Coaching Education

Register for the “B” Coaching Course in Uniondale

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

March 3, 2026-The U.S. Soccer National B License Course is in a blended format and is hosted by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and the Long Island Soccer Club.

The “B” is a 6-month online and in-person course. It combines an online experience, assignments, small group meetings, independent learning and two 4-day in-person meetings. The course is designed to help coaches who work in elite-level training and playing platforms.

The course starts on July 7, in-person meetings on September 1-4 and November 1-4 at Mitchel Athletic Complex and the “B” course concludes on December 20.

Register here.

Any questions can be directed to Eastern New York’s Director of Coaching, Tim Bradbury.

With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border, east of Route 81. ENYYSA encourages the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of US Soccer and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

Register for the “D” Coaching Course in Goshen

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 26, 2026-The US Soccer “D” course, hosted by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and Tobar Futbol Academy, is a blended course.

It’s eight weeks online and two weekends for in-person meetings. The D course is focused on players Under-7 to Under-12. The blended format for this course combines an online experience, assignments, small group meetings, independent learning and in-person meetings that combine classroom and field.

Webinar on March 30, in-person meetings on April 25 and 26 plus May 16 and 17 at the Hudson Sports Complex in Goshen.

Register here.

Any questions can be directed to Eastern New York’s Director of Coaching, Tim Bradbury.

Choosing the Right Environment For Your Child in Youth Soccer

By Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

With so many leagues, clubs, training organizations—Super This, Elite That—and now pre-academy teams and countless playing platforms, it’s easy to see how difficult it is for parents to choose the right place for their child to play.

What should be apparent is that decisions should not be made based on hype, headlines or the marketing materials clubs, teams and training organizations produce. I would also avoid getting caught up in debates about which league is “better.” Leagues can differ greatly by age and level—Division 1 in one area may look more like Division 3 in another.

Be cautious of social media posts as well. Almost any claim can be made online, and winning is often promoted as the primary measure of success.

Before working through the suggestions below, take time to reflect honestly on what you truly want for your son or daughter and their experience in youth sport. Be brutally honest. If your “why” is centered on sport for life, fun and enjoyment, long-term athletic development, and the growth of social and life skills, then this guide may be helpful.

If your “why” is solely about winning, collecting trophies or chasing a scholarship, the best advice I can offer is to hire a guidance counselor now.

To make an informed decision, you need to gather key information—and then observe whether that information is a living document or simply empty words on paper with no impact on the daily workings of the team or club.

Documents to Collect

The club or team’s teaching philosophy and long-term aims
The club’s game model and game idea through the 7v7, 9v9, 11v11 progression, which tells the story of how the teams play
A list of core values and how they influence training and game day
Qualifications and experience of coaches in the relevant age group
Nature and frequency of internal coach development. How is the club helping the coaches improve their craft?
Number of players in the club at different ages and rates of attrition
Club-hosted events that demonstrate genuine family involvement
Coach attrition rate within the organization
Examples of the teaching curriculum from age group to age group
Game formats used (4v4, 7v7, 9v9, 11v11)
Expected annual “soccer diet” by age (how many soccer exposures per year)
Tryout process and selection methodology
Club hierarchy and lines of communication
Parent interaction and initiatives. Are you part of the process or just the ATM?

People to Meet and Things to Observe

The age-group head coach, while coaching both training sessions and games
Parents within the club from both younger and older age groups
A board meeting—see how long it takes before “player development” is discussed
The age group coordinator
If the club uses an external training company, ask to see their curriculum and observe their staff in action
Sit in on a monthly coaches’ meeting

I appreciate that all of the above requires time and effort. However, given the importance of this decision, the increasing number of players leaving the game at younger ages, the reduction of physical education in schools and the growing number of children struggling with obesity, is there really a better way to spend your time?

Register for the Director of Coaching License Course

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 18, 2026-The U.S. Soccer CTL Level 1 Course for Club Technical Leaders, hosted by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), is a blended course.

The blended format combines an online experience, assignments, small group meetings, independent learning, in-person meetings and summative assessment interviews.

Meetings in July at Suffolk Community College in Selden, Long Island, virtual meetings after that until October 5.

Register here.

Any questions can be directed to Eastern New York’s Director of Coaching, Tim Bradbury.

Offering “C” Coaching Courses in Central Islip and Colonie

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 12, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to host “C” coaching courses this year in two towns starting with a “C,” Central Islip and Colonie.

“The C is a great course that is a vital stepping stone for those that wish to move onto the B and A courses,” commented Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching for Eastern New York. “The C is the foundation of all high-level licenses and is full of vital teaching strategies and game concepts.“

Register for the “C” coaching course kicking off on April 26 in Central Islip.

Register for the “C” coaching course kicking off on August 9 in Colonie.

The course encompasses the various tasks of the coach, including training sessions, coaching games, leading players, leading the teams and managing a performance environment plus vital theory sessions on periodization and principles of play with field sessions.

Any questions on either course can be directed to Tim Bradbury.

“C” you in either Central Islip or Colonie in 2026!

With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border, east of Route 81. ENYYSA encourages the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of US Soccer and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

Let Our Players Think

By Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

It is a drum that I have beaten before and one that is revisited in almost every coaching license or diploma course. It is a drum built on the thousands of games I have watched over the past 20 years, and one I feel compelled to beat again, louder than ever.

We often begin this discussion by examining what makes soccer unique and how that connects to how players learn and what they enjoy. Very quickly, it becomes clear that soccer is a game that demands constant reading of the game: Scanning, perceiving and making hundreds of quick decisions. This ability to think and decide is not optional as it is central to the sport.

As coaches grow in their understanding, another realization emerges: Players like making decisions. They enjoy solving problems. They are uniquely equipped to do so because they understand their own bodies, athletic abilities and soccer skills better than anyone else. At any given moment, a player occupies a specific place on the field—on a specific blade of grass—facing a specific problem. Only that player has access to all the information required to solve it.

Each decision players make contributes to their growth. With every experience, they gain knowledge that helps them make better decisions in the future. Soccer is, and always has been, the player’s game. For players to truly develop, they must be allowed the freedom to think and decide within it.

As a soccer fan and an educator, this feels obvious to me. That is why I am continually staggered by the drive, passion, and, at times, pure anger with which some parents and coaches shout instructions on game day. Too often, this behavior makes it impossible for players to think at all.

To any parent or coach who feels compelled to constantly direct players during games, I ask you to honestly consider the following questions:

Do you value your child’s ability to reason and think?

Do you recognize that soccer is a game in which each player makes hundreds of decisions every match?

How would you feel if your child was in school, trying to solve a math problem, and adults began screaming answers at them?

What matters more to you: Your child’s long-term growth and enjoyment or the final score?

By what process do you place yourself inside the player’s body—seeing, feeling, and experiencing everything they do—to decide the best solution?

How well do you understand the coach’s philosophy and game model, and how do you know you are not contradicting it?

How informed are you about the ongoing debate between player development and winning?

For educational reasons, for enjoyment, and simply because it makes sense and is the right thing to do, make a pledge this season:
Let the players think. Let them decide. Let them grow.

Eastern New York Offering a “C” Coaching Course in Central Islip

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

January 3, 2026-C stands for Central Islip as the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) will host a “C” coaching course there this spring.

Click here for the “C” coaching course kicking off on April 26, 2026 at SUSA’s Orlin & Cohen Sports Complex in Central Islip.

“This is a great course that is a vital stepping stone for those that wish to move onto the B and A courses,” commented Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching for Eastern New York. “The C is the foundation of all high-level licenses and is full of vital teaching strategies and game concepts.“

The course encompasses the various tasks of the coach, including training sessions, coaching games, leading players, leading the teams and managing a performance environment plus vital theory sessions on periodization and principles of play with field sessions.

Any questions can be directed to Tim Bradbury.

A Time to Say “Thank You!”

By Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

I take great pride in leading players and teams in a holistic way. I’m fully aware that while many of them may never play professionally or in college, every one of them can become a great person who plays for life, coaches one day and grows into an active, responsible adult.

I make it a priority to learn about my players’ lives beyond the game: How they’re doing in school, how things are at home and what they enjoy or struggle with. Coaching teenagers especially means having regular conversations about how they help their families and whether they contribute positively to their home environment or stay wrapped up only in their own needs.

These conversations often begin with how they behave at practice. The challenge I present to every player is built around a few key questions:

• Can you be the player who most impacts a practice and helps create a great learning environment for everyone?

• Can you be the first one in?

• Can you be the most coachable player?

• Can you be the one who helps with equipment without being asked?

• Can you be the teammate who notices when someone is down and offers encouragement or comfort?

I work hard to help them understand that this mission—being a positive force in the group—should be their top priority. And if all 18 players embrace that mission, we will become a team capable of remarkable progress.

Another core value we consistently emphasize is respect: Respecting each other, respecting referees and respecting the parents who do so much to make training and games possible. One of the most meaningful parts of respect is simply saying, “Thank you.” I encourage players to thank teammates after practice and games, thank referees afterward and thank their parents on the ride home. I also challenge them to show appreciation by helping at home—doing one thing, however small, that supports their family.

At this time of year, it feels especially appropriate to revisit the power of saying thank you… perhaps with a few Jimmy Fallon–style thank-you notes. So, not just because it’s Christmas, Hanukkah and the holiday season, but because it’s the right thing to do, here are a few messages for the season:

Players: Thank your parents for the endless hours spent driving you to practices and games—and for trying not to shout instructions from the sidelines.

Parents: Thank your child’s coaches for their dedication to development, even if the team didn’t win quite as many games as you hoped and they haven’t yet realized your child is the next Messi.

Coaches: Thank club officials and administrators for their hard work, even when the biggest field space available barely fit a 3v3 and your practice slot was 9:00–10:30 p.m. on a Friday night.

Coaches: Thank referees for the courage it takes to show up week after week, knowing they’ll face a barrage of unnecessary commentary from adults who often haven’t kicked a ball in years, if ever.

Coaches: And thank those refs who forget to give the five-minute speech about substitution procedures, as though they’re announcing a groundbreaking discovery in renewable energy.

Coaches: Don’t forget to thank tournament organizers, especially the ones who remember we live in the Northeast, where winter arrives on schedule every year, and where “real feel” temperatures can turn your toes numb in the first five minutes of a match.

Players: And lastly, thank your parents who choose to blast loud Christmas music during the car ride home, sparing you the usual post-game performance review.

On a more somber note—and perhaps this reflects my age—there is also a need to say thank you for a few recently departed people. Especially for Paul Kontonis, who was the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) President, and was a truly great person, full of joy and love. He had a tremendous impact on so many coaches and players and will be deeply missed.

Best wishes to everyone,

Tim

Eastern New York Offering Advanced Coaching Courses to Kick Off 2026

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

December 9, 2025-The upcoming New Year will be a big one for soccer in the United States as the 2026 World Cup will be played in North America. Soccer coaches can get 2026 off on the right foot by taking an advanced coaching course from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).

Click here for the “B” coaching course starting on January 5, 2026 at the Fox Soccer Academy in Warwick.

This license equips you to lead Under-13 or higher-level teams in a competitive environment with intermediate to advanced skill sets. Coaches with a B license are proficient in applying and evaluating player development and optimizing the learning environment for their teams.

Course goals include applying and evaluating team and player development related to a game model, as well as analyzing, evaluating and optimizing the learning environment for the team and individual players.

Photo courtesy of Juventus Academy New York.

Click here for the “C” coaching course kicking off on April 26, 2026 at SUSA’s Orlin & Cohen Sports Complex in Central Islip.

Any questions on either course can be directed to Tim Bradbury.