Dear Coach,
This letter comes as an invitation, a challenge, and a Call to Action for all in United Soccer Coaches. We invite you to join our Latino Coaches Advocacy Group to help us improve the experience and involvement of Latino coaches and players in soccer around the world.
Soccer is highly rooted in the Latino community making Latino Coaches a key element for the positive experience of kids. In 2014, a survey conducted by the sports agency Octagon indicated that 29 percent of Hispanic millennials had played soccer in the past 12 months. That was 232 percent higher than the average US population according to Forbes. Even with those numbers, there are still several identified challenges in getting and keeping Latino youth coaches in organized and sanctioned soccer activities around the country. Some of the challenges include: a lack of safe and viable places to play in low-income communities, a lack of trained youth coaches, too few Latino coaches trained in key competencies, language barriers (non-Spanish speaking coaches and administrators connecting with Latino kids and families) and cultural barriers (merging Latino culture with the US suburban game) are some of the problems. Our involvement as coaches and educators makes it our responsibility to find and develop solutions.
Being part of United Soccer Coaches and the Latino Coaches Advocacy Group comes with a commitment to create a unique positive culture for our sport as well as to lead the effort to build a soccer culture that celebrates what is best about our game. The organization has worked to inspire coaches and ignite their passion for the game, so they can pass it on to players and other members of their communities. Below are areas that we focus on within our Latino Coaches Advocacy Group.
Enhancement Group:
A content-driven portion or vehicle. Working with the Chair and members to create, build and catalog content to move through various outlets.
Recruitment Group:
Focuses on the recruitment/retention of coaches for present and future commissions within the United Soccer Coaches. They also work on the development and mentoring of 30 Under 30 Candidates.
Development Group:
Tasked with creating meaningful experiences for Latino/a Coaches through environments crafted and created for Latino/a Coaches.
Recognition Group:
Creates additional spotlights to celebrate and/or recognize Latino/a Coaches in the game.
Join this Call to Action as together we will build a stronger soccer community by creating more opportunities and improving the experience for Latinos involved in the game. We look for a soccer community where all Latinos can thrive, and where our contributions as a community are recognized. We would like to extend a special thank you to the United Soccer Coaches for providing us a platform to drive change. If you have any questions or are interested in joining our Latino Coaches Advocacy Group, contact us at: latinochairusc@gmail.com.
Latino Coaches Advocacy Group