Step 1: Submit a Volunteer Application (See Detailed Instructions Below)
- All volunteers must submit a volunteer application annually.
- You can submit your volunteer application when you register your child in one of our programs or at any time by adding a volunteer role to your account.
- Enter your LEGAL first and last names in the volunteer application. These fields will prepopulate in the background check form. Do not use a nickname.
- During the volunteer application process, select the appropriate program, division, and role that you would like to sign up for and enter all required information. If you would like to volunteer in more than one role or coach in more than one division, you must select each role in each program/division that you will be volunteering.
- If you would like to volunteer but do not have a child enrolled in one of our programs, create an account for yourself as a Coach or Other Team Personnel With No Participants, then submit your volunteer application.
- The Referee role can be found in the 2022-2023 Volunteer/Staff Registration.
Step 2: Submit to a Background Check
- All adult volunteers must submit to a level 2 background check annually.
- After you have submitted your volunteer application in Step 1, you will receive an email from Sterling Volunteers with a link to submit your background check.
- Leave the middle name field marked as "I do not have a middle name", even if you have one. This is a known issue with the background check form. Do not enter a middle name in this field.
- There is a $25 background check fee which will be paid by AYSO Region 418, unless you select to pay the fee on the checkout screen.
- You can check the status of your background check and eligibility to volunteer for AYSO from the Volunteer Roles & Certificates page in your volunteer account.
Step 3: Volunteer Training & Certification
- To ensure the safety of our players and the integrity of our programs, all volunteers must complete the training courses and certifications specific to their chosen role(s).
- AYSO provides free training for all volunteer roles. No experience is necessary! AYSO has developed specialized training that helps volunteers who may have little or no soccer experience quickly gain the age-appropriate knowledge and skills they need to be effective coaches, referees, team parents, and administrators. Visit the Role Descriptions & Requirements page for the training courses you will need to complete for your chosen role.
- It only takes a few hours to become qualified as an introductory-level coach or referee. But if you're not able to commit even that much time, there are many small jobs you can help with. Even a couple of hours each season are an important contribution to your AYSO team and region. We even have volunteer roles for kids!
- AYSO training doesn't stop, as long as you're having fun! Referees, coaches and administrators have clinics, workshops and other advanced training courses available to advance their skills.