US Soccer Grassroots Pathway

Beginning in 2018, U.S. Soccer began transitioning to what they call their "Grassroots Pathway". There are courses set up by type of play 4v4, 7v7, 9v9, and 11v11. However, the knowledge obtained even at the earlist stages of development is useful at all levels. The only prerequisite for any of the courses is to first complete the Introduction to Grassroots Coaching course. 

U.S. Soccer is committed to providing all coaches, from beginner to advanced, with education tailored to their experiences and the needs of their players. The Coaching License Pathway consists of a series of courses designed to meet the specific needs of a coach at every step of the way.

U.S. Soccer believes education is a journey, and our goal is to provide the necessary tools, guidance and mentorship a coach requires.

1. All coaches start their coaching journey with the free, 20-minute Introduction to Grassroots Coaching online course.

2. Once the intro is completed, coaches can begin any of the grassroots course modules, online or in-person (blended/traditional).

3. To be eligible to attend the “D” course, coaches need at least two grassroots in-person courses, one of which must be the 11v11, and an online license. Blended courses are counted towards “in-person” courses.

4. After the “D” course, coaches need a year of experience to take the “C” course. From there, entry to the pro pathway requires an application to each course and more robust pre-requisites.

More information can be found by visiting the U.S. Soccer Digital Coaching Center.

Education Reimbursement

NSA offers a once-per-year reimbursement of any US Soccer Grassroots course completed by a volunteer coach, along with discounted resigistration fees. Licensed coaches who volunteer for NSA will have their program registration fees waived. Coaches must be licensed in the course they are coaching in.