FAQs - Volunteers

Do the Board Members, Coaches, and Referees get paid?

I would like to be an AYSO coach what should I do?

Why do I need a coaching badge in AYSO?

Can anyone be an assistant coach?

If I referee or coach will I have to miss my own kids’ games?

What should I do if I'm having problems with the coach?

My daughter doesn't get along with her coach. Can she change teams?

Who can I submit my comments to about the refereeing of my child's game.

What do the referee badges mean?

What should I do if a referee makes a terrible call? 

I see some really bad referees out there. What can I do? 

I have never played soccer and I don't know anything about soccer. Does it make sense for me to become a coach or a referee?

To obtain more information about our volunteer opportunities, please click on your choice of topic:

Coaching in AYSO
About Refereeing in AYSO
Other Volunteering

These pages will be updated whenever I get a question that others may be interested in. So, please send your questions by e-mail to the webmaster.
(please include the age of your children).

Do the Board Members, Coaches, and Referees get paid?
Board members get the lowest pay, $0. Coaches and referees are more important so they get paid double, $00 (smile). We are an all volunteer organization. We do not receive any monetary incentives for being a board member, a coach, or a referee. Working with children, seeing them develop and having fun is our reward.

I would like to be an AYSO coach what should I do?
Thank you for your interest. Please contact our Regional Coach Administrator to discuss the process for becoming a coach.

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Why do I need a coaching badge in AYSO?
In AYSO, our primary concern is the welfare of the children/players. Coaches have a unique opportunity to have a life-long impact on young, impressionable people. AYSO has worked very hard to design training for all of our volunteers. Training that is specific to the needs of the children that go beyond just the technical aspects of soccer. Accordingly, coaches must have the badge that is appropriate for the age of the players on their team, i.e., one cannot continue to coach U12 or above with just a U10 badge. Our current policy is that an “intermediate” level badge or higher is required to coach a Thanksgiving tournament team or an All Star team in post-season play.

Can anyone be an assistant coach?
We only allow two coaches during a game - a head coach and one assistant coach per team. While we prefer that all assistants take at least the basic coaching class offered by our Regional Coach Administrator, assistant coaches must take at least the Safe Haven portion of that course. Parents and others may help at practices and with warming up the team before games, only the assistant coach with the appropriate coaching badge may take a place in the coaches’ box and help the team’s head coach, coach their team.

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If I referee or coach will I have to miss my own kids’ games?
Coach’s are assured of having their own child on their team, so it is fairly certain you will be at all those games (smile)! Referees choose their assignments and are strongly discouraged from missing their own kids’ games.

What should I do if I'm having problems with the coach?
If a serious problem should arise concerning the coach, the parents should talk with the coach in a calm manner and try to work out the problems like adults, away from the players (preferably this meeting will be done outside of practice or games)  If no solution can be reached at this meeting, the parents should contact the Division Commissioner. If the problem persists, set up a meeting with the Coach Administrator, Division Commissioner and Coach.  Problems can usually be solved through effective and timely communication. 

My daughter doesn't get along with her coach. Can she change teams?
Discuss the problem with your child and the coach and try to resolve the problem between yourselves. It is impossible to move players between teams after they have been formed.

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Who can I submit my comments to about the refereeing of my child's game?
The Regional Referee Administrator is your point of contact regarding referee issues, and is available to discuss any of your concerns.  Please remember that the referees, like all other officials in AYSO, are volunteers who have dedicated a large amount of time and energy in classes, training and refereeing every week.  With your knowledge of the game, perhaps you should consider joining the referee team.

What do the referee badges mean?
Soccer referees in every league come to the game with differing degrees of training and experience.  The badges represent the level of training the referee has accomplished.  Ask a referee what his badge represents to him!

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What should I do if a referee makes a terrible call? 
As upsetting as it may be, the best course is to try to forget about the call or non-call and get back into the game. The referees are human, so they will make mistakes just like everyone else. Put yourself in their shoes and think how you would like people to respond if you made a mistake.  Also, please keep in mind that the referee is on the field and is usually seeing the game from a closer location and completely different angle than you. Accordingly, his interpretation and application of the laws may differ from yours.  Referees have spent hours in training and studying the Laws of the Game. Often spectators who are irate, actually do not have a correct understanding of the Laws of the Game. Remember that, above all, the coaches, referees, and all other AYSO staff are volunteers, without whom your child could not play. 

I see some really bad referees out there. What can I do? 
Contact the Regional Referee Administrator and find out when the next referee class is. Then, come to class and become a certified referee. We need people that know the game and can make the calls as they see them. If you feel the referees are “really bad,” it is highly possible that you can do better. What you cannot do is harass the referee no matter how poorly you think he is performing. His poor performance may be the result of a lack of understanding of the laws on your part. Volunteers willing to referee games are difficult to come by so we welcome additional participants.

I have never played soccer and I don't know anything about soccer. Does it make sense for me to become a coach or a referee? 
You sure can. AYSO will provide you with all the training and equipment for free. The only things we ask for are your time and commitment. In fact, our courses are specifically designed for people with no soccer experience or some soccer experience. Take a look at our Coach page and Referee Page or contact the Regional Coach Administrator or the Regional Referee Administrator to learn more. If coaching or refereeing is not for you, there are other ways you can help. Talk to the Regional Commissioner or any Board Member and ask how you can take play your part in bringing this quality soccer program to our community. You'll be so glad that you did. Remember this is a volunteer organization that depends on parental involvement to be successful.