Once you are a registered AYSO volunteer, your Regional Commissioner will ask you to take two online courses: AYSO has the training you need! Once you are registered as a volunteer, your Regional Commissioner will ask you to take a short Safe Haven course™ in person or online. The eAYSO Volunteer Pre-Registration Form is required due to the child protection policies implemented by AYSO and many other youth sports organisations. All adult volunteers must register annually (i.e., ANNUALLY) with the National AYSO (eAYSO.org). Coaches, assistant coaches and referees will also have additional coaching or referee training clinics offered by our region. These clinics are designed to be fast, easy and fun – even for those with no football experience. Everyone is welcome to attend these clinics, even if you do not intend to train or referee this season. Further information can be found on the framing or arbitration pages of this website. (Bottom left) Click here for a list of possible AYSO volunteer positions for your area. Contact your local AYSO Regional Commissioner to find out the specific roles they are recruiting for. 1. Go to www.eayso.org (AYSO`s national website) and register as a volunteer. As the season approaches, you will be asked to submit your form and present photo IDENTIFICATION.

Coaches and referees must submit their form to their team manager, who in turn submits the team forms to their division commissioner. Volunteer referees in the community (those who are not team members) must submit their form to the RRA (main ref. Volunteers are NOT covered by AYSO insurance without this form being filed with the region. Contact our Regional Adult Volunteer Registrar, who will then activate your AYSO ID number for that season. Select the link you want to send an email to: SafeHaven@ayso20.org Please enter the following information in your email: AYSO works with the power of our volunteers and with over 100,000 parents, neighbors, relatives and friends who give of their time and talents, every child enjoys a great AYSO experience. Help change the lives of children in your community today! Once you are registered as a volunteer, your regional commissioner will ask you to take an age-specific coaching course. We offer online support, including e-learning courses and complementary coaching manuals to help you with training plans and activities for all AYSO programs and ages. The protection of volunteers comes into play as a result of voluntary training, certification and continuing education.

The Volunteer Protection Act 1997 provides some legal protection for volunteers who have been trained and certified and who act in accordance with a written job description. Safe Haven embraces these three elements and offers volunteers the highest level of protection available under the law. *ABOUT SAFE HAVEN: The child protection aspect is designed to prevent child abuse, promote education and awareness, implement policies, and review and train volunteers. This involves proactive measures that promote a positive and healthy environment for children. Once you have registered as a volunteer, you will need to access AYSOU through your regions` web portal to access the online training. You can take AYSO Safe Haven, CDC Concussion and other training courses with AYSOU. Returning volunteers must also do so annually. Click Sign In and use the email address you originally signed in with. All volunteers will receive an AYSO identification number for their career at AYSO. Even if you already have an AYSO ID number, you will need to go through steps 1 and 2 to activate it for this season.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of AYSO. To keep children and volunteers safe, each volunteer must complete a short online training called Safe Haven™. The Safe Haven course focuses on safety and proper behavior with children, as well as first aid and other issues in the field. AYSO volunteers accept an annual background check. Once you have completed the online volunteer application, print a copy and sign it. Certification as a shelter™ may take a few minutes of your time, but AYSO families know that the safety of their children is worth it. Safe Haven™ is both a child protection program and volunteering. It was the first of its kind in youth sports. *For more information about the Safe Haven program, please first contact your local AYSO regional representative at the bottom of this page. You will then be asked to complete a volunteer form. If you are having trouble registering as a volunteer, please call Sports Connect Support at 866-672-1067. All AYSO volunteers are only required to take the Safe Haven course once in their AYSO career.

You will need your AYSO ID number (see steps 1 and 2 above under “Volunteer Registration”) to access the course at aysotraining.org. Click on “Course” and then find the course for Safe Haven. This course is valid for ALL volunteers. New volunteers in our area must click on the “First Time” button and follow the instructions on the following pages to become an AYSO VOLUNTEER. If asked, you are in Section 1 of the AYSO, Zone P, Region 20. Volunteers! You can find everything you need in one place! Visit AYSO Volunteers for all the documents, support and more to help you manage your area! RESOURCES True leadership is about improving someone else`s life, and most people do that every day – perhaps without knowing it! Enjoy Drew Dudley`s Ted Talk, in which he explains his belief that leadership is not a quality reserved for the extraordinary. 2. Get your AYSO ID number for this season. Take part in the short Safe Haven online course (about 35-45 minutes). You must register for a personal regional arbitrator course or an optional two-part online course. For this reason, we require all coaches, assistant coaches, referees, team managers and practice facilitators to participate in Safe Haven training and recommend it to everyone else in our area. We should all be aware of the procedures that help keep our children safe.

AYSO has developed special training that helps parents who have little or no football experience to quickly acquire the age-appropriate knowledge and skills to become effective coaches and referees, as well as unique training in administration and management. Contact your local AYSO region to learn more! The job of the referee is to be the official person in charge of the match. The authority of a referee extends to everyone on the pitch, including players, substitutes, team officials, spectators and even assistant referees. AYSO referees make sure the game is safe, fair and fun for everyone: players, coaches, spectators and for themselves! NOTE: DO NOT GO TO THE AYSO PARENT AREA AND DO NOT USE eAYSO TO REGISTER A PLAYER. (We have our own player registration program, separate from eAYSO). AYSO training doesn`t have to stop as long as you`re having fun! Referees, coaches and administrators can benefit from online training, football clinics, camps, retreats, workshops and other educational opportunities offered to the entire AYSO community. When you have completed the course, print your certificate. Coaches and referees must show their certificate in their personal training clinic. You cannot participate in a training or refereeing clinic without proving that you have completed Safe Haven.