Coaching Director

Northampton Soccer Club's Coaching Director (CD) provides expertise and leadership to support the development of its coaches and players in alignment with the club’s vision and values. With strategic direction and operational support from the Board of Directors, the CD is responsible for providing direct training and support to coaches; guiding the formation and placement of teams; and coordinating NSC’s Pre-Travel program (for youth ages 4-7).

NSC seeks a CD who is proactive and responsive, has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and can effectively guide soccer development for players and coaches of all experience levels.

Responsibilities

Coach & Player Development

• Lead the recruiting, selecting, and evaluation of coaching staff

• Provide ongoing strategic guidance on the development of coaches and players through its curriculum and programming

• Engage with emerging theories and practices to support continual improvement for coaches and players

* Pre-Season/Post-Season*

• Recruit and cultivate a pipeline of new coaches as needed
• Host biannual Coaching Orientations to communicate club philosophy, codes ofconduct, style of play, and points of emphasis for each age group
• Provide pre-season trainings for coaches (in-person practices with short fielddemonstrations for coaches, followed by observation and feedback)
• Coordinate and attend the club’s annual workshop by Positive Coaching Alliance(PCA)
• Distribute relevant content to coaches and parents throughout the year to supportclub goals for player and coach development as well as club culture and values(from PCA or other sources)
• Evaluate and gather feedback from coaches
• Manage and improve the Club’s library of digital resources for coaches and players
• Engage with emerging theories and practices to support continual improvement forcoaches and players
• * In-Season*
• Proactively check in and provide support to coaches ( prioritizing new coaches orthose who request support)
• Be available on-field during practices throughout the week, with the aim ofobserving and/or interacting with each team at least once a week
• Coordinate and/or lead specialized clinics throughout the season (such asgoalkeeping and individual ball skills for a range of ages and ability levels)
• Proactively share resources with coaches from the Club’s resource library and/orother sources that align with Club philosophy and style of play
• Coordinate with the Board President and Rules & Discipline Committee to respondto reports of behavior which violate NSC or MYSA Codes of Conduct
• Serve as the primary source of communication to assert expectations andleague/club policies to coaches, parents, and players.
• Team Formation
• Lead a team formation process that considers both player skill development and emotional-social development
• Organize tryouts with the support of a team of volunteer coaches after Fall Registration in early June
• Lead a collaborative team formation process with coaches from each age/gender cohort
• Recruit coaches as needed and communicate with families if cuts need to be made
• Advise the Club’s registrar on the proper placement of players and granting of waivers
• Oversee team placement in the appropriate Roots Soccer League divisions

Pre-Travel Program Leadership

• Coordinate NSC’s Pre-Travel program (for youth ages 4-7).

• Recruit high school players and parents to volunteer as assistant coaches

• Designate practice session days and times (currently proposed as 1-hour Saturday sessionsfor 6 weeks) for our spring and fall programs

• Design age-appropriate sessions plans that build skills through high-touch activities andsmall-sided games

• Coordinate with the Board to acquire any necessary equipment

• Identify players and coaches ready to form u7 or u8 teams for the following season

Communication & Reporting

• Solicit weekly feedback from coaches to evaluate effectiveness of coaching leadership
• Provide weekly reports about activity and evaluations to the Coaching & Teams Committee
• Attend NSC Board meetings (virtually or in person) when invited
• Periodical check in with Coaching & Teams Committee to evaluate performance
• Report behavioral (Codes of Conduct) concerns to the Board President
• Be available via phone and email to respond to coaches and the Board throughout the year.
• Time Commitment
• Available to begin on March 1, 2025
• The contractor is responsible for managing their own time, such that they can meet theexpectations of the job responsibilities
• This position will require frequent in-person presence during the spring and fall soccerseasons (multiple weekday evenings between 4:30-7:30pm, plus Pre-Travel sessions), as well as during pre-season trainings (multiple sessions over the course of 2-3 weeks prior to and into the start of each season)
• A portion of the work will be conducted virtually (eg; virtual orientation sessions and team formation calls) or asynchronously (correspondence, management of training resources, etc.)
• Minimum Qualifications
• Have at least 6 years of soccer coaching experience
• Experience leading or managing a team or program
• Experience working with children ages 4-16
• Be certified in the USSF Intro to Grassroots Coaching and 4 v4, 7 v7, 9 v 9, 11 v 11
• Must have a high school degree or GED
• CORI check required
• Commitment to complete PCA’s “Developing the Triple-Impact Competitor®” course(available online, paid for by NSC)
• Skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to work well with youth of all ages, abilities, and diverse backgrounds (Spanish language proficiency is a plus)
• Strong interpersonal skills with an engaging personality
• An excellent understanding of the game of soccer - particularly with a possession-styleapproach
• Ability to teach basic skills to new and beginner players
• Ability to teach and facilitate training sessions with coaches and players
• Ability to engage young children with enthusiasm and a positive attitude
• Ability to encourage and empower volunteers in their roles as assistants
• Familiar and aligned with the concepts from the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA)
• Familiar and aligned with NSC's possession style of play.

Job Types: Part-time, Contract

Pay: $20,000.00 - $30,000.00 per year

Schedule:

• Evenings as needed
• Weekends as needed

Work Location: In person

Salary : $20,000 - $30,000