CFC Academy supports the effort to grow the number of licensed coaches in Chattanooga by making coaching education more accessible to more people. The wider we all can make the local coaching circle and the more educated we can become as a soccer community, the better the game becomes for everyone. 

That is why we are excited to share the news that Tennessee State Soccer Association will bring all three grassroots live courses to Shackleford Ridge County Park at 2650 Sam Powell Drive, Signal Mountain. 

US Soccer's coaching education pathway that began in 2018 is for coaches at all coaching levels, from recreational soccer through to the professional ranks, with the provision of internationally recognized and endorsed (by FIFA) licensing courses.

The U.S. Soccer coaching education pathway consists of a series of licensing courses designed around coaching profiles and the related tasks a soccer coach is expected to carry out in a team environment. Differentiated by course level, the tasks are: coaching games, coaching training sessions, leading the player, leading the team and managing a performance environment, and leadership. 

The road from grassroots to professional coaching consists of a number of licenses, each becoming more in-depth as the level of the player to be coached increases. Experiential learning is a recurring theme throughout the pathway. Coaches undergo development periods between course meetings to allow for practical implementation of what has been learned away from their team environments. These periods of development also exist between course levels to allow for additional experiences to emphasize the continuation of the learning process.

STEP 1 - Complete US Soccer's Introduction to Grassroots Coaching module. This is a free online course that takes about 20 minutes. Anyone can do this, whether you have a desire to enter coaching or not.

STEP 2 - Take an online course focusing on 7v7, 9v9, or 11v11. You may choose to do more than one, or all three. This online course collects $25 for US Soccer and will take about two hours. Even if you do not intend to move on to Step 3, taking the online course can provide valuable information to anyone -- parents included -- who want to better understand the game.

STEP 3 - Take an in-person course focusing on the age group(s) that you completed in Step 2. This is a four-hour course and costs just $25 for CFC Academy members and recreation affiliates of CFC Academy. This grants your Grassroots Coaching License (previously knowns at the E License or F License).

STEP 4 - After you complete Steps 1-3, you become eligible to pursue your D License. Please note, the 11v11 course plus either 7v7 or 9v9 is required to move on to the D License. More info on the D License is available here.