United Valley Soccer Association

Coaches

Mission Statement

It is the mission of United Valley Soccer Association to promote the sport of soccer; to provide an atmosphere that fosters constructive education in soccer skills and the rules of the game; to provide a safe and secure environment in which to practice and play; and to provide an activity where courtesy, common sense, and good sportsmanship prevail for all players, coaches, parents and fans.

Overview

A key component in United Valley Soccer Association's mission is the volunteer coach. UVSA administers both a fall and spring program. Both the fall and spring programs are recreational leagues for beginning players and utilize the volunteer efforts of many first-time coaches. No matter what level of experience, UVSA holds all our coaches to the same standards and expectations. The most important of these is emphasizing fun through the teaching of soccer fundamentals and promoting strong teamwork, good sportsmanship, and fair play - both on and off the field.

Clearances

● SAY Volunteer Application (annually)

● UVSA Coaching Code of Conduct (annually)

● Clearances (every 60 mos):

o Report of criminal history from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP)

o Child Abuse History Clearance from the Department of Human Services (Child Abuse).

o FBI Criminal History clearance:

▪ If the volunteer has lived outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the last 10 years:

● A fingerprint based federal criminal history (FBI) - FBI Criminal History Report
Use the following code to access the site: 1KG6ZJ

▪ –OR- If the volunteer has been a resident of Pennsylvania for the last 10 years:

● PA Fingerprint Waiver Form

● Trainings:

o Safesport Abuse Training (every 48 mos w/ annual Refresher)

▪ First time user:

● Complete information on “Sign Up” page.

o Member ID = leave blank (not used)

o Name of Sport or Community Organization = United Valley Soccer

● If the dashboard does not automatically load after creating your account, you may be prompted to log in to the new account you just created.

● Click on “My Courses” on landing page or from menu select “My Courses.”

● Click the Start button for “SafeSport Trained – U.S. Soccer Federation” to complete the course.

● Download your certificate of completion.

▪ Returning user:

● Which course to take:

o The training runs in a 4-year cycle as follows:

▪ Year 1: SafeSport Trained – U.S. Soccer Federation

▪ Year 2: Refresher 1

▪ Year 3: Refresher 2

▪ Year 4: Refresher 3

▪ Year 5: SafeSport Trained – U.S. Soccer Federation (again)

o Concussion Training (every 36 mos)

▪ Course Option #1 - the National Federation of State High School Associations "Concussion in Sports" training course.

▪ Course Option #2 - the Centers for Disease Control "Heads Up! Concussion in Youth Sports" training course.

Forms

The following are links to forms needed by coaches and other volunteers:

● Concession Stand Worker Form - Coaches should use this form to provide the Concession Stand Manager a list of volunteer workers required for home games

● SAY Injury Report - Coaches must complete an Injury Report for all injuries that require medical treatment and occur at practice or games.

● SAY/UVSA Concussion Policy (PDF) - the complete policy.

● SAY/UVSA Concussion Notification Form - this form must be used to notify parents of suspected concussions.

● SAY/UVSA Return to Play Form - this form must be completed prior to a player returning to play.

Field Rules

The field rules are a great source of information for all coaches, parents, players and referees. Please use the following links to view and print the rules for each age group. Please refer to the SAY website for more detailed rules & laws of play: Laws of Play