccer uses Sports Engine for team rosters, communications, schedules, and RSVP's.  Please make sure you have downloaded the SE App.
• View Team Roster. All coaches will be able to view their team roster in the Sports Engine App(SE App) once teams are finalized and published. (Note: Coaches will not be rostered to their team unless they have completed all the compliance requirements and have an approved background check.)
•  Add or remove a player from your roster. If you have room on your roster and someone is interested in joining your team, please contact registrar@snvysa.org.  All player additions and removals must be approved and completed by the association Registrar. Players who have not registered and paid will not be rostered to a team and are not covered by insurance. 

Snoqualmie Valley Soccer uses Sports Engine App (SE App) for all team communications.  Once you have received your roster and it is viewable in the SE App, you will be able to communicate with parents of players on your team.

• Send a team communication.  Coaches need to communicate with parents promptly after receiving your roster. Introduce yourself and your plan for the season.
• Schedule a team meeting.  Coaches should schedule a pre-season kick-off meeting to review important information for the season with the players and parents before practices begin in August.
• Keep parents informed during the season.  Coaches should initiate regular communications with parents regarding team practices, games and how the season is going.

Recreational soccer is a volunteer organization, and its success relies on volunteer efforts. Coaches are responsible for coaching and developing players; everything else needs support and volunteer assistance. Head coaches should recruit volunteers from their team to help out.  

Outlined below are volunteer roles to recruit team parents for:

• Assistant coach, if you do not have one, to help with practices and games.
• Team manager to help with team management and uniform ordering for U11-U19.
• Backup referee for "home" games.  The "home" team is responsible for the referee.  It is to the coach's advantage to have a volunteer backup referee lined up in case a referee is not assigned to your home game.  
• Team photographer.  Team photos are not organized by SnVYSA.  If teams would like team photos, this will have to be organized by the team. 

Volunteer Reminders:

• All adult (18 yrs and older) volunteers must register with SnVYSA. If you have a parent who is interested in volunteering, please have them register to volunteer and complete the compliance requirements before interacting with the team.  
• All volunteers interacting with players must complete the compliance requirements. The SnVYSA Registrar needs to ensure that all coaches and volunteers are registered and have completed the required compliance requirements before rostering any staff members to a team. Volunteers are not allowed to interact with players until the required compliance requirements have been met.

The recreational program representative for your city will reach out to coaches with equipment pick-up times.   

• Team equipment supplied by SnVYSA. Each team will receive a ball bag, balls, and cones. The head coach for each U6-U8 team will also receive 1 Pugg Goal for practice and games. 
• Contact for additional equipment: Please let your local program representative know if you need additional equipment during the season.

• At the time of registration, players will indicate the jersey size. 
• Coaches will hand the jersey's out to players at a practice prior to games starting based on size requested during online registration.
• Players will wear Green for (HOME GAMES) and White for (AWAY GAMES).
• Players get to keep the reversible jersey's, they do not need to be returned.

Place order for the Uniform Kit for players  (U11-U19 age groups): Coaches need to coordinate or elicit a parent volunteer to coordinate the ordering of team uniform kits. A uniform kit is required to be ordered and paid for all players if they do not have one.  CLICK HERE for U11-U19 uniform ordering information and instructions.

• Review the roles and responsibilities of volunteer coaches and team staff. 
• Establish team goals. Setting team goals help coaches to create a shared vision that guides behavior, builds unity, and motivates players. 
• Review behavior expectations for the season. It is important to connect with and establish player, parent, and coach expectations before practices begin.  This will always benefit you and your team. (Note: This is a good time to remind Players of Player Code of Conduct expectations and Parents of Parent Code of Conduct Expectations.)
• Collect player medical forms.  Every player registered with SnVYSA has completed an online medical form, which can be printed by the parent/guardian from the parent's SE account. All coaches need to be aware of any known medical conditions of a player. 
• Remind Parents of Required and Prohibited Player Equipment.
  • Every player must wear shin guards to every practice and game. Socks must cover shin guards fully.
  • No belts, buckles, zippers, snaps, or jewelry allowed (including newly pierced earrings).
  • Molded soccer cleats required (no metal cleats or baseball cleats).

When do  practices and games begin?

Practices kick off in August.  Games will kick off in early September typically after Labor day.  

What are players required to wear and bring to practices and games?

• Soccer cleats are required, no baseball cleats are allowed.
• Shin guards: All kids MUST have shin guards to play and long socks to cover them to participate in any practice or game.
• U6-U10 Players: Each player will be provided with a reversible jersey by the association at no charge.  At the time of registration, players will indicate  the size they need.  Coaches will hand the jersey's out to players at a practice prior to games starting based on size requested during online registration.  Players get to keep the jerseys.
• U11-U19 Players: Each player will need to purchase a uniform kit.  Coaches will coordinate uniform ordering at one of the first practices of the season.
• Water bottle

What day and times are practices and games?

• U6/U7 Teams: Practices and games are scheduled twice a week (on Tues/Thurs).  Games are played against teams within SnVYSA.
• U8 Teams:  Practices and games are scheduled twice a week (on Mon/Wed ).  Games are played against teams within SnVYSA.
• U9-U10 Teams: Practices are typically twice a week.  Coaches set the day and time for practices in this age division.  Games will begin the first Saturday following Labor day.  Game times will vary but typically have a start time between 9am and 1:30pm with an occasional 3pm game if needed. Games are played against teams within SnVYSA.
• U11-U12 Teams: Practices are typically twice a week.  Coaches set the day and time for practices in this age division.  Games will begin the first Saturday following Labor day.  Games are played against teams within SnVYSA and a partnering association Eastside Youth Soccer Association(EYSA).  Game times will vary as the game schedule is set by EYSA for away games and SnVYSA for home games.
• U13-U19 Teams: Practices are typically twice a week.  Coaches set the day and time for practices in this age division.  Games generally begin the first Saturday/Sunday following Labor day depending on gender/age group(see chart below).  U13-U19 play other teams in League WA.  Game times will vary as the game schedule is set by League WA.

Where do the teams practice and play games?
Teams generally practice at a soccer field located in the city they registered in or one in close vicinity for older age groups.

The specific field location for a game will depend on the age group and league the player is in and whether they are playing a HOME or AWAY game.   SnVYSA HOME field locations by club can be found on the website at Fields.

U6-U10 age group games: these teams do not travel outside of the cities within SnVYSA boundaries.  SnVYSA tries to keep travel time to minimum for the teams in the younger age groups.

U11-U12 age group games: some travel is involved for AWAY games to neighboring Eastside cities; Bellevue, Issaquah, Sammamish, and Mercer Island.

U13-U19 age group games: some travel involved for AWAY games to cities of soccer leagues that are a part of League WA (greater eastside, Seattle & greater Snohomish (includes Everett).

How many games does the season include?

Every age group will play a 10 game season. The U9 and U10 teams will play 8 regular season games with the last two (2) games in the SnVYSA U9/U10 end of season tournament which is typically the second weekend in November.  

U11 - U19 Teams:  Teams may participate in the Washington Youth Soccer Recreational Cup which begins in mid October. 

More information on the Washington Youth Soccer Recreational Cup and the SnVYSA U9/U10 end of season tournament  can be found on our website at Tournaments.

• Please adhere to the published practice schedule or make arrangements to switch with another coach.  If fields are available,  there is more flexibility. 
• Game schedules will be released no later than end of August.
• Micro U6-U8: Please encourage families to focus on fun and learning the game.  This is not the age to be keeping  track of the score, or a win/loss record. 

Referee Assignment By Age Group

Referees will be assigning to games for U6-U19 age groups.  In the event no referee is assigned to a home game, the home team is responsible for providing the volunteer referee.  Parents can register as a volunteer to be the back up referee for games where there is no referee assigned.

U6-U8 Games: Apprentice referees will assign to games.  Apprentice referees are between the ages of 10-12.  If you have a player that is 10-12 years of old and they are interested in becoming an Apprentice Referee, please have them sign up HERE.

U9-U19 Games: USSF licensed Grassroots Referees will be assigning to these games. USSF Grassroots Referees must be 13 years of age and at least 3 years older than the players in the age group they are assigned as the center referee. If you have a player that is 13 years of age or older and they are interested in becoming a licensed USSF Grassroots referee, please have them sign up HERE.

View Referee Assignment in Tools

To view referee assignments for U6-U19 games, coaches must login and access the tools where the game schedules are uploaded.

• U6-U10 home and away games: The game schedules are created by the SnVYSA Registrar/Scheduler and uploaded to Arbiter for referee assignment. NOTE: coaches must be set up by the SnVYSA Registrar prior to accessing Arbiter.
• U11/U12 home games: The game schedules are created by EYSA and uploaded by the SnVYSA Registrar/Scheduler to Arbiter for referee assignment. NOTE: coaches must be set up by the SnVYSA Registrar prior to accessing Arbiter.
• U11/U12 away games: The game schedules are created by EYSA and uploaded to Eastside Youth Soccer Association Referees (EYSA Referees) for referee assignment.
• U13-U19 home and away games:  The game schedules are created by League Washington of Washington Youth Soccer and the SnVYSA Registrar/Scheduler adds them to East King County Soccer Referees (EKCSRA )for referee assignment.

Back Up Referee

 A parent volunteer must be recruited by every coach to be used as a "back up volunteer referee" in the event there is no referee assigned to a home game.   The home team is responsible for the referee.  It is to the coaches advantage to have a volunteer parent recruited and registered as a volunteer with SnVYSA at the beginning of the season.

Respect The Referees

SnVYSA has a zero-tolerance policy related to bad behavior towards referees:

• Be A Role Model!
• Be polite and respectful and model appropriate behavior
• NEVER yell or interact with the referees
• Do NOT allow your players to be disrespectful nor blame the referees
• The coach is responsible for the behavior of their sidelines (parent/family/guest/players)
• Shake the hands of your referees after the game and thank them for being there… ALWAYS