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Youth Sports Coaching Resources

You make a difference!

We are so excited to have you make an impact on youth through coaching youth sports! You help us achieve our mission of helping everyone in our community live a healthy and happy life. We hope this video will help you understand your role of a coach better and our expectations for how you can make our programs successful.

 

Click Here for an Audio-Only Option

Interested in coaching?

Please indicate so on your child’s/children’s registration(s)! 

All volunteer coaches receive a credit on their account for coaching:

  • 3-5yo Wee Sports: $35
  • 5-6yo Sports and Mites and Mini Mites: $45
  • 7-11yo sports: $65

All volunteer coaches can also receive a whistle, a coach t-shirt, and an invitation to the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner (March 2023).

If you do not have a child in our programs, but want to get involved:

LET US KNOW HERE or APPLY ONLINE

What do I need to know?

  • FAQs

    Do you provide us with coaching resources?
    That is what this page is for! Please reach out if you are still not confident in coaching after reviewing the resources below.

    Can I pick my practice time?
    Yes. We want our program to work for your schedule and we work with coaches to assign practice times that work for them!

    Will my child be on my team?
    Of course!

    Can I request players to be on my team?
    Coaches can request up to 3 other players to be on their team. Players must be registered and requests must be made before rosters are being finalized. These 3 players include co-coach requests (i.e. if you request 2 co-coaches, you get their 2 kids and one other request).

    Do we have game days in addition to practice days? Or is there any extra commitment outside of practices?
    Games replace practices when scheduled, so there is no extra time commitment outside of your once a week (3-6yo) or twice a week (7-11yo) weeknight hour commitment.

    How long are practices?
    1 hour

    What equipment do you provide?
    Each team will get an equipment bag at the start of the season with balls, cones, pinnies and any other equipment you will need (e.g. a tee for t-ball).

    How do I get equipment?
    We will have equipment bags at your first practice. Coaches keep the equipment bag during the season and return it after the season is done.

    When do rosters goes out?/ How do I know who is on my team?
    Rosters will go out no later than 10 days before the start of practices unless we are short coaches. Parents will receive an email from Mountain Recreation with a team assignment and practice time. Coaches will then receive an emailed roster with just their team’s contact information a day or two after the welcome email. (Note: youth hockey is not broken up into teams, but parents will still get a welcome email with all information.)

    What if a parent’s contact info on the roster is incorrect?
    We run through parent info through an email and phone validator to try to provide you with accurate information. Nevertheless, an old email or account can be used and be inaccurate. If you receive different contact information from parents than what is on your roster, please forward that to us as well so we can make sure we have updated contacts.

    What do I do if I have to miss a practice?
    We know that the season can be a big commitment and coaches may miss a practice or two. Please let your team know when you are gone and see if a parent can cover practice. If no one is willing to cover the practice, then you can let your team know that practice is cancelled (almost always someone will fill in to avoid this).

    What do I do if I do not have an assistant coach on my roster?
    We would love to have at least two coaches on every team. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. That said, you are not alone if you ask for help! We recommend coaches setting expectations at the start of the season and asking for parent help in your welcome email to your team/at the first practice. We have found that although a lot of parents are hesitant to commit to a formal coaching role, there are still usually parents willing to help out the head coach. Additionally, you can list the roles you are looking to fill in your welcome email that parents can expect to help with (i.e. bring snacks, help keep kids in line, run a second drill station, be a 3rd base coach, etc.). You could also team up with another coach at your practice time and run joint team large group drills, stations, or scrimmages.

    When will game schedules come out?
    Game schedules will come out no later than 5 days before games start (during the second week of practice). Game schedules will be posted online and all parents will receive a text alert when they are live.

    When will we get jerseys?
    Jerseys are usually available the second week of practices.

    How do I know where my field is?
    Check out these helpful field guides for Edwards, Eagle, and Gypsum.

    How large are teams?
    As a general rule of thumb, roster sizes will be up to:

    5-6yo7-8yo9-12yo
    Baseball/T-ball/Softball101012
    Basketball1010
    Flag Football101010
    Lacrosse1012
    Soccer81012
    Volleyball12

    How will we know if practices or games are cancelled?
    We will utilize an SMS alert system (coming from the number [844] 943-0583) to inform the primary parent on registration of any cancellations. Games will be cancelled at the discretion of Mountain Recreation, and will be done no later than an hour before the scheduled start of the game. Practice cancellations are at the discretion of coaches. If there are unsafe practice conditions, coaches will be advised to cancel practice (see below).

    When should I cancel practice?
    If air quality is above 150 on PurpleAir or if there is lightning within 8 miles. We use the Weatherbug to track lightning: Gypsum, Eagle, and Edwards.

    Do you give out participation trophies or end-of-season awards?
    We do not.

General Resources

  • Mountain Recreation's FormsBackground Check, Code of Conduct, & Incident Report Form

    Background Check Submission (completed every two years)

    Code of Conduct Acknowledgement (completed once)

    Incident Report Form

  • Mountain Recreation's League Rules

    Baseball/Softball/T-Ball

    Basketball

    Flag Football + No-Run Zone Diagram

    Hockey (scrimmage guidelines)

    Lacrosse

    Soccer + 9-11yo Build-Out Line Appendix

    Volleyball

  • Other ResourcesConcussion Training, Mental Health Training, and Helpful Websites

    How to Coach Kids (many courses and resources, both general and sport-specific ideas)

    i9 Sports (lesson plans for all sports)

    NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching

    CDC Heads Up Concussion Training

    Basic First Aid Training (free, no certification

    NFHS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

  • Your First GameHow to be ready for the first game of the season!

    Preparing for your first game as a coach can seem daunting. Here are a few simple steps to make sure your first game is a success, as well as a good guide to follow for every game:

    • Read through the league rules (again)
    • Have a plan for subs: While it may be tricky not knowing how many players are showing up, we encourage you to 1) ask parents the practice before the game if they are coming or not so you have a better idea and 2) have a plan for subbing for various team sizes. This will make sure all kids get equal playing time and time spent subbing is minimized because you know who will sub in when. This is also something that can be delegated to another team parent so they can get kids ready to come in while you are on the field/court! Bonus preparation: have a printed roster with your player names so you can more easily take attendance and map out a plan.
    • Know the field layout: Depending on the facility, there may be a lot of extra lines on the field. Make sure you are aware which ones are for your sport, especially if you have an away game.
    • Meet with the other coach(es) pre-game.
      • Go over the rules: make sure you are both on the same page (e.g. how many players on the field at once, what is called vs not called)
      • Go over any coaching preferences: stopping the clock after goals vs running clock (still make sure you finish on time), if you want to do subs half-way through each quarter or on the fly, etc.
      • Go over your roles: for younger ages you are coaching and officiating, decide who is covering what field side or if one of you is officiating the whole game if you have an assistant and the other team does not.
    • If applicable, meet with the referee pre-game: This is a great chance to introduce yourself and to clarify any other rules questions you have before the game starts.
    • Most importantly, be on time. We know life happens–fires pop up at work, roads close, and kids at home decide to “lose it” right before leaving–but all of the steps above are dependent on you having time to do them before the game starts!
  • Sample Welcome EmailReaching out to families before your first practice

    Your welcome email does not need to be lengthy. Most parents just want to know they have a coach and a name to look for when they get to their first practice. Here are suggested sections you can include in a welcome email.

    Parents,

    <Season> is right around the corner! I wanted to quickly introduce myself as I will be your child’s coach, along <with co-coach’s name>.

    [Your sport background, samples below]

    I grew up playing <sport> and am hoping your kids grow to love it as much as I do.

    While I do not have much experience playing <sport>, I am excited to learn along with your kids.

    [Your parent help expectations, samples below]

    While I am happy to take the lead on team communication and lesson plans, I am looking for a parent or two to help with practices/stations to help them run smoothly.

    While <co-coach> and I will handle practices, but would love for a parent to take the lead on starting a group message.

    As an early heads up, I will be gone <dates> and need a parent to substitute coach those nights.

    [Practice info]

    Just a reminder that our practices will be <practice time and location>.

    [Your communication preference/plan, sample below]

    I will be communicating primarily with a group <text or email> for updates, but I wanted to reach out here and make sure that I have correct info for each of you. I have attached the roster I received from Mountain Rec. If you would like an additional parent or caregiver’s <phone number or email> to be included in the group message or need to update your contact information, please let me know.

    My goal (and Mountain Rec’s) is to have fun and focus on the many types of wins and successes that can happen on the field. We are going to play, have fun, and continue building solid fundamentals.

    I look forward to meeting all of you!

    <Coach Name>

    <Phone Number>

    *if applicable

  • Officiating

    Some of our leagues also count on coaches or a parent substitute to officiate games. These include:

    • All 5-6yo programs
    • All 7-8yo programs except basketball
    • If we are short referees for 9-12yo divisions (coaches will be notified in the event of not having an official for their game)

    Pages 2-8 of this document have some basic officiating tips, hand signals, and diagrams to help you know what to look for and where to be positioned. Please note we do not expect you to be perfect officials or know all the in’s and out’s of that sport’s rules. Just keep the game moving and the kids safe!

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