A trainer is a person with soccer skills, experience, and knowledge that you hire for the benefit of one or more players.

The term "trainer" has two different meanings in sports. A 'team trainer' or 'private trainer' is someone who helps you improve in the sport. However, 'THE trainer' refers to a team's medical/first-aid staff member. Thus, 'my trainer' and 'the trainer' refer to two different people. Usually, the correct interpretation can easily be made by context. When a player is limping, "Go see the trainer" is understood by everyone.

Trainers are not needed to learn or enjoy playing soccer. Paid trainers usually exist only in the world of competitive soccer. Paid trainers for recreational players teams are rare. A trainer is particularly useful in developing specific, specialized skills, such as fancy footwork ("moves"), advanced tactics, and specialized techniques (e.g., goalkeeping) that are not covered sufficiently in regular practices. It is also common for competitive teams to hire trainers after the players have reached levels exceeding the abilities of their original coaches.

Some soccer training organizations, such as the San Andreas Youth Soccer Organization, incorporate skills, strategies, and footwork typically taught by trainers into their academy curriculum.

A trainer usually meets with the player(s) once (for personal trainers) or twice (for team trainers) a week for most of a soccer season, running a practice routine that is tailored to the number of players participating. The field is usually provided by the player(s), since most trainers do not have their own "grounds". A trainer typically charges $50-$100 per clinic hour, $750-$1000 per team month, or $1000-$3000 per team season. Other expenses may be negotiated, particularly when travel and game observation are involved. The cost of a trainer is usually shared by all participating players.

SAYSO neither endorses nor implies endorsement by these trainers and/or programs.