• Dedication/Service to the game.
• Longevity in the program.
• Sportsmanship as exemplified by the coach and his/her team.
• Sucess within the program (not a record of wins and losses).

State Associations throughout the year work to identify their top candidates. Each State is responsible for establishing a method that would eventually provide its choice of State Coaches of the Year, and nominations to the Regional level. Final selections are sent to the Regional Director in mid-October.

Each Region has a selection committee comprised of at least the Regional Director and Sub-Regional Directors. They receive and review all State nominees, and make the regional selections each year. Once selections are made, these winners are submitted to the U S YOUTH SOCCER Board of Directors through the National Office. State Coaches of the Year are each sent a certificate and Coach of the Year pin.

The Board of Directors chooses the National Boys and Girls Coaches of the Year from the nominations submitted from each of the four regions. All eight finalists, four Boys Coaches and four Girls Coaches, are invited, all expenses paid, to the annual U S YOUTH SOCCER Workshop and Adidas Coaches Convention for the announcement of the winners. A special Coach of the Year luncheon is held during the workshop during which the finalists are introduced and honored by the membership, and the two winners are announced.