What should I ask a private soccer trainer before the first session?

Whether they hold U.S. Soccer's Safe Soccer Clearance and until when; which coaching license they hold and from whom; to see their liability insurance certificate; whether they have the city's permit for that park; whether parents can watch every session and their rule on one-on-one time, messages included; what happens if your child is hurt or might have a concussion; whether their coaches are certified in CPR and AED use; and the price per session, the most players per coach and the refund rule.

How do I check whether a soccer trainer has been disciplined?

Search the U.S. Center for SafeSport's database and U.S. Soccer's list of disciplined individuals. Many independent trainers sit outside SafeSport's reach, so a name that is not listed tells you nothing on its own, and the same name is not the same person.

What is Safe Soccer Clearance?

U.S. Soccer's safeguarding program: SafeSport training, safeguarding modules, a yearly contact check and a background check that costs $24 and lasts two years, through a free Learning Center account. Ask to see it in the coach's account, with its date.

Training

Checking a private trainer

Eight questions to ask before the first session, the public records to search, and how to read what a trainer shows you.

Before anyone trains your child, search the SafeSport database and U.S. Soccer's list of disciplined individuals, then ask the eight questions below. A name missing from a list proves nothing; a document you are shown, with its date, is what you can check.

Eight questions before the first session

Do you hold U.S. Soccer's Safe Soccer Clearance, and until when?
Which coaching license do you hold, and from whom?
Can I see your liability insurance certificate?
Do you have the city's permit to train at this park?
Can parents watch every session? What is your rule on one-on-one time, messages included?
What happens if my child is hurt or might have a concussion?
Are your coaches certified in CPR and AED use? (California requires youth sports organizations, training businesses among them, to have their coaches certified in CPR and AED use from January 1, 2027.)
What is the price per session, the most players per coach, and the refund rule?

A trainer who answers with a document, a name or a number has given you something you can check. A promise is not one.

Three public records

• Before anyone trains your child, search the SafeSport database and U.S. Soccer's list of disciplined individuals. Both list people under a disciplinary decision, suspended or banned.
• Neither list covers everyone. Many independent trainers have no club or U.S. Soccer tie, which puts them outside the Center's reach, so a name that is not there tells you nothing on its own. The same name is not the same person: check the city, the state and the sport.
• U.S. Soccer's Safe Soccer Clearance is the one safeguarding credential an independent trainer can hold and show you. It brings together SafeSport training, safeguarding modules, a yearly contact check and a background check that costs $24 and lasts two years, through a free U.S. Soccer Learning Center account. Ask to see it in the coach's account, with its date.

Reading what you are shown

• Write down what you saw and the date: “Safe Soccer Clearance, valid to March 2027, seen today”. A check is a snapshot, not a guarantee.
• California does not license soccer trainers. A coaching license comes from U.S. Soccer, United Soccer Coaches or another soccer body; ask which, and at what level.
• An insurance certificate names an insurer, dates and a limit. “Fully insured” names none of them.
• A city permit names a park and dates. Some cities require one for paid coaching in a park, and a trainer without it can be moved on mid-session.
• Watch a session before you book a package, and talk to a family who trains there now. The questions for a club coach are in How to check a coach before tryouts.

We don't vet, rate or recommend trainers. We show where to look.

Already paying a trainer? Report what you pay so families in your town can see a range.

If something happened to a player

• In an emergency, call 911.
• Child abuse: report it first to the police or your state's child protective services. Childhelp, 1-800-422-4453 (any hour, call or text), can help you make that report. Then report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, 833-587-7233 (weekdays), or its online form, which can be anonymous.
• Sexual misconduct, and retaliation for reporting abuse or sexual misconduct: the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
• Other misconduct, or if you are not sure where: U.S. Soccer's reporting form, which routes it, or its voicemail line, (312) 528-7004.

We show who to contact; we receive nothing. Contact them directly.

Quick answers

What should I ask a private soccer trainer before the first session?: Whether they hold U.S. Soccer's Safe Soccer Clearance and until when; which coaching license they hold and from whom; to see their liability insurance certificate; whether they have the city's permit for that park; whether parents can watch every session and their rule on one-on-one time, messages included; what happens if your child is hurt or might have a concussion; whether their coaches are certified in CPR and AED use; and the price per session, the most players per coach and the refund rule.
How do I check whether a soccer trainer has been disciplined?: Search the U.S. Center for SafeSport's database and U.S. Soccer's list of disciplined individuals. Many independent trainers sit outside SafeSport's reach, so a name that is not listed tells you nothing on its own, and the same name is not the same person.
What is Safe Soccer Clearance?: U.S. Soccer's safeguarding program: SafeSport training, safeguarding modules, a yearly contact check and a background check that costs $24 and lasts two years, through a free Learning Center account. Ask to see it in the coach's account, with its date.

Find your club's costsUpdated October 5, 2026