AYSO
Referee
Program
Child National
and Volunteer
Protection
Advocate (CVPA) Job Training
#601
Introduction
Every child has a right to a safe, fair, fun, family
friendly, positive environment or safe haven.
Creating a Safe Haven
AYSO’s Safe Haven program supports the creation of a
“safe haven” by:
Registering and Screening all Volunteers
Requiring Training and Certification
Providing Protection Guidelines
Promoting Safety and Injury Prevention
Course Overview
CVPA’s Job Responsibilities
Volunteer Screening
Volunteer Registration
Child & Volunteer Protection
The Role of the CVPA
The Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate serves as
the Region, Area or Section Safe Haven representative.
CVPA Job Responsibilities
• Screen volunteers at the Regional level.
• Present list of eligible applicants to Regional
Board for approval.
• Ensure approved applicants are registered.
• Assign volunteers to positions in eAYSO.
• Work with RCA, RRA to ensure coaches,
referees are trained and certified and that
they receive an annual Safe Haven review.
• Serve as contact for child abuse/protection.
Privacy & Confidentiality
•
CVPAs may encounter the private and confidential
information and should regard this information
with the highest degree of confidentiality and data
security.
•
Do not discuss sensitive information with anyone
other than the National Safe Haven staff.
•
Take measures to protect information from theft
or exposure on public domains.
Privacy & Confidentiality
•
Store forms under lock and key. Never leave them
in a car or on a table at Registration.
•
Shred or burn any Regions copies of forms
discarded after ensuring they are either eSigned or
received by Safe Haven.
•
Notify Safe Haven immediately if any forms
are lost or stolen.
Privacy & Confidentiality
•
Requiring volunteers to use eAYSO/eSign is best
way to ensure privacy protection.
•
eAYSO is a secure site (https:), uses SSL encrypted
transmission of data. SSNs are stored encrypted.
•
Safe Haven cannot discuss the contents of a
background check with anyone other than the
individual – not even spouses.
•
Refer all questions about volunteer eligibility or
disqualification to Safe Haven.
Quiz
a
Which of the following best describes the primary
responsibility of the CVPA?
a) Screen and Register volunteers at the Region, Area or
Section level.
b) Conduct Background checks.
c) Conduct Disciplinary Review Panels.
d) Teach AYSO’s Safe Haven to all new volunteers.
It All Starts With Volunteers
AYSO is volunteer run organization and without the
efforts of thousands of volunteers who donate
countless hours to enrich the lives of children, AYSO
would not be a world class youth soccer program.
Volunteer Screening
AYSO asks adult volunteers to submit character
references and agree to background checks in order
to protect players, volunteers and resources.
Volunteer Screening
Why Screen Volunteers?
“Youth sports treasurer accused of embezzlement;
Corona man has been charged with embezzling
$100,000 from a youth sports program that receives
money from the city.”
“Montgomery County police arrested a longtime
soccer coach on Thursday and charged him with
inappropriate contact with a juvenile six months
ago.”
“South Dakota (Soccer) — A 42 year-old adult man
strikes the soccer referee, who happened to also be
the town’s mayor, during a match between 11-yearold girls. The coach was sentenced to one year in jail,
Volunteer Protection
In 1997, Congress passed the Volunteer Protection
Act to promote volunteerism and grant immunity
from certain liabilities for volunteers who meet
its requirements.
Volunteer Requirements
For protection under the Volunteer Protection Act
and other laws, AYSO requires volunteers to:
• Submit and eSign a Volunteer Application every year,
• Be authorized to do their job by Region, Area, Section or
National Board of Directors,
• Act within the scope of their Job Descriptions and AYSO’s
policies, procedures and guidelines,
• Complete Safe Haven Training and
• Be properly trained in their jobs.
Volunteer Applications
The Volunteer Application Form represents the first
layer of screening and protection. It is the only way to
know who is volunteering and it represents a signed
contract between every volunteer and AYSO.
A volunteer’s signed consent is required by law in order
to run a background check and to check for registered
sex offenders. It is the first step in protecting the
volunteer.
Volunteer Application Steps
• Make sure every volunteer has a current Application
eSigned and submitted for each Membership Year.
• Do not accept any Application with any changes to
the disclaimers, waivers and agreements on the
application form.
• Review any handwritten Application for
completeness, enter it into eAYSO and send it to
the National Safe Haven department immediately.
• For first time volunteers, verify the identity of the
person on the Application with a photo ID.
Volunteer Application Steps
Verifying the identity of the person on the application
with a photo ID ensures we’re background checking the
correct person.
Volunteer Applications
• Send all original, hand-signed
forms to National Office with a
Control Sheet using:
• US Mail Certified Return
Receipt
• UPS or
• Overnight service with a
tracking number.
eSignature
• Every volunteer must eSign their application
in eAYSO.
• eSignature in eAYSO enables the secure electronic
storage, search and retrieval of player and volunteer
forms.
• eAYSO validates required fields and ensures
completeness.
• eSigned volunteer forms are available instantly for
background checking and do not need to be sent to
AYSO’s National Safe Haven department.
Volunteer Application Steps
eSignature does not mean “paperless.” It is still
recommended that Regions ask volunteers to print one
copy of their application to present to the Region with
a photo ID at an in-person event.
New or Returning
Volunteer Box
Volunteer Applications
Required Fields:
Now accepting 5
types of photo I.D.
•Legal Name
•Social Security Number
•Birth Date
•Photo I.D.
•Answer to Conviction Question
and disclosure
eSignature
•Signature and Date
confirmation
References are required for new
volunteers.
DO NOT accept the Application
if the application is missing
any of these fields,
or language is crossed out on either side
of the form.
Social Security Numbers
• National youth serving organizations use SSN based
background checks as the standard for screening
volunteers.
• AYSO conducts SSN based criminal background
checks in order to:
– Verify where an applicant has lived
– Identify alias names
– Obtain both national and county level criminal
histories
Confirmation email
Confirmation email
CVPAs can also be notified by eAYSO when someone
has completed an application by setting the
Region>Setup>General Preferences:
Reference Checks
• AYSO recommends checking References for all new
volunteers.
• Identify yourself to a reference and ask, “Would you
recommend Applicant for working with children in
the American Youth Soccer Organization?” “Why or
Why not?”
• Do not discuss age, race or sex.
• Anyone with a negative reference should not be
accepted as a volunteer.
Volunteer Applicant Lists
Select “Reports” >
“Vol Applicant Export”
Volunteer Applicant Lists
Key fields include:
• Name
• AYSO ID#
• Email – for contacting
volunteers
• eSign (Y/N)
• Convicted (Y/N) = Flagged
• Jobs – Jobs Requested
• Reference Information
Volunteer Applicant Lists
Region
#
AYSOID
LastName
FirstName
MI
Email
Convicted
E-Sign
E-Sign
Date
XXX
76581388 test
sen
returntest@123.com
No
Y
8/18/2014
XXX
76809225 test
volsign
volsigntest@123.com
No
Y
9/10/2014
XXX
76841186 testtt
test
testtt@123.com
Yes
Y
9/15/2014
XXX
76581396 testtwo
sen
retruntest2@123.com
No
Y
8/18/2014
XXX
74759588 volunteer
sample
samplevol@ayso.org
No
Y
3/25/2014
XXX
74685692 Volunteer
Testfour
testfourvol@ayso.org
No
Y
3/11/2014
XXX
74665504 Volunteer
Testone
testonevolr@ayso.org
No
N
XXX
74665541 Volunteer
Testtwo
testonevol@ayso.org
No
N
Quiz
c
A Volunteer Application is:
a) Only required for Board Members and coaches.
b) Acceptable with changes to the language on the form
as long as it is signed and initialed.
c) Required from every volunteer, every year.
d) Acceptable with a TAX ID instead of a Social Security
Number.
Flagged and Un-Flagged
Applications
Un-Flagged Applications
• Most applications (97%) are not flagged;
• the applicant answered “no” to the conviction
question, and
• they eSigned their application.
• After checking references (new applicants only), place
on the list for approval by the Regional Board.
• Register all approved applicants in eAYSO.
Flagged Applications
•
•
•
•
•
Applications with a “yes” answer to the conviction
question will be flagged in eAYSO.
Red Flag prevents registering the applicant.
Red Flags cannot be assigned a position until
cleared by Safe Haven.
Do not accept a handwritten flagged application
without
complete
disclosure
including
Do not aallow
flagged
applicants
to conviction,
dates,
locations.
volunteer
until cleared by Safe Haven.
Flagged Applications
•
•
•
•
Applications which are not eSigned in eAYSO will
also be red flagged.
Red Flag prevents flagged the applicant from being
registered and assigned a position.
Once the original hand-signed application is received
by Safe Haven, the red flag is removed.
Applicant
can also
eSign applicants
to remove red
Do not allow
flagged
to flag.
volunteer
until cleared by Safe Haven.
Flagged Applications
•
•
•
Flagged Applicants who cannot be cleared by the
AYSO Criminal Background Check Policy will be
disqualified or restricted from volunteering and
cannot be used by the Region.
Volunteers disqualified or restricted because of a
Safe Haven determination are not entitled to due
process at the Region level.
Due Process is handled by Safe Haven.
Flagged Applications
If the application is cleared:
• The red flag is removed by Safe Haven.
• Volunteer status is updated.
• RC and CVPA receive an e-mail from Safe Haven via
eAYSO.
Flagged Applications
If the application cannot be cleared:
• Applicant is sent an adverse action letter via US Mail
as required by law.
• Applicant has 7 days to review background check
and/or dispute findings.
• RC and CVPA are sent an e-mail from Safe Haven via
eAYSO.
• Emails are only sent for flagged applications or
volunteers who are disqualified or restricted.
Red Flags
The Red Flag can mean any one of the following:
• The application was not eSigned and the hand signed
form has not been received by Safe Haven,
• The applicant answered “yes” to the disclosure question
and hasn’t been cleared by Safe Haven,
• The application is missing information such as DOB or
there’s a typo in the SSN,
• The volunteer is disqualified.
National Screening
All applicants are run the very next business day.
• Federal law requires a signed consent before
submitting background checks.
• eSigned applications can be immediately submitted
for background checking.
• Background checks take about 1 week; longer for
common names, some locations.
National Screening
•
•
•
•
Sex Offender Searches conducted on all Volunteers
using National Sex Offender Registries
www.nsopr.gov.
Many States and Sheriff stations have Online
Registries: www.sexoffender.com.
Regions should check local sites for possible
offenders near fields. Do not publish names or
pictures.
Notify Safe Haven if a registered sex
offender is suspected or discovered.
Background Check Policy
•
•
•
•
•
AYSO Criminal Background Check Policy is available
on www.ayso.org.
Includes a partial Table of Convictions.
Only Safe Haven Department is authorized to run
criminal background checks and determine
volunteer eligibility.
Policy determines volunteer restrictions based on
risks associated with convictions.
There are no exceptions to policy or appeals
granted to avoid discriminatory practice.
Background Check Policy
•
•
•
•
•
Sex Crimes or Crimes against children require a
lifetime ban on volunteering.
Crimes of violence = 20 year disqualification.
Other felonies = 10 year disqualification.
Any theft or fraud related conviction requires a
restriction from Board positions responsible for funds
or personal identities.
Many misdemeanor convictions require a restriction
from coaching for 3-5 years including DUIs.
Background Check Policy
•
•
•
•
•
Make Criminal Background Check Policy available at
Volunteer Recruiting and Registration events.
Make sure volunteers and Regional Board
understand there is a policy to avoid
misunderstandings.
Allow applicants to self-determine their eligibility.
Safe Haven disqualifications/restrictions must be
enforced by the Region.
Regions cannot require parents to volunteer.
eAYSO CVPA Search
Select “Region” > “CVPA” >
“Search”
eAYSO CVPA Search
CVPA/Safe
Haven +
Notes
eAYSO CVPA Search
eAYSO CVPA Search
CVPA/Safe
Haven Notes
eAYSO CVPA Search
eAYSO CVPA Search
CVPA/Safe
Haven Notes
eAYSO CVPA Search
eAYSO CVPA Search
CVPA/Safe
Haven Notes
eAYSO CVPA Notes
Safe Haven Notes
track key facts and
steps
eAYSO CVPA Notes
Note Restricted
Positions
Quiz
c
Which of the following is not true?
a) In 2014, every volunteer who can, must eSign their
application.
b) A hand- signed application will be red-flagged until
the application is received by Safe Haven.
c) A Red Flag means the applicant is a convicted
criminal.
d) Red Flags can simply mean something is missing on
the application.
Question ?
Yes
Can a Region choose whether or not to accept a
volunteer?
Once a Membership Year, before the volunteer is
accepted or assigned a position. Every volunteer serves
a one year term.
Volunteering is a privilege, not a right.
Regions can say “Thank you, no thank you.” without
giving any reasons that may invite an argument (or that
would require due process).
Volunteer Registration
Everyone volunteering in AYSO must be
a registered volunteer.
Volunteer Registration
• CVPAs must register accepted applicants in eAYSO.
• Unaccepted or disqualified applicants must stay in
applicant status.
• When necessary, input new applicants or renew
returning applicants only if you have an originally signed
Volunteer Application.
Volunteer Registration
Select “Region” > “Volunteer” >
Registration
Volunteer Registration
Filer by Status
New! Indicators for
NE – eSignature
eSign and
Incomplete
New/Returning!!
Red Flag,Yellow
Post-it Notes
Volunteer Registration
• Applicants who are not eSigned must have an original
hand-signed application:
• A completed blank application form.
• A hand-signed pre-printed form ordered in the
Registration Kit.
• All these applicants will be red-flagged until the
hand-signed form is received by Safe Haven.
Volunteer Registration
Change to
Previous to Renew
Volunteer
Add a New Volunteer or
Youth Volunteer from
hand-signed forms
Volunteer Registration
Register all un-flagged volunteers in eAYSO
approved by the Regional Board to volunteer.
Volunteer Registration
Applicants
Check Applicants;
“Submit” to Register
Assigning Volunteer Positions
Assign all registered, non-board member,
volunteers in eAYSO to their specific positions.
Assigning Volunteer Positions
Select “Region” > “Volunteer” >
“Manage Positions”
Assigning Volunteer Positions
Select Volunteer
Positions
Assigning Volunteer Positions
– Unavailable Volunteer positions reflect restricted
roles.
– CVPAs can view restrictions using CVPA Search.
– Safe Haven volunteer restrictions include:
“Restricted from managing Region Funds/PID”
“Restricted from Coaching/Assistant Coaching”
“Disqualified from volunteering”
Assigning Volunteer Positions
Restricted Positions
are not included in
the drop down list.
Youth Volunteers
• Must have a Youth Volunteer Application signed by
parent or guardian every year.
• Must take AYSO’s Safe Haven and abide by the same
protection guidelines when in the company of younger
players or VIP participants.
Youth Volunteers
• May hold Youth Referee, Youth Team
Assistant, Youth VIP Buddy or other
Youth Volunteer positions which are
supervised by adults.
• May not be a Team Coach, Assistant Coach
or Regional Board Member and may never
be in a position of supervising players.
• National Policy Statement 2.15.
Youth Volunteers
• Required Fields:
• Name
• Parent/Guardian Contact
Information
• Parent/Guardian Signature
• Signed copy required for
Emergency Treatment
Authorization.
Training and Certification
Training and Certification is the only way to ensure
the fulfillment of the AYSO vision and the protection
of players and volunteers.
Training and Certification
Training provides job position and standard specific
training such as U-6 Coach, Intermediate Referee or
Registrar training.
Certification requires competency in the assigned
position (job training), Child and Volunteer
Protection (Safe Haven training) and AYSO Policies
and Guidelines.
Continuing Education includes training to
improve skills like Principles of Play, Dispute
Resolution and Problems Outside the Touchline.
Training and Certification
• All Coaches, Referees and Board Members are
required to be trained and certified.
• Practices and Games are NOT permitted without an
AYSO trained and certified Team Coach.
• Official games are NOT permitted without an AYSO
trained and certified Referee for the U-8 division and
above.
Training and Certification
• Regions must have the 7 required Board Positions
and the volunteers serving in these positions, must
be trained and certified:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Regional Commissioner,
Coach Administrator,
Referee Administrator,
Treasurer,
Registrar,
Safety Director and
Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate (CVPA).
Vol Position Certifications
Select “Reports” >
“Vol Position Certification”
Vol Position Certifications
Vol Position Certifications
FirstNameLastName MY
Position(s)
Certification(s)
AYSOs Safe Haven, Z-Online CDC Concussion Awareness
Team Coach Training,
Test
Volunteer
MY2014
Test2
Volunteer
MY2014
Test
Coach
Coach
Roberts
Team Coach AYSOs Safe Haven
Coaching
Z-Online AYSOs Safe Haven, Z-Online CDC Concussion
MY2014 Staff
Awareness Training, Coach Administrator Training
AYSOs Safe Haven, CDC Online Concussion Awareness
MY2014 Team Coach Training, Z-Online Refugio Seguro de AYSO
Coach
Kate
MY2014
Test3
Volunteer
MY2014
Team Coach U-6 Coach
Z-Online CDC Concussion Awareness Training, Z-Online U-10
Team Coach Coach, Z-Online U-6 Coach, Z-Online U-8 Coach
Coach
Mike
MY2014
Team Coach
Coach
volunteer
MY2014
Team Coach AYSOs Safe Haven
Z-Online U-6 Coach, Z-Online U-8 Coach
Quiz
b
Which of the following is not a requirement of
AYSO volunteers?
a) Completing and signing a Volunteer
Application every year.
b) Fulfilling a continuing education requirement.
c) Consenting to background investigations.
d) Completing job training.
Child Protection
The Child Protection Acts (1993,1997) enabled
screening of volunteers who work with children and
mandated reporting of suspected child abuse.
Child Abuse is Against the Law
• AYSO is a Mandated Reporter of suspected abuse in
many states – there are legal reporting standards.
• In most states, adults who suspect abuse are asked
to file a good faith report.
• AYSO’s Code of Conduct Policy (2.12) Against
Harassment, Abuse, Assault or Violence prohibits
abusive behavior by players, volunteers, and
spectators.
Abuse and Neglect
Physical
Emotional
Neglect
Sexual
Ethical
Reporting Abuse
Reporting is generally required when a child is:
• intentionally injured, subjected to willful cruelty or
unjustifiable punishment, sexually abused or
exploited.
• neglected by a parent or caretaker who fails to
provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical
care or supervision.
Suspecting Abuse
• If abuse is suspected, notify the National Safe
Haven Office. 1-800-USA-AYSO.
• If the abuse is considered life threatening, contact local
law enforcement immediately.
• Remember reporting is a means of helping; let
professional agencies investigate. Do not confront
alleged abuser.
• Youth volunteers should be encouraged to inform an
adult if told a “secret” about abuse.
Protection Guidelines
Safe Haven’s Child and Volunteer Protection
Guidelines are designed to protect children from
abuse and volunteers from misunderstandings.
Protection Guidelines
Supervision Protocols
Adult Boundaries
Transparent Interactions
Protecting Identities & Privacy of Minors
AYSO Role Models
What does it mean to be an AYSO Volunteer?
It means we are entrusted with the Vision of AYSO and
the responsibility to serve as role models of good
sporting behavior.
Support Kids Zone
Help make every game a kids zone!
Kids Zone encourages appropriate
sideline behavior – key to promoting a
fun, safe, family-friendly environment.
Parents and Spectators pledge to
respect the tenets of Kids Zone.
Coaches, Referees, Parents and Players
abide by a Code of Conduct.
Annual Safe Haven Reminders
•
•
•
•
Work with the Coach and Referee Administrators
to provide coaches, referees and team parents an
annual presentation of protection guidelines.
A PowerPoint presentation is available on ayso.org.
The CVPA is not certified for teaching the Safe
Haven course itself.
CVPAs should take the CVPA Annual Update
webinar yearly.
Quiz
A new volunteer wants to coach his daughter’s team.
The season is going to start next week. He hasn’t filled
out a volunteer form yet. Can the Coach
Administrator assign him to a team pending the receipt
of his volunteer application?
No
CVPA Resources
www.ayso.org – cvpa page
www.aysotraining.org
AYSO Safe Haven
www.ayso.org
Safe Haven for Parents
New →
www.ayso.org
Remember, it’s for the kids
Thank you!
Thank You!
Thank you for volunteering to bring a quality
youth soccer program to your community and
for supporting the AYSO philosophies.
Everyone Plays® Balanced Teams Open Registration
Positive Coaching Good Sportsmanship
Player Development
95