Did You Know??
No other sports organization takes the education and safety of your child more seriously than AYSO. Did you know that San Marcos AYSO is proud to uphold the rigorous standards that have been set out by the AYSO National Board of Directors. No other organization is as committed to promoting sports and health in a safe and family-friendly environment than AYSO.
Safe Haven Program for all Volunteers
San Marcos AYSO takes 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.
Safe Haven is a program that has been put in place to protect AYSO players and the volunteers who serve them. It requires that each AYSO volunteer agree to a background check and take in-person or online training that’s focused on the best ways to work with children and important safety protocols. Every AYSO volunteer must apply, complete Safe Haven training and earn certification every year. 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 and ensures that all incidents are handled promptly and correctly. If you have any questions, comments or issues, don't hesitate to contact our CVPA at
[email protected].
No other sports organization goes to the lengths that AYSO does to ensure the quality, safety and protection of your child.
Background Check on Each Volunteer
Since January 1, 2001, all AYSO Regions, Areas and Sections are required to comply with the AYSO policy on criminal background checks. AYSO acts as the criminal background requesting entity unless specific arrangements have been approved in writing by the AYSO National Executive Director. Requiring background checks ensures that AYSO volunteers have met rigorous standards, and requiring that all volunteers take and pass Safe Haven training shows that a volunteer has made the commitment to those standards.
AYSO's
Background Check Policy Page has more details and can the entire Background Check Policy can be
downloaded here.
Coach Curriculum Certified by National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education
AYSO has announced important steps to ensure that every AYSO child has the best possible soccer learning experience. Coaches and assistant coaches in every division in every AYSO Region are required to have AYSO’s age–appropriate training and AYSO Safe Haven certification when they take the field.
The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) National Coaching Program is the only soccer coach education program in the U.S. that is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE). The AYSO program has been reviewed in detail and has passed the very high standards of this important accrediting body. For more information about the certification program or NCACE,
click here.