To you who are about to coach, we salute you!!

We mean it.  Being a completely volunteer-run organization means we rely on our community of parents and other caregivers to share their time and love of the game to make each season a successful and positive experience for all of our kids.   None of this is possible without your help (seriously!  no coach = no team!) and we offer our heartfelt thanks for your generosity.  We hope that you find the experience rewarding as well.


  ** CERTIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL COACHES AND ASSISTANT COACHES **

Please read and follow the instruction provided by SYSA:

As many SYSA clubs transition to Demosphere, the association’s new software registration platform, we want to let you know that WYS has mandated that the background check process remains in Affinity (now called Association Connect) for us all. You will need to maintain your Affinity member profile, and we will continue to access it to view each individual’s background check status.

Please note: WYS sets and manages the background check process for all member Associations in Washington state. SYSA and its member clubs must adhere to their requirements. Comments or concerns regarding the background check process should be sent directly to WYS staff Keli Bitow at kelib@washingtonyouthsoccer.org.

New this year, WYS has moved the required online training courses to the US Soccer Learning Center. Please use the instructions below to complete the required courses in the learning center.

Before you begin, note your first name, last name, date of birth, and email address as listed in your member account in Affinity that you have used to submit your background check in years’ past. These four fields must match exactly in both Affinity and profile you create in the Learning Center, or your course completion status will not be able to ‘sync’.

1. Go to the Learning Center: U.S. Soccer Learning Center (ussoccer.com)

2. Create a Learning Center profile, check the terms of service boxes and submit (all volunteers should be a ‘coach’)

3. Check your inbox for the "email verification" receipt from the Learning Center. You MUST verify your email before you are able to proceed.

4. Log in to the Learning Center (link above).

5. Hover over "Courses" across the top of the page, then select "My Courses".

You should have the appropriate SafeSport course listed as well as the learning center’s ‘Intro to Safety’. Please note: the appropriate SafeSport course will only be listed there if more than 10 months have passed since your last renewal.

6. Select either course to get started.

7. Now select ‘Assignments’ on the top left side of the page to open the course electronically.

8. You must complete both courses.

9. Should you have any issues with your member account in the US Soccer Learning Center, you must contact them directly as SYSA staff does not have access to your member profile.

You do not need to download your certificates.

10. Contact registration@lakecitysoccer.org once completed. They will ensure that the course completion status for both courses have synced to your Affinity profile.

11. Once your registrar verifies your status, you can submit your background check through this link (DO NOT SUBMIT UNTIL YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO):

Registration Login (affinitysoccer.com)

Be sure to select season Fall 2024!!

Finally, please remember that last year, WYS added the SSN requirement to their background check application. If you are unable to provide WYS with a SSN, please complete the online trainings as instructed above. Then, email Keli Bitow at WYS and she will work to submit your background check without a SSN (kelib@washingtonyouthsoccer.org).

SYSA and its recreational clubs are largely volunteer-run organizations. The SYSA staff recognizes that the last several years have brought numerous changes to the background check/RMA process, and we appreciate the time and dedication that you have each used to ensure that you are properly approved to participate with the kids in SYSA.

Thank you all very much!