COACH INFORMATION

& RESOURCES

Northville Parks & Recreation FIELD CLOSURE HOTLINE:

(248) 449-9951

ALL COACHES

  • Rosters will be finalized no later than March 15th

  • There will be a coach Meeting Monday, March 23 at 7pm at the Northville Community Center in Downtown Northville

  • Please keep your SafeSport / HeadsUp / Background check current. All should be valid through June of 2026 if you plan to coach the spring 2026 season

  • If you are NOT receiving emails from us, please add dferrara@northvillefc.com to your safe sender list and check your junk/spam folders for previous communications.

U4-U8 COACHES

u9 & Older COACHES

All coaches for 2017 and older need to complete 3 items in GotSport (gotsport.com) BEFORE PRACTICES BEGIN.  

    • Background check (quick)

    • SafeSport Training (allow for 1 hr)

    • HeadsUp Concussion Training (allow for 1 hr)

If you previously coached and have a GotSport account, please make sure all of your items are current through June 2026. 

League Rules

U4-U8 In-house rules
WSSL League rules for u9 and older teams

Ongoing Coach Training

Northville FC will provide a variety of coaching resources throughout the year. Please make sure to attend all coach meetings and coach training opportunities.

Online Coach Training is available at the US Soccer Learning Center website:  https://learning.ussoccer.com/

  • Click on Coaching Education

  • Take the free intro course

  • Take the online grassroots coaching course for your age group: 4v4 (2018 and younger), 7v7 (2017 & 2016), 9v9 (2015 & 2014), 11v11 (2013 & older)

PRACTICE & Game Schedules

PRACTICES

Coaches should email dferrara@northvillefc.com to request their practice day(s), time(s) and field. It is the coach’s responsibility to add the practices into the TeamSnap app for their team, and cancel practices if fields are deemed unplayable by Parks & Rec or Northville FC. TEAMS MAY NOT PRACTICE IF FIELDS ARE CLOSED.

PLEASE NOTE, ONLY REGISTERED NORTHVILLE FC COACHES MAY COACH PRACTICES - IF A PARENT/GUARDIAN IS NOT REGISTERED AS A COACH, THEY MAY NOT BE ON THE FIELD WITH THE TEAM DURING PRACTICE.

GAME SCHEDULES

Game schedules for 2017 and older teams will be posted in March 2026. The season will end by June 7 (although your last game may be before that date). It will be the coach’s job to add the games to the TeamSnap app for their team.

If you have a conflict with one of your assigned games, please reach out to dferrara@northvillefc.com AS SOON AS YOU KNOW. We may be able to find you substitute players if you will be shorthanded, or, in rare cases, reschedule the game.

PLEASE NOTE, ONLY REGISTERED NORTHVILLE FC COACHES MAY COACH GAMES - IF A PARENT/GUARDIAN IS NOT REGISTERED AS A COACH, THEY MAY NOT BE ON THE SIDELINE WITH THE TEAM.

Coach FAQ

I’m not available for a practice/game. Can I have another parent from the team coach for a day?

Only coaches who have completed the background check may be on the field for U4-U8 teams. If a parent would like to help, they need to complete the same iCHAT form that all coaches complete. Only coaches who have completed the background check, SafeSport and HeadsUp training may be on the field for U9 and older teams. If you’re not able to coach a practice/game, please reach out to dferrara@northvillefc.com and we’ll do our best to arrange a certified substitute coach for you.

We’d like to do a kids vs. parents game at some point this season. Is that allowed?

Because of the risk of injury to both adults and kids, we do not allow kids vs. parents games as part of Northville FC. We do support an optional team-building activity at some point in the season, such as meeting for ice cream, having a snack/meal together after a practice or game, or other group gathering. However, please understand that any non-soccer activity is not an official Northville FC event and the league is not liable for any issues that arise.

I may not have enough players for our next game. What do I do?

Your first step is to reach out to another coach in your age group using the google coach contact sheet. If players are not available from your age group, you can also reach out to a team ONE year younger. By WSSL rule, girls may play into boys divisions, but boys may not play into girls divisions, regardless of age. ENVY FC players may not sub onto Northville FC recreational teams. If you’re having trouble finding substitute players, please contact dferrara@northvillefc.com as soon as possible. If you cannot find enough players for a game, please reach out to the other coach to reschedule no less than 48 hours prior to the scheduled game time (copying dferrara@northvillefc.com on the email).

I’m having trouble with a player or parent on my team. How do I handle it?

Please reach out to Dan Ferrara at dferrara@northvillefc.com if you’re having a behavioral or other issue with a player or parent. We can help you figure out the best next steps.

I have a player who does not have the proper equipment to play the game. Are there resources available?

Northville FC is committed to providing all players with the equipment needed to play the game if they are not able to afford it. Please reach out to dferrara@northvillefc.com if one of your players needs something.