SAFETY IS THE MAIN CONCERN OF ALL AYSO OFFICIALS AND VOLUNTEERS
The safety and well-being of your children is very important to AYSO at the local and national level. There are a number of programs in place to make sure your children remain safe.
Safe Haven Online Training
Safe Haven Every volunteer (coach, assistant or team parent) must complete a Safe Haven course. This course is designed to teach those in direct contact with the children how to keep them safe. Topics include: keeping players hydrated, Coaches can't leave the field until all children have been picked up, insurance issues, injury prevention and treatment, etc.
Safety Director - The league has a Safety Director whose responsibility is to keep all children safe. If you are aware of a team that regularly practices rough play, or are aware of any situation where a child is in danger or at risk, you are urgently requested to contact the Safety Director. Risks can include (but not limited to) Inappropriate behavior of a coach, a hazard on the field (pot holes, glass, etc.), Rough play on the field, out of control parents or coaches.
If your child is injured on the field, please contact the Coach, Division Rep & Safety Director (name/number located on the Board Member page) for further instructions.
Child/Volunteer Protection Advocate - The league also has a Child/Volunteer Protection Advocate whose job it is to research each volunteer to make sure they are the right people to work with your children. If you see any inappropriate behavior on the part of a volunteer working with the children, please contact the Child/Volunteer Protection Advocate immediately.
AYSO’s Safe Haven: Keeping AYSO Players and Volunteers Safe
We take the safety of our athletes seriously. Precautions are taken on the field to prevent physical injuries, and precautions are taken off the field to ensure children and volunteers are safe in their interactions with each other.
AYSO’s Safe Haven program has been put in place to protect AYSO players and the volunteers who serve them. It requires that each AYSO volunteer complete and eSign a volunteer application each and every year, agreeing to background checks and to abide by the philosophies and policies of AYSO.
Every AYSO volunteer must apply and be accepted as a volunteer. Volunteers are also asked to complete Safe Haven and job specific training in order to become trained and certified. AYSO in-person or online training focuses on the best ways to work with children and important safety protocols. Becoming Safe Haven certified takes some time, but AYSO volunteers know it’s worth it.
Also, did you know that every AYSO Region is required to designate a volunteer to act as the Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate (CVPA)? A CVPA helps implement Safe Haven policies at the local level. Next time you see your local CVPA, stop and say hello!
AYSO is so proud of our Safe Haven program – it was the first of its kind in youth sports, most notably in soccer. It creates a safe environment for players and volunteers to have a happy and healthy soccer experience.
It takes a lot of dedicated people to make AYSO possible, and volunteers are always needed. If you are interested in participating, apply in person at a registration event or go to www.hiloayso.org.