Resources

Soccer and Scouting Basic Training Trainer's Guide

Contents

1. Start the DVD.

Stop on the first slide, which has the logo with "Soccer and Scouting" beneath it.

Introduce all instructors, giving your background in Scouting and in soccer.

Have everyone stand and play the Name Game. (See the appendix.) Explain that this is a great way to start their first Soccer and Scouting activity, and it's a good way to learn each other's names.

After the Name Game, get everyone seated and then ask them to introduce themselves, saying their names and what they'll be doing with the Soccer and Scouting league.

2. Advance the DVD to the next slide, which says:

What Is Soccer and Scouting?

Read this to them:

The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America developed Soccer and Scouting specifically to address the challenge of recruitment in the Hispanic youth population. BSA local councils serve our local communities. Those local councils that have used soccer as the focus when recruiting in Hispanic neighborhoods have found it to be very effective. The program blends soccer coaching and play with the Cub Scouting program, including all the good things that Cub Scouts have learned for many decades. Soccer and Scouting started in 2004.

It Combines

• Soccer instruction, practice, and play with
• Scouting's teachings of citizenship, character, and fitness

3. Advance the DVD and play "Join the Adventure" videoclip

4. Advance the DVD to the next slide, which says:

Purposes of Cub Scouting

Read the 10 Purposes of Cub Scouting slowly.

5. Advance the DVD and play the "Aims" videoclip.

6. Advance the DVD to the slide that says:

Volunteer Positions

Read to them:

The Head Coach, or Cubmaster, is the leader of the soccer league, also known as the Cub Scout pack. He or she is in charge at the Saturday game day, when the opening ceremony, Core Values reflection, announcements, and closing ceremony are all done as a league made up of all the teams. The Head Coach conducts the Core Values reflection, makes any announcements, and follows the Program Helps agenda.

The Head Coach is also the administrative leader of the league. He or she keeps the paperwork and keeps records, or delegates these duties to a person who volunteers to help.

The Head Coach should have an assistant Head Coach take over if the Head Coach cannot be at a Saturday game day and to assist with any duty of the Head Coach as needed.

There is a coach for each team. Another name for a team is a Cub Scout den. The coach delivers two key components in the Soccer and Scouting program. First, coaches run the 25-minute Soccer Skills Clinic and 30-minute Scrimmage Game at every Soccer and Scouting practice session. Secondly, they serve as the den leaders for their teams, overseeing all aspects of the Soccer and Scouting program.

The coach is the leader of the mid-week den meeting. There is a coach for each age group. The agenda of the mid-week meetings are as follow:

The coach should have an assistant coach take over if the coach cannot attend a meeting and to assist with duties of the cach as needed.

The goal is to have two parent helpers for each den/team. Their role is to deliver three key components: the Opening Ceremony, the 25-minute Scouting Program Activity, and the Closing Ceremony. They also review the Family Time activity for each week so all boys are aware of what they need to do at home with their families or parents in order to complete the requirement.

7. Advance the DVD to the slide that says:

How to Use Soccer and Scouting Resources

Holding up a copy of a Soccer and Scouting Program Helps book, leaf through the pages, find an example of a midweek team/den meeting, and show the participants how the meeting is broken down into the following:

• Opening ceremony (5 minutes)
• Soccer skills clinic (25 minutes)
• Scouting activity (25 minutes)
• Soccer scrimmage games (30 minutes)
• Closing ceremony (10 minutes)

Find an example of a Saturday game-day session, and show the participants how the meeting is broken down into the following, emphasizing who does what:

1. Things to Take. (It is the Head Coach's responsibility to plan ahead and make sure these things are at the Saturday session, in sufficient supply)
2. Opening Ceremony. The entire league is included, and this should take about 5 minutes.
3. Soccer Program Activity. The Head Coach sends teams to their own areas, and this is conducted by the team coaches. It should take 25 minutes.
4. Scouting Program Activity. This is done by teams and is conducted by the parent helpers. It should take 25 minutes.
5. Scrimmage Games. These are played by teams and supervised by the team coaches. The games should take 30 minutes.
6. Core Values Reflection, Announcements, and Closing Ceremony. (The Head Coach gathers everyone together and conducts the Core Values reflection. An example of a Core Value reflection is:

Tell the boys about the Core Value Perseverance, which is sticking with something and not giving up, even if it is difficult. Magic tricks are hard to learn, and take a lot of practice. Parents can probably give examples of how they have practiced a lot to learn something difficult.

This is followed by any necessary announcements, and then a closing ceremony. An example of a closing ceremony is:

Have the boys form a circle, give the Cub Scout sign, and recite the Law of the Pack.

Read "The 10-Week Soccer and Scouting Season" to participants. (See the appendix.). Take turns with more than one reader, if possible.

Hold up a Family Time poster and show both sides of it. Tell participants that there are certain lessons to be learned in Cub Scouting that are learned best at home. Tell them that the home activities on the Family Time posters begin with the third week of each season, and go through the end of the season. Read some examples of the activities parents will be doing with their sons from a Family Time poster.

8. Advance the DVD to the slide that says:

Advancement and Activities

9. Advance the DVD and play the "Advancement and Activities" videoclip.

Tell participants that it is very important that that boys attend all the meetings and participate in all of the activities. The Scouting activities done at each meeting, and the activities done at home from the Family Time posters, fulfill the requirements for the Bobcat, Tiger Cub, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos badges that will be earned. Pass around a copy of Ranks and Badges. (See the appendix.) Tell them that If a boy misses a meeting, then an assistant coach or parent helper should follow up so that the boy gets the information and learns the lesson.

10. Advance the DVD to the slide that says:

Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values

11. Advance the DVD and play "Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values" videoclip.

In one of the Soccer and Scouting Program Helps booklets, find a Core Values Reflection in a Saturday game-day session . Read and discuss it. Divide the group into teams and have each take a turn naming one of Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values and giving a example of how they might see a demonstration of that Core Value during a soccer scrimmage game.

12. Advance the DVD to the slide that says:

Ceremonies

• Opening
• Closing
• Awards
• Graduation

Tell the participants that each mid-week team/den meeting and Saturday game-day session will have both an opening and closing. Every once in a while, when the boys have finished the requirements for the badges of rank, there will be an advancement ceremony, during which they receive their badges. The graduation ceremony at the end of the season should be a big deal, held in as large a stadium as possible. It is the responsibility of the Head Coach, who should work with the Scouting professionals at the local council service center, to arrange and plan this ceremony.

13. Advance the DVD and play "Ceremonies" videoclip.

Read to participants about the evaluation and ticket voucher:Each Cub Scout will receive an evaluation form at the end of each Soccer and Scouting season. (See the form at www.soccerandscouting.org/resources.) One panel of this evaluation is an MLS companion voucher. This voucher is redeemable for one MLS game youth ticket with the purchase of one full-price adult ticket (limit to one free ticket per voucher). To exchange the voucher for a ticket, the parent completes the ticket order form distributed to parents during the Soccer and Scouting season. Completed applications should be collected by the den leaders and mailed to the local MLS team ticket office.

The local MLS team will either:

1. Mail the tickets to the Soccer and Scouting Cubmaster.
2. Mail the tickets to individual families.
3. Leave them at the "Will Call" window for day of game collection.

The Cubmaster should be sure that parents know what procedure will be followed.

14. Advance the DVD to the slide that says:

Continuing in Soccer and Scouting

Remind the participants that Soccer and Scouting is a year-round program, made up of four 12-week seasons. Boys should move up to the next level after they have completed a year.

Hold up a printed copy of the program supplement for inclement weather (see www.soccerandscouting.org) and tell them about it. Leaf through it and show them some examples of the activities that are done when soccer cannot be played outside.

15. Advance the DVD to the slide that says:

Questions?

Ask if there are any questions, and give them answers. If you are unsure of an answer, ask the participant to write it down along with their telephone number or e-mail address and say them that you will find out the answer and let them know.

Thank the participants for coming and doing a good thing for youth.

For a closing, have everyone stand, give the Cub Scout Sign, and say the Cub Scout Promise, repeating each line after you.

Cub Scout Promise

I, [your name], promise to do my best
To do my duty to God and my country,
To help other people, and
To obey the Law of the Pack.