Commissioner FAQ



Why does AYSO need Division Commissioners?
The Division Commissioner arranges teams to create the most fun and opportunities to play for each player.  AYSO players range in age from 18 months  to 18 years, and have varied levels of skill within each age group.  Putting together balanced teams to ensure the best experience for all, requires thoughtful planning.

How do I send email to my coaches, referees or parents?

You compose and send email to your coaches and parents using your regional email account, and get the email addresses from our system.  Login to your regional email account and start/create a new email.  Then, in another window, login and click on 'Div Coord/Email' in the menu.  This will open a new page with two drop down boxes, the first drop down is used to select the category of persons you want to email; Parents, Players, Team Parents, Coaches or Referees.  For the second drop down, choose 'No, I will use cut and paste to move addresses'.  Click submit.  You will see a list of email addresses in blocks.  You can copy the addresses to your mail message.  WARNING:  put the email addresses in the BCC column, so that you are not sharing peoples private email addresses to everyone on your list.

You may see that some people do not have an email address.  This is usually because the parent did not enter one, or the email address they entered is invalid.  Try to get your coaches to urge those people to fix their email address.

How do I send email to other Commissioners?

Use your regional email account to send mail to other commissioners.  Login to your regional email account and start a new email.  To address email to an individual commissioner, use the abbreviation similar to your own login, ie b7@ayso26.org is the Under 7 Boys Commissioner.  There is an alias that you can use, commissioners@ayso26.org will get all the commissioners.

What is the process for getting practice field information?

Our Permit Administrator gets permits from the city for the practice fields, roughly in keeping with past numbers and needs.  Once obtained, the list of field permits is given to our regional Practice Field Coordinator.  Our Practice Field Coordinator sorts out the needs and enters the information into our system.  Once done, our Practice Field Coordinator then informs the Division Commissioners that the available fields are in the system for their use.  

What training is offered to a Division Commissioner?

The Division Commissioner takes a 30 minute webinar, Safe Haven, since the Division Commissioner will have access to children's private data.  There is a 60-90 minute in person orientation and training offered to Division Commissioner, to help them understand and perform the tasks.

How are teams formed?

This depends on the age group.  For kinder, U7 and U8 the teams are formed strictly by neighborhood (as indicated by school) and parent requests.  For older age groups, players skill levels are used to form BALANCED teams, and the software will moderate this assignment by neighborhoods. The Division Commissioner must ensure each team has a coach and an assistant coach. The Division Commissioner will generate complete team rosters and distribute uniforms and sweatshirts.  

How can the Division Commissioners participate during Registration?

Division Coordinators should recruit coaches and assistant coaches for the division they are responsible for.  They are also responsible for making sure that all volunteers within their division are Safe HavenTM certified.  

How does AYSO protect its volunteers and athletes?

  • Safe Haven™ 
    Safe Haven™ is a program designed to address a growing need for child and volunteer protection. There are four elements in the Safe Haven™ intervention cycle: Create Policies, Screen Volunteers, Train Volunteers, and Promote Education and Awareness. These are intended to stop child abuse and its agents before they get into the program.

  • The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 
    This law grants immunity from certain types of prosecution for volunteers who meet its requirements. In order to receive full protection under the law, AYSO volunteers need must: 1. be properly trained and certified; 2. be performing duties as laid out in a position description; 3. act within the scope of AYSO’s Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines.

  • AYSO Certification 
    AYSO’s goal is to provide training certification for all its volunteers. Certification offers the hope that every AYSO child will be treated with understanding, compassion, and respect.

  • Kids Zone™ 
    The national media has focused on the negative, even violent, behavior of players, coaches and parents involved in youth sports. Kids Zone™ is a dynamic program targeted to eliminate negative sideline behavior. 

What are AYSO’s Supervision Protocols?

While performing duties related to an AYSO volunteer position, the volunteer is:

  • Subject to the bylaws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines of AYSO;

  • Under the overall authority of and directly supervised by the Regional Commissioner; and

  • To maintain the recommended adult to child supervision ratio of 1:8 or less; that is one adult for every eight or fewer children and two adults (one of whom may be the coach and one of whom should be of the same gender as the group) present at all times. For the protection of both the children and the volunteer, no volunteer should permit himself or herself to be alone with any child or group of children (except his or her own) during AYSO-sponsored activities.
How can I see who a player was coached by in previous years?

Div Coord/Select Division/Team Formation/Adjust player ratings/View-Alter all player evals

This will show each player in the division along with all previous coaches and assistants that input evaluations in prior years.

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