I didn't plan to be coaching kids' soccer for over a decade. I started when my own kids signed up for AYSO Region 65, and somebody from the league asked if I could help out as an assistant coach. I said yes because I wanted to be on the field with my kids on Saturdays — not in the bleachers, on the field. By the third season, my own kids had aged into different divisions and I was still coaching, because by then I'd realized something I hadn't expected: I liked it more than I'd guessed I would.
What Twelve Years Looks Like in Practice
I coach U10 and U12 — the divisions where kids are old enough to actually play organized soccer but young enough that wins and losses don't yet matter the way the parents think they do. Saturday mornings I'm at Lemon Park or Rancho Simi Community Park from about 8:30 to 11:30. Mid-week practices at one of the local school fields. Pre-season parent meetings, mid-season team-building events, end-of-season parties. Nothing dramatic. Just the steady rhythm of community youth sports.
Over twelve years that adds up. Some specific numbers: roughly 20 different teams, around 200 different kids who've played for me at various points, and an unknown but substantial number of parents whose kids I coached, met, and stayed in touch with afterward.
What Coaching Has Taught Me About Real Estate
This isn't a forced metaphor — the connections are real and direct. Coaching has made me a better real estate agent in three specific ways:
Patience with people figuring something out
Kids learning soccer skills make the same mistakes over and over until something clicks. The coach's job isn't to lecture them; it's to set up the conditions where the lesson eventually lands. Real estate clients are the same — first-time buyers especially are often working through unfamiliar concepts (escrow, contingencies, inspection findings, loan approval mechanics) for the first time. They need information delivered in repeatable, low-pressure ways. The coaching habit of explaining the same thing a fourth time without exasperation transfers directly.
Listening to what the family actually wants
AYSO parents will tell you, sometimes loudly, what they want for their child. Behind that is usually what they actually want — which is often something different. The same is true in real estate. Buyers say they want X bedrooms in Y neighborhood at Z price. What they actually want, often, is "to feel like our family has settled somewhere good." Listening past the surface words is a skill coaching reinforces every weekend.
The long view
A U10 kid this season will be a U16 player six years from now and possibly never want to talk to me again, because that's how teenagers work. But also possibly send me a text in their senior year asking about real estate when they're moving for college. Both have happened. Coaching teaches you to invest in relationships without expectation of return on a specific timeline. Real estate runs on the same arithmetic — the past clients who refer me to their adult children twenty years after I sold them a home are the bedrock of the business.
What I'd Want a New Simi Valley Family to Know
If you're moving to Simi Valley and you have kids, AYSO Region 65 is one of the easiest ways to plug into community life immediately. Registration opens in the spring for fall season; it's affordable, it's well-organized, and the volunteer coach pool is the kind of cross-section of Simi Valley you wouldn't otherwise meet — engineers, teachers, contractors, healthcare workers, small business owners, retirees, real estate agents like me. If your kid wants to play, the league finds a team. If you want to volunteer (assistant coach, team parent, snack coordinator, referee), they need you and they will train you.
Beyond the soccer itself, the social network you build through your kid's team is one of the most reliable ways to actually feel like a Simi Valley resident rather than someone who just lives in Simi Valley. That distinction matters more than people realize.
If We Cross Paths on the Field
Most Saturday mornings during fall season you'll find me at one of the AYSO Region 65 fields. If you're new to Simi Valley and your kid is on a team, come introduce yourself — I always want to meet new families. If you're moving to Simi Valley and trying to figure out what neighborhoods would put your kids in good schools and walkable parks, I can help with that too — that's the day job. Contact me or call (805) 723-2498.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I sign my kid up for AYSO in Simi Valley?
AYSO Region 65 covers Simi Valley. Registration opens in spring (typically February–April) for the fall season. Visit ayso65.org for current registration windows, age divisions, and fees. Spring season also runs but is smaller.
How do I become an AYSO volunteer coach?
Apply through Region 65's volunteer process — basic background check and an online safe-haven coaching certification. The league trains new coaches; no prior soccer experience is required for U6 through U10 divisions. They especially need volunteers, so the bar is low and the support is good.
What's the difference between AYSO and club soccer in Simi Valley?
AYSO is recreational, volunteer-run, every-kid-plays. Club soccer (Real So Cal, Eagles, etc.) is competitive, paid coaches, tryout-based, year-round. Most kids play AYSO through U10 or U12 and either continue with AYSO or move to club depending on interest level. Many families do both for different ages of children.
Work with Brian
Whether you're researching the market or ready to make a move, Brian Cooper has 20+ years of Los Angeles and Ventura County real estate experience, an 18-day average days-on-market, and a 101% sale-to-list ratio. Contact Brian or call (805) 723-2498.
