![Kids play on the new LEGO mini-pitch in Albuquerque, NM](https://ussoccerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NMAL824-1000x690.jpg")
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Training Coaches in Social and Emotional Skills with AYSO
“Gone are the days when Xs and Os can fulfill our vision of enriching children’s lives.”
That’s what AYSO Director of Sport Development Scott Snyder said in a recent announcement about our collaboration to train AYSO coaches in social and emotional skills and positive youth development best practices.
AYSO is fully committed to providing a more holistic experience for players and families and we are excited that our Coach-Mentor Training supports this effort.
This past January, AYSO educators joined our Coach-Mentor Training Facilitator Team in Washington D.C. for a training and is now training coaches at AYSO Expos nationwide.
![A group of AYSO coaches pose for a photo in a Coach-Mentor Training in Chicago.](https://ussoccerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-Feb-21-2024-10-43-14-AM-1-1000x750.jpg")
AYSO will also work with its member coaches to offer online and in-person training options alongside the U.S. Soccer Foundation.
Through the our Coach-Mentor Training, coaches learn how to integrate mentorship into coaching practices, how to manage behaviors with empathy, and how to develop and harness the social and emotional skills of young people.
You don’t have to be a part of AYSO to become a coach-mentor. Individuals and organizations from any sport can partake in online or in-person training opportunities.