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DAWSON COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION Youth Sports Coach Application Packet REVISED 9/9/19 Revised: 9/9/19 Dawson County Parks & Recreation strives to ensure the safety and well-being of all athletic program participants. In keeping with these efforts, DCPR aims to prohibit any person from engaging in any coaching activities in an official capacity until he/she has met all requirements listed below and has been granted a coaching position. Coaching activities are defined as evaluations, drafts, practices, meetings, and any other item(s) as decided upon by the Park Staff. Official capacity pertains to all head coaches appointed by park staff, as well as all assistant coaches chosen by the head coach of the team. All Sports: 1. Submit an email to the DCPR Athletic Director to express your interest in coaching; provide the following information in your email: ▪ Your name ▪ Best daytime contact phone number and email ▪ Sport and age group you want to coach ▪ Your child’s name for the age group you want to coach (if applicable) 2. Submit a background check request form (enclosed) – complete, sign, and return to Rock Creek Park. Staff will submit to the DC Sheriff’s Office for processing. 3. Submit a copy of your valid driver’s license (to be used by the DC Sheriff’s Office for the processing of the background check) 4. Submit a Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse certification (link enclosed) Football Only: 1. Requirements above 2. Submit a USA Football Certificate (link and code to be provided by the MFL) The above mentioned requirements must be completed by the advertised registration deadline for the youth sports activity in which you are interested in coaching in order for you to be considered for a head coach position. Immediately following the youth sports activity registration deadline, the Athletic Director will select head coaches for each age group, choosing from the coaches who have submitted all required documents at that time. The total number of coaches needed is determined by the number of participants registered in each age group. Assistant coaches are selected by the head coach, not by park staff. However, all assistant coaches must also adhere to coaching requirements, as listed above. Since assistant coaches are often not chosen until after team drafts, they will not be required to submit their documents by the youth sports activity registration deadline. Instead, they may submit their documents in the days following the drafts, keeping in mind that they will not be able to participate in any coaching activities until the requirements have been met and have been approved to coach. Required Required Required Required Head Assistant Required Required Not Required Required Required Required Required Required ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- DAWSON COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED: Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse In July of 2012 amendments were made to OCGA 19-7-5, “Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse” laws, which now affect volunteer coaches, park staff and contracted child care personnel. “Mandated Reporters” previously included school teachers, day care workers, hospital personnel and law enforcement. With the amendments to the law in 2012, the mandated reporting requirements now extend to those applying to coach or work with children in any capacity. Effective May 1, 2013, those applying to coach or work with children in any capacity in recreational programs at Dawson County Parks & Recreation must be trained in the new “Mandated Reporters Criteria”. A certificate of training completion will be required with all coaching applications and contract agreements. In order to ensure every employee, coach, volunteer, contracted employee, and program coordinator/personnel has been trained on the requirements, the training is available to you free of charge. Below is a link to the free on-line training on the mandatory reporting requirements. By accessing this link you will be taken to a page where you will first set up your training profile and then proceed to the training and testing site. The training will take about 2 hours. The training is set up to allow you to start and stop without having to complete the training in one sitting. At the end of successful test completion you will be prompted to print a certificate. Please return a copy of your certificate to the main office at DCPR immediately upon completion. Certificate must be on file prior to approval of coaching/activity. Pro Solutions was commissioned by the Governor’s Office for Children and Families to develop a web- based training module. This training can be accessed at and is available free of charge. OPTIONAL: Georgia Return to Play Act of 2013: "Heads Up - Concussions in Youth Sports" Below is a link to the free on-line training on the concussion requirements. By accessing this link you will be taken to a page where you will first set up your training profile and then proceed to the training and testing site. The training will take about 1 hour. The training is set up to allow you to start and stop without having to complete the training in one sitting. At the end of successful test completion you will have the opportunity to print a certificate. If you opt to complete this certification, please return a copy of your certificate to the main office at DCPR. The training can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/training/index.html and is available free of charge.