New Head Coaches

Welcome new coaches to high school soccer in Kansas! It is our job as coaches to help promote the game and our players to the best of our ability. Use the checklist below to help get you started off right in your first year.

Checklist for a New High School Head Coach There are many things about being a coach that you already know. There are also many things that you, as a head coach, will do automatically or be directed to do. The purpose of this checklist is to have you look at some essential things that you may not automatically do.

Pre-Season

  1. Start making a complete journal of all the things that you do, and when you do them.
    • Get a three-ring notebook or some kind of organizer. Put everything down. Don’t erase or remove anything.
    • Don’t neglect this duty. It will pay off big time for next season.
  2. Join the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association (KHSSCA) 
    • You get many great benefits including USC(NSCAA) discount, access to your team page on the KHSSCA website, recognition for your players' achievements including All-State awards, as well as more to come.
    • Join at (link here)
  3. Determine and write down your personal coaching philosophy and your intended policies for the team. (playing time, cutting, lettering & etc.)
    • Having this information in written form is essential for the next steps.
    • Involving your assistant coach in team policies is a good idea.
  4. Meet with your AD to go over your intended policies, and get his/her input to determine your final team policies. Put these final policies in written form.
  5. Get to know and make friends with the AD’s secretary and with the soccer field groundskeeper(s). They hold your coaching life in their hands.
    • Many times during the season you will work with the AD’s secretary and not the AD.
    • If your field is not ready for game time, what will or can you do?  Who do you contact?
  6. Schedule a pre-season returning Varsity parents meeting or a team meeting once teams are picked.
    • Introduce the players and have the players introduce their parents.
    • Distribute or tell parents where they can find your written team policies, state your personal coaching philosophy and answer questions.
    • If you plan to use parents for any jobs, now would be a good time to recruit them.
  7. If you have a local newspaper make sure they know about this website so they can access stats for your teams and talk to them about publicity and pictures for your team and players.
  8. Update your stats and your game scores on the KHSSCA website. 
  9. Bi-Weekly, submit your rankings for the “Top Ten” teams in your Class and Gender. (This is available at a later date)

Near the Conclusion of the Season

  1. Set up your post season banquet.
    • Work with team parents on the location and banquet planning.
    • Work with AD’s secretary for ordering player awards, letter certificates and any other items.
  2. If you are in a Conference, attend and participate in the end of season meeting.
    • Be prepared to participate in the All Conference selection process.
    • If you have All State nominees be sure to do your submissions on time.
  3. Attend the State Tournament for your class as much as you possibly can.
    • This a great place to meet fellow coaches and set up possible scrimmages and games for next season.

Post Season (Until the start of next Pre-Season)

  1. Review your Journal. Use it to make plans for next season.
  2. Meet with your AD to work on:
    • Schedules for games and scrimmages
    • Budgets
    • Any other plans