🔒 Volunteer Clearances & Risk Management

The safety of every player in our program is our top priority. As a member club of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer (EPYSA) and US Youth Soccer, JTYSA is required to ensure that all coaches, assistant coaches, and volunteers are fully cleared before setting foot on the field.

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These requirements are mandated by Pennsylvania state law (PA Act 15) and enforced by EPYSA's Risk Management Policy. No exceptions — if clearances are not on file, you may not coach or be on the field at any JTYSA practice or game.

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What do I need to complete?

All volunteers must complete six items total. Three are completed once every five years — three are required every year.

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📋 Background Clearances — Every 5 Years

Everyone falls into one of two categories:

✅ Lived in Pennsylvania continuously for the past 10 years

1. PA State Police Criminal Background Check — Free for volunteers

2. PA Child Abuse History Clearance — Free for volunteers. Select "Volunteer" as your purpose when applying

3. Child Safety Affidavit of Compliance — Download, complete, and sign in place of FBI fingerprinting

 

✅ Lived outside Pennsylvania at any point in the last 10 years

1. PA State Police Criminal Background Check — Free for volunteers

2. PA Child Abuse History Clearance — Free for volunteers. Select "Volunteer" as your purpose when applying

3. FBI Criminal History Background Check — Requires a fingerprinting appointment and a fee that cannot be waived

 

📚 Annual Training Requirements — Every Year

In addition to background checks, EPYSA requires all coaches and volunteers to complete two online trainings annually through your GotSport account:

1. SafeSport Training — Required annually per US Soccer Policy 212-3. Covers abuse awareness, mandatory reporting, and athlete safety. Complete through your GotSport dashboard under Requirements. First-time volunteers will complete the full "SafeSport Trained" course; returning volunteers complete an annual refresher.

2. Concussion Training — Required annually per EPYSA policy. Helps coaches recognize signs of concussion and follow proper protocols to protect players. Also completed through your GotSport dashboard.

3. EPYSA Risk Management Acknowledgement— Required annually per EPYSA policy. 

 

📤 Step 3 — Submit your clearances to JTYSA

Once you have all items completed, submit copies in two ways:

• Upload all documents to your volunteer profile in GotSport

• If you encounter issues, email copies to our Risk Management Coordinator at riskmanagement@jtysa.com

 

All clearances must be on file before you may participate in any on-field JTYSA activity.

A few important notes:

• Background clearances are valid for 5 years from the date of issue

• SafeSport and Concussion Training must be renewed every year

• Applying as a volunteer waives the fees for the State Police and Child Abuse checks — always select "Volunteer" when applying

• Clearances obtained for another organization or employer can be reused — no need to reapply if they're still valid

• For full EPYSA requirements, visit the EPYSA Risk Management page

 

Questions? Contact our Risk Management Coordinator at riskmanagement@jtysa.com and we'll walk you through the process.

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