Southern Nevada Soccer Association is a member of US Soccer through our affiliation with Soccer Association for Youth (SAY), and is therefore subject to US Soccer and SAY risk management policies. SNSA secures liability insurance for our volunteer staff (coaches and team managers) through SAY, which requires all of its affiliates to communicate SAY Risk Management policies to our members for implementation. The following are the risk management areas of emphasis for our SNSA coaches and team managers:

301-SAY Times Two Policy | 302-Background Screens
303-General Conduct | 304-Participant Safety Training
305-Reporting Policy | 306-Prohibited Conduct Policy
308-Concussion Policy

Click to review the SAY Risk Management Policies.

As part of SAY Risk Management compliance, SNSA staff are required to do the following for certification:

1. Complete SafeSport training certification.
2. Complete concussion training certification.
3. Submit to a background screening.

Review the accompanying articles on this page for information about each of these requirements and instructions to access the training and submit your certifications.  You can also click on the link below for instructions to complete the certification training courses directly through your SNSA member account.  We thank you in advance for taking the time to complete these courses and for your commitment to ensure a safe environment for our players. 

SNSA is committed to providing a safe environment for kids to play soccer.   All SNSA coaches and team managers are required to complete the Soccer Association for Youth (SAY) volunteer screening application, which is included as part of the SNSA coach registration form.  Coaches and team managers must  also have a current background screening.  New coaches to SNSA and returning coaches whose background checks have expired will be subjected to a Reference Services background check that is integrated with our coach registration system.  Background checks expire three years after the approval date.  We thank our coaches and team managers for complying with our volunteer screening protocol.

The SAY National Concussion Policy consists of two very distinct procedures. This policy is required for ALL coaches and officials regardless of their age and/or status. These procedures are designed to comply with legislation concerning concussion in youth sports. It will be necessary to complete a concussion training course every 3 years.

STEP 1: The first portion of the SAY National Concussion policy is the taking of a FREE online training course.  ALL coaches and team managers MUST complete this training course prior to participating in any SAY activity, whether it be a practice or a game situation.  SNSA has chosen the Center for Disease Control and Prevention "Heads Up Concussion in Youth Sports" online training course. Click on the online training course link below to access the course.  After successfully completing the on-line training, the volunteer will receive a personalized "certificate of completion” to keep on-hand at all games and practices, and to submit to SNSA for our records.  Note: the CDC concussion training course is waived for returning SNSA coaches who have completed the Sideline Sports Doc injury course within the past 3 years. 

STEP 2: The second portion of the SAY National Concussion policy is the Removal-From and Return-to-Play procedure.  Any athlete exhibiting signs and symptoms of concussion either during a practice or during a game MUST be immediately removed. This athlete MAY NOT return to play nor participate in any SAY activity on the same day that he or she has been removed (even if a written medical clearance is provided).

In addition, the athlete is not permitted to return to play or participate in any SAY activity until he or she has been assessed and received written clearance by a physician or by another licensed health care provider.  A Return-to-Play form must be submitted to the coach prior to allowing the athlete to participate in any activity with the athlete’s team, whether it be a practice or a game situation.

Listed below you will find helpful links for the CDC concussion training program, and for signs and symptoms of concussion, a concussion notification form, and a Return-to-Play form.

On March 6, 2017 a bill was introduced in the United States Senate to amend the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, in order to better protect youth athletes in light of recent abuses in the US Olympic program.  The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 was signed into law on February 14, 2018.

This law is in effect and applies to all SAY Soccer members. This amendment extends the duty of SAY members to report suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, to adults who are authorized to interact with minor or amateur athletes at a facility under the jurisdiction of a national governing body. A national governing body (U.S. Soccer) is an amateur sports organization that is recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

The second part of this amendment defines the purpose of the U.S. Center for Safe Sport. This organization must maintain an office for education and outreach that shall develop training, oversight practices, policies, and procedures to prevent the abuse, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, of amateur athletes participating in amateur athletic activities through their national governing bodies and Paralympic sports organizations. It is designed to promote a safe environment in sports for any amateur athlete.

 What does this mean for SAY Soccer members?

1. All SAYArea and District administrative board members and coaches must complete the online SafeSport training, which includes sexual misconduct awareness, emotional and physical misconduct, and mandatory reporting. Upon successful completion of the training the participant will receive an overall SafeSport Training Certificate. SafeSport Training is required to be completed every two years. 

2. All SAYArea and District administrative board members and coaches must provide proof of compliance to their SAYArea or District compliance director.

3. All SafeSport training participants should take care to use their same legal name as shown on their Driver’s License when filling out the SafeSport forms.

4. U.S. Soccer has set a date of September 2019 for the implementation of SafeSport training for all affiliated youth organization members.

All SNSA coaches and team managers need to complete the SafeSport training and submit their completion certificate to SNSA in order to finalize their coach registration.  The training link can be accessed through your League Connect SNSA member account, or you can use the link below.  Contact SNSA at info@snsasoccer.com to request the SAY access code for the Safesport training course.