How to find a good private soccer training coach?

S

SFV818-SoccerDad

BRONZE
Any ideas? Generally speaking, Is there a website of any sort that shows a coaches background and license level?
 
SFV818-SoccerDad said:
Any ideas? Generally speaking, Is there a website of any sort that shows a coaches background and license level?
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My father was too old to train my son and I had only played goalkeeper really. My son really loved soccer but was really awful at first (back at U6). We finally found a trainer that we loved. We could have found a more expensive trainer (and he was with a development academy for a while doing mostly clinics but the trainer, who was great, charged over $100+ for a private). We could have found a more experienced or more higher licensed one. We went through a ton of them before we found the right one. We tried word of mouth, asked coaches at the clinics we attended (like the local club, MLS, and academy clinics periodically they put on), attended local development academies, but ultimately just got lucky and found one on the coachup website (you can interview the coach and they'll tell you their license level and background, but you'll get a real mishmosh of people). Some people approach HS coaches (didn't work for us) or local college/HS players (if you don't want to spend a lot of money). Those are my 2 cents for finding a good trainer. Their focus also differs (DS's clinic trainer was more about speed and ballwork, while the one we ultimately went with is more about technique).

Do you want one 1) inexpensive, 2) highly credentialed, 3) knows how to teach or 4) someone you can hit it off with, is flexible with time and is reliable. Pick (at most) 2 and hope you get lucky.
 
SFV818-SoccerDad said:
Any ideas? Generally speaking, Is there a website of any sort that shows a coaches background and license level?
Click to expand...

p.s. does your monkier mean you are in the San Fernando Valley and are in the 818? If so, Alyze Pierce runs Premier Development Academy. She's good, experienced but expensive. Works mostly RealSoCal and the WVSL...some people dislike her because they think she is too winner take all, but she's very good with development with the U6-14 set, particularly if you are willing to pay for privates.
 
Grace T. said:
My father was too old to train my son and I had only played goalkeeper really. My son really loved soccer but was really awful at first (back at U6). We finally found a trainer that we loved. We could have found a more expensive trainer (and he was with a development academy for a while doing mostly clinics but the trainer, who was great, charged over $100+ for a private). We could have found a more experienced or more higher licensed one. We went through a ton of them before we found the right one. We tried word of mouth, asked coaches at the clinics we attended (like the local club, MLS, and academy clinics periodically they put on), attended local development academies, but ultimately just got lucky and found one on the coachup website (you can interview the coach and they'll tell you their license level and background, but you'll get a real mishmosh of people). Some people approach HS coaches (didn't work for us) or local college/HS players (if you don't want to spend a lot of money). Those are my 2 cents for finding a good trainer. Their focus also differs (DS's clinic trainer was more about speed and ballwork, while the one we ultimately went with is more about technique).

Do you want one 1) inexpensive, 2) highly credentialed, 3) knows how to teach or 4) someone you can hit it off with, is flexible with time and is reliable. Pick (at most) 2 and hope you get lucky.
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You were getting your u6 player private training? What is a u6 player anyway? A preschooler?
 
chargerfan said:
You were getting your u6 player private training? What is a u6 player anyway? A preschooler?
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U6 was his first AYSO season. He was REALLY REALLY REALLY bad, but really fell in love with the sport. Unlike most soccer families, we didn't have a dad that knew the game and could just work out with him in the park kicking the ball around (and AYSO didn't really cut it...the instruction was really bad and really limited...our first coach tried to teach them to line up for the kick off in the football 3 point stance ostensibly so they wouldn't fall down and could launch with speed at the opposing players). He outgrew the parks and rec little soccer stars so we started looking around for someone who'd work with him for 1/2 hour every week and just teach him the basics. We started with a soccer player for the local college team but found the millenials to be kind of flakey (kept canceling). After his U7 fall season he wanted to keep playing, had grown a bit and had shown some potential, so we looked for someone a little more formal. The trainer he has now has a few kids who just started with him at age 6. The development academy I talked about has a bunch of 7 year olds. After little stars soccer and before club, unless you either get lucky and get a really good AYSO coach that does more than an hour a week, or unless you have family that can work with you, there is a hole in education out there.
 
Grace T. said:
U6 was his first AYSO season. He was REALLY REALLY REALLY bad, but really fell in love with the sport. Unlike most soccer families, we didn't have a dad that knew the game and could just work out with him in the park kicking the ball around (and AYSO didn't really cut it...the instruction was really bad and really limited...our first coach tried to teach them to line up for the kick off in the football 3 point stance ostensibly so they wouldn't fall down and could launch with speed at the opposing players). He outgrew the parks and rec little soccer stars so we started looking around for someone who'd work with him for 1/2 hour every week and just teach him the basics. We started with a soccer player for the local college team but found the millenials to be kind of flakey (kept canceling). After his U7 fall season he wanted to keep playing, had grown a bit and had shown some potential, so we looked for someone a little more formal. The trainer he has now has a few kids who just started with him at age 6. The development academy I talked about has a bunch of 7 year olds. After little stars soccer and before club, unless you either get lucky and get a really good AYSO coach that does more than an hour a week, or unless you have family that can work with you, there is a whole in education out there.
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To each their own. My daughter and most of her friends had dad coaches in ayso until u8. No personal training until u11-12. They all turned out more than fine. I just wouldn't want parents reading this to think that is in any way necessary.
 
chargerfan said:
To each their own. My daughter and most of her friends had dad coaches in ayso until u8. No personal training until u11-12. They all turned out more than fine. I just wouldn't want parents reading this to think that is in any way necessary.
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I'd agree with that, particularly if you get lucky in AYSO. By the number of young ones at his former development academy, a lot of kids go the other way too. And if you have a parent that knows the game and can work out with the kid even just kicking around in the park, that works too.
 
It all depends on what you need the private trainer to work on. I know many very good club team coaches that suck as private trainers. I also know some excellent private trainers that do not coach teams. If you are in San Diego try Catalyst Soccer Training. All of the trainers have been through an extensive program to teach them how to work one-on-one and with small groups. They all have experience as college players.

I would try to find a trainer outside of your kid's DD club. My DD had better results from trainers outside her club that were not club coaches.
 
Deadpoolscores! said:
you can try coachup.com you may find something there. At least they give you prices up front.
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I used this website for my daughter and lucked out, we found a great trainer who not only trains her but also became a mentor to her. First and foremost there has to be a connection between the player and trainer in order for it to be successful for the player.
 
Just curious what others thought of good skills/technical trainers in the South and North OC for U10 to U14? Used CoachUp - that's hit or miss and Toca - which is great for first touch. Input is appreciated.
 
chargerfan said:
I have never heard the term u6 before! I didn't know that was a thing!! I can't imagine paying for privates for a kid that is still watching blues clues!
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What's just as funny is that a trainer would charge money to train a 6 year old. A dad might not be a soccer player, but at the age of 6, you don't need to be Alex Ferguson to teach a few things.
 
chargerfan said:
To each their own..............No personal training until u11-12.........I just wouldn't want parents reading this to think that is in any way necessary.
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Its interesting that the general tone on the forum has changed (and probably will again) over the last couple of years. Its especially noticeable once the transition to the new forum happened. Many of folks that used to post didn't return and probably had their kids aged out so really no need to. I, myself, is close to that. My older is off to college this fall and younger is 2002 so just 3 more years in HS.

It all depends on how much interest the kid takes on for soccer at the earlier age. My sense is that the earlier the better for the proper technical training. If that comes by parent - fine. If parents do not have the means to properly train their kid, then by all means, get a professional training. The earlier the better.

If you wait until 10+ yrs, while its never too late, the ability for kids to learn proper techniques and develop them is exponentially harder than if you start at say, 6~8 yrs old. You can see kids that have had proper technical training at the younger ages versus not on the field by U10. I would encourage you to think about the issue this way:

"my kid's private coach teaches him to touch the ball this way and that way, and he spends about 10~15 minutes daily on his own working on the proper techniques"

If everyone did this, you would see great first touches and accurate passes in older's games. Also, more kids would be able to work his way out of tight spaces without turning the ball over. And as puberty hits, it only improves with power and speed (assuming that the player is still interested in soccer - life happens and many walk away from the game).

To close, we used to have more parents feel the way as I just described than parents now, generally speaking. We also have these kind of threads repeat time to time so plenty of opinions have been shared... YMMV.
 
timbuck said:
What's just as funny is that a trainer would charge money to train a 6 year old. A dad might not be a soccer player, but at the age of 6, you don't need to be Alex Ferguson to teach a few things.
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Agreed. I remember passing the ball a bit back and forth in the backyard, and setting up a pug goal. I don't think most people expect too much from a 6 year old.
 
mirage said:
Its interesting that the general tone on the forum has changed (and probably will again) over the last couple of years. Its especially noticeable once the transition to the new forum happened. Many of folks that used to post didn't return and probably had their kids aged out so really no need to. I, myself, is close to that. My older is off to college this fall and younger is 2002 so just 3 more years in HS.

It all depends on how much interest the kid takes on for soccer at the earlier age. My sense is that the earlier the better for the proper technical training. If that comes by parent - fine. If parents do not have the means to properly train their kid, then by all means, get a professional training. The earlier the better.

If you wait until 10+ yrs, while its never too late, the ability for kids to learn proper techniques and develop them is exponentially harder than if you start at say, 6~8 yrs old. You can see kids that have had proper technical training at the younger ages versus not on the field by U10. I would encourage you to think about the issue this way:

"my kid's private coach teaches him to touch the ball this way and that way, and he spends about 10~15 minutes daily on his own working on the proper techniques"

If everyone did this, you would see great first touches and accurate passes in older's games. Also, more kids would be able to work his way out of tight spaces without turning the ball over. And as puberty hits, it only improves with power and speed (assuming that the player is still interested in soccer - life happens and many walk away from the game).

To close, we used to have more parents feel the way as I just described than parents now, generally speaking. We also have these kind of threads repeat time to time so plenty of opinions have been shared... YMMV.
Click to expand...

I personally think ayso and kicking the ball around with siblings is fine for 6-8 year old. If I had taken my kids to personal trainers at that age, I think it would have taken the "fun play" out of it. It continues to be "fun play" at their older ages, but with the help of some excellent club coaching to teach first touch, skill, etc. With some personal training fit in here and there the past couple of years, but not too much. Would they be better is they had gone to personal trainers since 6? I guess so. But would it be worth it? And would they have loved soccer as much as they do during that time? My feeling is no. I have one very skilled, technical player and that is due 50% to amazing club coaches and 50% to her drive/love of the game that motivates her to kick the ball against the wall in the backyard, play with the neighborhood boys, watch YouTube videos of famous players, etc.
 
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