REQUIRED PROCEDURES FOR BMSC COACHES AND VOLUNTEERS
Attention Coaches, Team Managers, and Parent Volunteers:
The Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association (EPYSA), which is the governing body for all youth soccer in Eastern PA, has implemented new regulations for all adults who will be working with children. Based on Pennsylvania's Child Protection Safety Laws, adults who must obtain and submit clearances are defined as follows -
“. . . someone who provides “care, supervision, guidance or control” AND have “routine interaction” with the children. “Routine interaction” is defined as regular and repeated contact that is integral to the person’s employment or volunteer responsibilities.”
Based on this definition, all head coaches abd assistant coaches must obtain and submit their clearances. Additionally, if there is a team parent that will “routinely” interact with the children within the BMSC, they must also obtain and submit their clearances..
What Clearances are needed?
Anyone who needs to go through this process will need to obtain their PA Criminal Background Check and a Child Abuse Background Check. These checks are good for 5 years. Please click on the links below to start that process.
1. PA Criminal Background Check- https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp
2. Child Abuse Background Check- https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home
3. If you have been a resident of PA for the past 10 years, you must also submit the following affidavit of compliance.
https://usys-assets.ae-admin.com/assets/947/15/Child%20safety%20-%20Affidavit%20of%20Compliance.pdf
4. If you have not lived in PA for the past 10 years, you must submit an FBI fingerprint
background check.
https://usys-assets.ae-admin.com/assets/947/15/IdentoGo%20Service%20Code%203-12-2018.pdf
If you have obtained these clearances in the last 5 years, they are still good to submit.
Instructions on how to submit them are detailed below.
If you need to go through the process of obtaining these documents, please do not wait. These state agencies have to process these requests for every youth group across PA.
Where should I submit these Documents?
With the full implementation of the new registration system within EPYSA, all documents must be uploaded to gotsoccer.com
To upload these documents please follow these instructions –
- Contact Paul Glenn ([email protected]) you are interested in coaching.
- You will then receive an email from gotsoccer.com stating "Action Required", please confirm you are a coach.
- Log Into your Account (system.gotsport.com)
- For all your PA Clearances and the Affidavit of Compliance, you will upload all of those in the “Safety/Additional Certification” section. Please note that all your documents must be uploaded as 1 single document . You must merge them all together into 1 single document . If you are unable to merge your PDFs using your computer software, there are different free sites that can merge documents for you. ZonePDF.com is one example. Please feel free to find a service that best suits your needs.
- Please perform your Safe Sport, Heads up and fill out EPYSA risk management forms.
- Load your photo and update all information in your account.
What Else must I upload?
1. You must upload a head shot image to be used for your coaching pass. Please upload that image in your profile section.
2. You must complete a “Concussion Training Certification.” You can access and complete this certification by clicking on the “Learn More” button on your profile page. Please know that this online certification will take about 30 minutes to complete. Your certificate should automatically upload, but please make sure you download it and save a copy.
3. Finally, you must complete your “Abuse Training” certification. You can access and complete this certification by clicking on the “Begin Training” button on your profile page. This training will take between 1 ½ - 2 hours. Your certificate should automatically upload, but please make sure you download it and save a copy.
4. Once you have uploaded all your documents, uploaded a headshot picture and completed your concussion and abuse prevention trainings, please send me an email notification of your process completion. Please make the subject line of this email “Your Name - RM Complete”. Send that email to Don Nettles [email protected] . Also all Certificates should be emailed to our Director of coach Paul Glenn ([email protected]) for Club use.
Only CLEARED Head coaches, Assistant coaches, Team Managers and Team Parents are allowed to be around children during the soccer season.