Age Group Manager

Position Overview

The Age Group Manager (AGM) is primarily responsible for the organization of the team coaches within their age groups. The AGM directs and monitors on-going activities for coaching development to ensure that the coaches fulfill their responsibilities in accordance with MYS’s established standards and coaching curriculum.

Key Responsibilities

COACH RECRUITMENT / ROSTERS

The AGM is expected to continuously improve the attraction and retention of talented and diverse individuals as members of our coaching staff:

• Identify quality coaches and recruit, interview and assess potential coaches.
• Recommend assignments for all teams in age group.
• Communicate with coaches on potential changes in assignments/placement.

COACH ASSESSMENT EVALUATION/MENTORSHIP

Facilitate and grow pathways and opportunities for coach and player development. The AGM is expected to:

• Set expectations with each coach and provide a cumulative written summary to the Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director (TD/ATD).
• Provide guidance and mentorship to help coaches understand and apply the club curriculum effectively.
• Help to identify areas of opportunity within each coach’s respective age group.
• Encourage coaches to advance their coaching education.
• Practices/Games - for each coach, attend a minimum of one (1) practice and one (1) game per year to assess overall effectiveness; perform coach development; and advocate for compliance with established standards and our coaching curriculum.
• Evaluation - Consulting with the TD/ATD, complete a mid-year and year-end evaluation for each coach.
• Coaching Conflicts where applicable, help coaches to address all coaching conflicts (i.e. inability to attend practice or game), ensure coach has found coverage, assist with coverage as needed utilizing MYS Coach Conflict Form.

CLUB POLICIES and PROCEDURES

Ensure coaches’ awareness, understanding and compliance with club governance:

• Inform, review, and assist with club policies/procedures with every coach on an annual basis.
• Policies and procedures are noted in the MYS Coach Policies and Procedures Handbook, and include, but are not limited to field policies, safety procedures (weather related, goal safety, player equipment), coaching policies (conflicts, attendance, etc.), game day procedures (discipline and injury reports, etc.).

TRYOUT PROCEDURES

The AGM and coaches are a major part of the success of MYS Tryouts. The AGM is responsible for ensuring that tryouts are conducted effectively. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Ensuring the scheduling of coaches for sufficient coverage for all tryouts.
• Assisting coaches with administering all elements of the tryout process.
• Ensuring that coaches comply with club policies.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

• Player Development Stages:
  • U8-U10 Fundamental Mastery stage
  • U11-U14 Technical/Tactical Application stage
  • U15-U19 Competitive stage
• Direct the coaches to oversee the appropriate movement of players (up or down levels) to find the optimal placement for their development. Provide guidance and support to coaches in the evaluation/communication with parents and players regarding any movements.
• In the college age groups (U15-U19), AGM will promote, support and assist the coaches/teams with the college process for their players.

MEETINGS

With input from the Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director, the AGM is responsible for assisting with the planning, coordination and execution of:

• TD/ATD/AGM meetings - typically held twice monthly.
• Fall pre-season, post-season/Spring pre-season, post-season meetings - quarterly meetings with other ADMs and age group coaches.

COMMUNICATIONS and DOCUMENTATION

The AGMs are required to respond to emails from club management, Technical Director, coaches, families, players, and interested parties within 48 hours. The AGM is responsible for ensuring the following:

• Communications with club leadership:
  • The AGM will communicate with the Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director on a regular basis, providing a written summary of issues and updates about their teams for Fall and Spring season, and mid/post season.
  • The AGM will communicate the needs/concerns of players/families/coaches to the technical leadership.
  • Where applicable, the AGM will disseminate information/club culture to players/families/coaches/teams.
  • The AGM is expected to be honest and transparent with all communications.
• Communications with coaches in their age group:
  • The AGM is expected to lead by example, inspire and empower others to perform at their best.
  • The AGM is expected to communicate the club’s mission, vision, core values and strategic plan to help ensure that coaches execute the objectives accordingly.
  • The AGM is expected to be an advocate for the professional development of the coaches by facilitating evaluations, and communicating the assessment of opportunities for improvement and growth.
• Communication with other AGMs and the teams in their specific age groups, the AGM is responsible for:

• Providing a season summary to the entire age group.
• Being a good listener and good at managing personalities.
• Fostering a club culture mentality The McLean Way.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

• The AGM is expected to promptly address issues or concerns that are escalated by the coaches from feedback, complaints or suggestions from players, parents, other members or interested parties.
• The AGM is responsible for ensuring that issues are addressed while leveraging the coaches to implement resolutions. Where practical, the AGM is expected to leverage conflict resolution as an opportunity for coach and club improvement.
• The AGM is responsible for providing a summary of issues and resolutions to the Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Continuing Education and Conferences: It is expected that the AGM will continue to seek professional development for themselves and the coaching staff. MYS will continue to support this effort based on established coaching education reimbursement policies.
• Professional development includes, but not limited to, relevant professional industry memberships, conventions, symposiums, licensing, etc.

Preferred qualifications and experience for the AGM position includes:

• A minimum United States Soccer Federation (USSF) B license, a National Youth license or comparable foreign or United Soccer Coaches license/diploma.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of comparable coaching experience.
• At the discretion of the MYS Technical Director and Executive Director, a combination of education and playing/coaching experience may be substituted for specific licensing and/or experience requirements. Likewise, licensing requirements may be waived for a time period of one year if a coach is working to obtain licensure.