Coach BackGround Checks

The Board of Directors on 2/7/03 voted unanimously to require that all coaches associated with Horsham Soccer Association must submit a PA State Police criminal background check, or similar background check from the person's state of residence. The purpose of this requirement is to protect our children. This requirement is essentially the same as that instituted recently by Little League International for all their local organizations. If you are currently a coach with Horsham Little League please see below.This is in addition to the EPYSA Required Kid Safe Disclosure. Both the EPYSA and PA State checks can be done on-line in a few minutes. Directions are shown below.

Horsham Soccer, through Eastern PA Youth Soccer (EPYSA), participates in the Kid Safe program that was introduced in 1994. This program requires all coaches to submit a Volunteer Disclosure Statement to EPYSA. EPYSA performs random criminal background checks and also checks the individual against USYSA's own database. The Kid Safe program is a valuable tool in our effort to maintain a safe environment for our children and we will continue to participate in this program. The state police criminal background check is another tool that has recently become available to organizations such as ours and we feel it is in the best interest of our children to make this a requirement. The EPYSA Volunteer Disclosure Process can be done on-line here. You should print out the form once the process is complete. You will also receive an email from EPYSA indicating that you have registered. (You may get an error when trying to register as an Intramural coach. If so register as a travel coach.)

The PA State Police background check is, as mentioned above, another powerful tool that checks an individual against the State Police Central Repository. Horsham Soccer will require that all board members, head coaches, assistant coaches, and anyone working closely with a team or individual player as part of our organization submit a Record Check Certification. The cost of this certification is $10 payable to the PA State Police. Costs are the responsibility of the individual.

By Mail

The certification can be done by mail using a form downloadable from here. The mail in certification requires a certified check.

On Line

Certification can also be done online using a credit card. (This is the State Police web site which doesn't seem to work all the time. If you have trouble connecting please try again later.)

The final web page of this process will indicate whether you have a record with the State Police.

If you have completed a current background check for Horsham Little League then Horsham Soccer Assocation can accept this to meet our requirements. Please send an email to the contact listed above showing your name and authorizing Horsham Little League to release your background check to Horsham Soccer. Horsham Little League will then provide the requested background checks to us in a batch. Please do not contact Horsham Little League directly.

Background Checks
Horsham Soccer Association
PO Box 247
Horsham,PA 19044

All Horsham Soccer Association (club) Board Members, Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches, and other persons working directly with teams or individual players must submit to the club a PA State Police Record Check Certification in addition to the EPYSA Employment/Volunteer Disclosure Statement. All costs are the responsible of the individual. This requirement takes effect June 1, 2003. All board members or coaches working with teams or players as of this date will have met these requirements. All coaches or other individuals assigned to work with teams or players starting after this date will meet these requirements before being allowed to coach or assume any other responsibilities. The Certification must be dated no more than 3 months earlier than the date submitted to the club. Certifications must be repeated each year.Volunteers such as parking lot supervisors, snack stand workers, field maintenance workers, etc. not working directly with children are exempt from these requirements but may meet them voluntarily. The Board of Directors may extend this requirement to any individual or group in the club at any time.

• Individuals refusing to meet these requirements will be immediately barred from the club.
• Individuals whose background check reveals a conviction of any crime involving oragainst a minor will be immediately barred from the club.
• Individuals whose background check reveals convictions of any crime not involving or against a minor may be barred from the club or from certain activities/ responsibilities by the Board of Directors. For example, individuals convicted of any crime involving theft, burglary, embezzlement, etc. will be barred from acting as treasurer or handling any of the club's funds (registration, snack stand, etc.)
• ny individual barred from the club will be reported to EPYSA/USYSA with the potential of being barred from all USYSA programs across the country.
• Individuals who disagree with any decision made by EPYSA/USYSA must appeal the issue directly to EPYSA/USYSA. Individuals with appeals pending with EPYSA/USYSA are barred from the club until the appeals are resolved to the satisfaction of the Board of Directors.
• Individuals who disagree with their criminal background check must appeal this to the PA State Police. Individuals with appeals pending with the PA State Police are barred from the club until the appeals are resolved to the satisfaction of the Board of Directors.

All information submitted per these requirements will be considered confidential between the individual and the Board of Directors. This information will be shared with EPYSA/USYSA in the event that an individual is barred from the club.

The Kid Safe Program and State Police Criminal Record Check are valuable tools that Horsham Soccer Association and similar organizations can use to help protect our children from dangerous people. These tools are not 100% fool proof, however, and are not a guarantee. It remains your responsibility as a parent to supervise your children, to get to know the people working with your children, and to inform the Board of Directors or the Horsham Police if you are aware of any behavior that goes beyond what you believe is appropriate.