Greetings Volunteers!
If you are reading this it is because you have volunteered 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 VOLUNTEER...THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.
To get started you need to create an account on this website. If you’ve already registered one or more players you can use the same account you setup during that process. Just click the ‘Login’ button found at the top right of the page and login:
If you have not previously created an account just click the ‘Register Now’ button found at the top right of the page and follow the on-screen instructions. Once your account is created you will receive an email with all the details for handy reference.
NOTE: If you experience problems logging into the website there are troubleshooting steps under the ‘Registration’ menu on the website.
Now that you are logged in you will be taken to your account home page. It should look like the image below. Click the VOLUNTEER tab and then over to the right click the Find Volunteer Roles button:
The web site will walk you through a series of screens to collect the necessary information. It should only take 5-10 minutes.
When you get to the end of the registration process you will be asked to provide an e-signature. This is very important so please make sure you e-sign. The system walks you through it so just take your time and you will be fine. New volunteers will be assigned an 8-digit AYSO ID number so be sure to write this down as you will need it to complete the online training.
NOTE: As long as you e-sign your registration you do not need to print it unless you want a copy for your personal records. Our volunteer coordinator (CVPA) will be notified via email of your registration and can access it online.
STEP 2 - VOLUNTEER CLEARANCES
As of July 1, 2016 all 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 have the option of receiving your results via a downloadable PDF file. You must download the PDF’s to your computer because you will need to email them to the AYSO National Office at [email protected]. For fastest processing by the national office please send only one email with all of your clearance PDF’s attached. Include your eAYSO ID in your email. PLEASE DO NOT forward copies of your clearances to our board members or to the region’s account. The National Office will update your volunteer record once they receive your clearances and the board will be notified of your eligibility.
IMPORTANT: If the National office does not receive your clearances they will not update your volunteer record and you will not be eligible to volunteer.
NOTE: All clearances are valid for 5 years from date of issue. If you already have clearances that are less than five years old they will most likely satisfy the AYSO requirement. Go ahead and submit them to the national office as instructed above. Also, if you are volunteering for multiple roles (coach, ref, board member) you only need to submit one set of clearances and they will cover you for all of your volunteer roles.
STEP 3 - TRAINING
We know what you're thinking. 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. AYSO has made it easier to access the training through AYSO U which can be accessed through this site.
AYSO strongly believes in educating its volunteers so they know what is expected of them and can feel confident in whatever aspect of our program they are involved with. We owe it to our players and their families to provide the best youth sports experience possible. Many youth sports leagues do not properly vet or train their volunteers and that can lead to negative experiences for our players and confusion and frustration among the volunteers and parents. Player safety is AYSO's primary concern so please complete the required registration, clearances and training.
HAVE A GREAT SEASON!