Age Group Guidelines

Link to Required Clearances  If you are coaching U8 through Hempfield Parks and Rec, they can assist you with completing these clearances.  However, they can also be completed on your own at no charge.  The same three clearances are needed for both Hempfield Parks and Rec and HASC travel teams in PA West.  They can be found on the linked page under "How to Obtain the Required Documents."

Link to Age Appropriate National Coaching License  There is no license required for this age group.  But, US Soccer does offer the 4v4 Grassroots license both online and in-person that would be appropriate for U8.

Recommended Practice Format   This is the first age group where you will be asked to run your own practices.  We suggest you use the Concept Base Style to teach fundamental concepts of the game.

Recommended Formation  This age group will be the first where you are coaching a team in organized games.  Despite this, we recommend keeping your formation simple (forwards, backs) as kids this age are not generally ready to play in a formation.

Drills and Games for Practices