Training & Development (players and humans)

Training our teams in the basic principles of soccer is our foremost accountability; Irish Soccer provides many resources to set you up for success in this area. We also insist upon high standards of respect to develop not only as players and coaches but as individuals of strong character with a strong sense of community. Training to achieve with integrity is the goal for all Irish teams.

Irish Soccer encourages intentional training through awareness of principles & methods and use of standard training plans to support consistent development across our club. Weekly plans are provided and coach training and support can be provided when requested

Leverage the information and resources made available to you and provide feedback if information is not supportive or accessible. A key factor for successful clubs is the consistency with which club members are trained. When some teams receive training that is more or less in depth or that is focused on different strategic goals, skill discrepancies emerge across the membership. As teams progress from small sided teams to larger combined teams, this has an impact on the club's ability to field performant teams on the 11v11 field.

In short, work to understand basic age appropriate objectives and make use of training plans and materials available to you. Engage your team in positive ways that encourage participation and support a positive player experience. Seek support if you need help. And most of all, have fun!

Communication and Admin Tactics:

Administration within teams is often the long pole for coaches; and sadly, the reason many do not volunteer to coach. Organizing and communicating can be tough; we've got lots of tips and feedback included to lighten the load.

Our club is people powered - our board and coaching staff are comprised 100% of volunteers. We encourage our coaches to delegate within teams where possible, as many hands make light work.

Seek out a team communication manager - ask for volunteers to manage team communication for practice and game day availability, snacks, and end of year party or other events like picture day or tournament participation. Divide across volunteers where possible.

Streamline your communication process by using a standard team text thread, an app (such as the Sport Connect app provided), or a Google sheet/email process to communicate in one way that meets your needs. As volunteers it is completely acceptable to ask folks to align to your preferred way of communicating to make it easier to manage efficiently.

Establish a regular pattern, such as a weekly cadence to send a single update to communicate multiple needs, rather than one-off communications for each item. Set the expectation with your team early on for when you will respond to questions or needs. Don't feel obligated to an "on-call" style - feel free to ask parents to connect with you at a regular time (such as after practices or via email with an expectation of response at a particular time).

Feel free to point families to the club where necessary or appropriate. We appreciate our membership; we especially appreciate our coaches, and we're here to help & support you!