Greetings Coaches!
If you are reading this it is because you have volunteered to coach or assistant coach for the upcoming AYSO season. Welcome! However, before we get you out on the field we need to take care of a little administrative overhead. Don't worry, it won't take that much of your time and by completing this process you are protecting yourself legally as well as ensuring the safety of our players and the continued success of our program.
STEP 1 - REGISTER
AYSO is a national organization that requires all of its volunteers to register annually with their national database regardless of what position or role they are filling. This is very important for two reasons. First, all registered volunteers are background checked by AYSO to ensure regions aren't putting player safety at risk. Second, only registered volunteers are protected under AYSO liability insurance. This means that you cannot be held personally liable if a player is injured during the normal course of play. IF YOU DO NOT REGISTER YOU CANNOT COACH...THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.
Registering is a straightforward process that you can do online in 5-10 minutes. Just visit www.eayso.org (the same site you registered your kids on assuming you have kids playing) and login using the email address and password you registered your kid(s) with. Then click the appropriate registration link. There are separate options for new and returning coaches so be sure to click the right option. If you are under the age of 18 you should use the appropriate link under the youth registration heading.
NOTE: As long as you e-sign your registration you do not need to print out a copy of your volunteer application unless you want it for your personal records.
STEP 2 - VOLUNTEER CLEARANCES
As of July 1, 2016 all AYSO volunteers in the state of Pennsylvania must obtain the following background clearances:
- Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Records Check (Act 34) - FREE
- Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 151) - FREE
- Federal Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) - $27 *
* Only necessary if you have been a Pennsylvania resident for less than 10 consecutive years.
You can register and complete all clearances online by following the links in the Volunteer | Clearances menu on this website. The Federal CHRI clearance requires fingerprinting in addition to the online registration.
After you complete each clearance you will receive the results in either an email or as a downloadable PDF file to your computer. Please make sure you keep these copies because you need to email them to the AYSO National Office ℅[email protected]. Please DO NOT forward copies of your clearances to our board members or to the region’s Gmail account. The National Office will confirm with you that they received your clearances and update your volunteer record in eAYSO accordingly.
IMPORTANT: If the National office does not receive your clearances they will not clear your volunteer record in eAYSO and you will not receive a roster or game schedule.
NOTE: All clearances are valid for 5 years from date of issue. If the clearances above have already been obtained within the last five years due to occupational or other requirements they will most likely satisfy the AYSO requirement. Go ahead and submit them to National as instructed above.
STEP 3 - COACH TRAINING
We know what you're thinking....ugh...training. Never fear. Almost all of the required training can be completed online at your own pace in less than an hour. Plus, you don't have to do it all at once. As long as you get it done before practices start you are good to go. AYSO provides a fantastic set of basic online courses to help you easily and conveniently get the training you need.
There are two training sessions all AYSO coach volunteers MUST complete:
a. AYSO Safe Haven...this one-time 30 minute online training session focuses on safety and appropriate behavior with children as well as other on- and off-field issues. It includes proactive steps that promote a positive, healthy environment for children. AYSO Safe Haven training is required for all AYSO volunteers however you only need to take this course once.
b. Age-Appropriate Coach Training...for U6 and U8 AYSO provides complete coach training online in about an hour. For U10/U12 there is a U10 online course that will teach you the basics and a two hour companion "field work" course that will need to be completed in-person to cover the offside rule and other topics introduced at these divisions. We usually schedule the field work course on one or two weeknights so you can crank it out. Age-appropriate coach training is required for all coaches and assistant coaches.
Also, while not required it is highly recommended you complete the AYSO CDC Concussion Awareness training course. It is online, self-paced and fairly short. It should take about 10-15 minutes.
All online training mentioned above can be completed by visiting www.aysotraining.org. You will need your AYSO ID in order to login to this site but once logged in the courses are easily identifiable. Once you complete a course your eAYSO record will be immediately and automatically updated to reflect your course credit. You can check your training status anytime by logging on to eAYSO and then selecting 'View certification'.
That's it! You are now ready to attend the coach meeting, get your roster and equipment and go for it!
Have a great season!