Recreation Coaching Resources
Current Season Information... See below for how to get roster and schedule.
Format of Play
Under 3/4 Soccer Tots: A parent and me program with game-like activities and no formal games.
Under 5/6: Dual team/dual field, each team plays two 3v3 games at the same time on adjacent fields with only players/coaches in middle. OK to play 2v2 but not OK to play 4v4.
Under 7/8: Dual team/dual field, each team plays two 4v4 games at the same time on adjacent fields with only players/coaches in middle. OK to play 3v3 but not OK to play 5v5.
Under 9/10: Teams play 7v7 including a GK, OK to play 6v6 or 5v5 if still short on players after evenly dividing all players.
Under 11/12: Teams play 9v9 including a GK, OK to play 8v8 or 7v7 if still short on players after evenly dividing all players.
Under 13/14: Teams play 9v9, including a GK.
Under 15-19: Teams play 9v9, including a GK.
League Rules
Team Training Info
USA of Indiana Hendricks County Rec Team Training
Each coach to schedule the team’s regular weekly training at the Avon Soccer Complex or Brownsburg Soccer Complex for an hour between 5:30p-7:30pm. There will be USA of Indiana staff available to help with training sessions including Lead Coaches, USA of Indiana Travel Coaches. Teams are strongly encouraged to hold team training at either complex on these days.
USA of Indiana Pike Rec Team Training
Each coach to schedule the team’s regular weekly training at Mary & John Geisse Soccer Complex for an hour between 5:30p-7:30pm. There will be USA of Indiana staff available to help with training sessions including Lead Coaches, USA of Indiana Travel Coaches. Teams are strongly encouraged to hold team training at NWW on these days.
USA of Indiana Rec Academy Nights
This is a meet and greet with your child's coach. Players will show up and get their uniforms and then participate in a practice with their coach and team.
Spring 2025 Acadmey Night Dates:
Avon - April 15th
6-7 PM: U5, U6, U7, U8
7-8 PM: U10, U12, U14, U19
Pike - April 16th
6-7 PM: U5, U6
7-8 PM: U7, U8
Pike - April 17th
6-7 PM: U10, U12
7-8 PM: U14, U19
Playmetrics How to
Coaching Requirements
1. Get your roster. Instructions HERE
2. Submit your training day and times request when you receive the form.
3. Send a welcome message to your team that includes information about Academy night and your training schedule.
4. Attend coaches training session - we cover safesport practices, run through what a basic training session looks like and provide coaches with coaching shirts, training equipment as well.
5. Attend Academy night so you can meet your players and get your coaching gear.
6. Review Coaching Resources Below
7. Attend Games and practices.
Coaching Education
Health and Safety
Concussion Resource: It's Better to Miss One Game Than the Whole Season
To help ensure the health and safety of young athletes, CDC published Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports information about concussions to coaches, parents, and athletes. Posted here is important information on preventing, recognizing, and responding to a concussion. If you think your athlete has sustained a concussion…don’t assess it yourself. Take him/her out of play, and seek the advice of a health care professional.
Player Resources
Please review these resources and share with your players.
200+ Ball Work Training Videos
Indiana Youth Soccer Individual Training Videos
U13 Individual Weekly Workouts
U14+ Indivdual Weekly Workouts
U14+ Individual Goalkeeper Workouts
Documents of Interest
Why no Goalies
Sam Snow, U.S. Youth Soccer had the following interaction with a coach in Florida not long ago: Sam, can you send me some good articles or a comment on why we should play without goalies at U-8? I am trying to influence a club to change to this format. The U-8 age group is still in an egocentric phase of psychological development, which tells us that we should allow these children to run and chase the ball, to be in the game – not waiting at the end of the field for the game to come to them. It is more important at this age that they chase the game. Children this age want to play with the toy (the ball) and they need to go to where the toy is to be fully engaged. Click here to read entire article.
USA of Indiana's "Rec Mentor Matches" When professional coaches mentor players and coaches during a rec game.
Video on the Youth Soccer Coach
NSCAA Video: “The Youth Soccer Coach” written by Mike Berticelli"
Indiana Youth Recreation Coaching Manual
Great material for every youth Coach, includes child development, why children play sports, why children quit sports, training sessions.
USA of Indiana Community Recreation Tots, U5-U12 and USA of Indiana Rec Plus U13-U19 Coach Certificate Course