Making the Environment

The coach is at the heart of a positive playing environment. That said, the club and also it's parents all have roles to play to ensure the environment is optimal for the players.

Clubs Role

The club's role in making the environment involves:

  • Promoting coach education opportunities so all coaches are applying the correct emphasis in their training and competition environments
  • Having all coaches adhere to the club's coach code of conduct
  • Educating parents on the player development pathway & priorities
  • Ensuring parent's adhere to the club's supporter policy

The Coach's Role

The role of the coach is vital in ensuring a positive playing environment. Coaches must:

  • Model FIFA's Code of Conduct
  • Ensure every child finds success
  • Respect everyone connected to the game (players, parents, referees, opposing parents and players)
  • Follow the club's coach code of conduct
  • Follow club and league policies
  • Ensure parents adhere to the supporters code of conduct

The Parent's Role

Your parents should follow these important guidelines to help create a positive environment for their children.

  • Support the children positively. When they make a mistake offer encouragement, not criticism.
  • Respect the opposition. How would you like your son/daughter to be treated?
  • Stay behind the Touchline. Please give the kids space to play.
  • Allow them to learn the game. Don't try to direct every pass, shot or run.

If you encounter difficulty from parents, please contact your club's officials for support.

Identify the Environment Issues

Use the buttons below to load an activity relating to the issues that may arise at games or practice. Use your mouse to rollover the red highlighted area to learn more about these issues.

The Environment
Before Activity
During Activity
After Activity

What to know

Knowing that as coaches we have a duty of care for our players - we need to operate with a "Do-No-Harm" principle. If in doubt, there is no doubt.

Player safety is the most important coaching area. All coaching decisions needs to respect this principle. Before, during and after a session or game we must be aware to guarantee player safety.

You have now completed this module on Safety. Next we will learn about some age specific Developmental Priorities and barriers to those priorities.

Moving On 

We're now going to move on to the next section of the Alberni Athletics Soccer Club Resource - "Coaching Concepts and Practice Design Principles".

Click the button below to move on to this section or return to the top and select another part of the resource.