It is the Club Director’s responsibility to ensure that their coaches have met the following Keystone Region coaching requirements:
Without meeting all the requirements listed above, the coach will remain ineligible and may not coach in any capacity with the club. Any team or club utilizing an ineligible coach may be sanctioned. Additionally, the individual coach(es) may be subject to sanction by the region. Club administrators and board of director members, even if not acting in a coaching capacity, should fulfill the above requirements due to the fact that these individuals are still setting and overseeing policy and participation for junior members and should understand their obligations to child safety requirements.
It is also mandated by the State of Pennsylvania that coaches have their PA 153 Clearances. The Region mandates that all clubs comply with Pennsylvania state laws.
Criminal History Record from the PA State Police (PATCH) system
Child Abuse Clearance obtained through the Department of Public Welfare
Fingerprint screening (this does not include volunteers with ten year consistent PA residence) – Service Code: 1KG756
Team Managers – Juniors under 18 in High School
The USA Volleyball rule book state that “A head coach or assistant coach affiliated with a junior program must also be an adult.” A junior member (18 or under) that has not graduate High School and would like to help out at practices and sit on the bench as a Team Manager, may do so if the following conditions are met:
Coaching Restrictions
Current high school or college coaches may have restrictions imposed by state or collegiate associations pertaining to their involvement in club sports. It is the coach and their club director’s responsibility to ensure association rules are not violated. KRVA and USA Volleyball have no control, influence, or interest in these rules, nor are KRVA or USAV responsible for their enforcement. Violations should be reported to the association or the coach’s school.
Coaches may only be rostered with one club per season. However, they may coach a second club of the opposite gender if neither club has a team in that gender. Coaches may not be rostered with clubs from two different regions. Coaches are also limited to serving as Head Coach for only one team.
IMPACT Clinic
IMPACT (Increased Mastery and Professional Application of Coaching Techniques) is a baseline required USA Volleyball coaching education course for anyone who would like to coach. IMPACT on Demand (the online course) is FREE to USAV / Keystone Region members. Please make sure there is a current membership for the new coach in place prior to the clinic as it expedites the post-clinic certification process.
Background Screening Policy
The Keystone Region follows the USA Volleyball background screening guidelines found here. Screenings should be submitted a minimum of seven to 10 business days for clearance. The Keystone Region does not have access to any background screening information and cannot expedite any screenings, or is the Region involved in any resolution. Should a member fail a screen, they will receive information on how to dispute the findings and/or appeal for participation. Please contact the region office for any questions.
ENFORCEMENT: The hiring entity (club) is responsible for ensuring adherence to this policy and ensuring those individuals who are disqualified do not participate in RVA/USAV sanctioned junior events and/or activities.
PENALTY: Failure of a club/entity to request background screening or enforce disqualification is cause for the RVA or USAV to impose penalties. The minimum penalty shall be suspension of all members of the offending club/entity until background screening and enforcement requirements are met. Additional measures may include financial penalties and/or extended suspensions against individuals and/or the club/entity.
NOTE: The background screening process and payment ($14 every season) is completed through the membership registration on Sports Engine. Anyone who does not have an updated screen will automatically be prompted for a new one upon registration for the next season.
ADMINISTRATION: Any club director who would like to purchase background screenings for their coaches, click here to be directed to the USA Volleyball background screening purchase form.
SafeSport
As a member of USA Volleyball, Keystone Region is proud to participate in the SafeSport program, a child protection program to bring awareness, education and reporting for abuse and misconduct. All adults who will have contact with junior athletes must be SafeSport trained each season by taking the online modules required to satisfy the SafeSport requirements. There are four stages of SafeSport that must be taken by members over the span of four years. Year 1: Core training. Year 2: Refresher 1. Year 3: Refresher 2. Year 4: Refresher 3. In Year 5, the member would be required to take Core training again. The system will keep track of progress and prompt for the next stage upon registration for the next season.
USA Volleyball, in conjunction with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), has developed a SafeSport program to help protect our youth. This includes not only on-court safety, but also off-court safety in any part of Keystone Region’s and USA Volleyball’s programs. Keystone Region and USA Volleyball are committed to creating safe and fun environments for youth. This includes, but is not limited to, providing training, educational materials and resources for our members, including clubs, coaches, parents and athletes. Visit the Keystone Region SafeSport page for more information, including how to report misconduct.
All clubs should be familiar with the latest MAAPP (Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies) document and have procedures in place in order to be compliant with requirements.
Current high school or college coaches may have restrictions imposed by state or collegiate associations pertaining to their involvement in club sports. It is the coach and their club director’s responsibility to ensure association rules are not violated. KRVA and USA Volleyball have no control, influence, or interest in these rules, nor are KRVA or USAV responsible for their enforcement. Violations should be reported to the association or the coach’s school.
Coaches are restricted to being rostered for one club for the season. However, coaches may be rostered for two different clubs in the opposite gender if neither club has a team in that gender. Coaches also may not be rostered in two different region’s clubs.