I hope this letter finds you well. Today, I am reaching out with a vital and heartfelt plea to each of you. Our town’s youth soccer program, which has provided joy, community, and life lessons to hundreds of children, is in urgent need of volunteers. We are currently short approximately 20 coaches, assistant coaches, and team managers. Without your support, we risk the painful possibility of canceling or limiting the opportunities for our kids to play this season.

Volunteering in our soccer program is about much more than just filling a role. It’s about building a community that values and supports our children. It’s about teaching them the importance of teamwork, instilling confidence, creating friendships, and igniting a lifelong passion for an active and healthy lifestyle. When you step up, you are creating those magical moments on the field—moments that shape character and leave lasting memories.

I understand that volunteering might seem daunting, but I assure you, the commitment is manageable and incredibly fulfilling. For our U6 teams, we need coaches for just nine Saturday mornings, each session lasting an hour. For U8, the commitment is a few hours a week, with support from professional trainers to guide you. For our U10-U14 travel teams, we ask for two practices each week and a handful of games. And remember, you won’t be alone—we’ll provide all the training and support you need.

Think about the impact you can have. As Nelson Mandela once said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” We must treat this responsibility with the seriousness it deserves. Our program is not just about finding volunteers; it’s about equipping you with the tools and training to make a real difference. Just as volunteer firefighters are trained to save lives, we believe volunteer coaches can be trained to save our youth sports programs—and ultimately, to positively influence the lives of our children.

There’s a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Today, I’m asking this village—our East Rutherford community—to come together. We need moms, dads, siblings, grandparents, and friends to volunteer. Whether you’ve played soccer or are completely new to it, your involvement matters. You don’t need to be an expert; you just need to care.

We urgently need volunteers for the following teams:

• U10B-1 Mama Rosa Pizza & Pasta - Team Manager
• U14G-Bravo Landscaping - Team Manager
• U14B Diamond Chemical - Assistant Coach and Team Manager
• U12G Johnnys Window Cleaning - Head Coach, Assistant Coach, and Team Manager (These girls will not have a season without these roles filled.)
• U6 Exxon - Quick and Fresh - Head Coach
• U6 Ferrazzoli's - Assistant Coach and Team Manager
• U6 Citkowski Woodworking - Head Coach, Team Manager
• U6 L&L - Team Manager
• U6 McGee - Team Manager
• U8 ALL MAJOR APPLIANCES
• U8 Beech Woodworks Inc. - Assistant Coach and Team Manager
• U8 Kimak - Assistant Coach
• U8 Knights of Columbus - Head Coach, Team Manager
• U8 PIA - Assistant Coach and Team Manager

This program is the largest in our town, serving over 200 kids, and it’s run entirely by volunteers—people like you and me who believe in the power of sports to transform lives.

Please, join us. Let’s come together and show our children that we are a community that cares deeply about them. Let’s keep the love of soccer alive in East Rutherford. Please volunteer by registering here.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Orville Drummond

President - ERYSL

We are so excited to begin the registration process for all coaches & team parents in our U6, U8, U10, U12, & U14 leagues for the Fall 2024 soccer season!

Registration is available at https://erysl.sportngin.com/register/form/392984136

Please note the following requirements for ALL Coaches of East Rutherford Youth Sports:

• There is a process to become a youth sports coach and the process does take time. If you plan on coaching a fall sport, now is the time to get the process done.
• All coaches MUST have a IdentGo background check
• All coaches MUST have complete the Rutgers SAFETY Clinic.
• Team Parents must complete these if they plan to be on the sidelines with the coach during games/practices.

Additional NJYS Coaches Courses are OPTIONAL for ERYSL Coaches and Assistant Coaches:

• NJYS Y Course (Free)
• NJYS State Certificate ($50 fee)

Fees for these programs will be reimbursed by ERYSL for coaches in good standing at the conclusion of the 2024 Fall Season.

Thank you for your continued support of East Rutherford Youth Soccer League!

The Borough of East Rutherford has determined that it is necessary for the Security and well-being of its residents that any volunteer coaches or assistant coaches of any sports league of children under the age of 18 shall be fingerprinted and undergo a criminal history background check.

The background check is required for any Coach or Team Manager who will be on the sidelines with the team during a game or assisting with the team during practices.

To register as a new applicant, enter the following Service Code at https://uenroll.identogo.com/

SERVICE CODE: 2F1J3Y

The Rutgers SAFETY Clinic (Sports Awareness for Educating Today’s Youth ™) is a three-hour program that meets the “Minimum Standards for Volunteer Coaches Safety Orientation and Training Skills Programs” (N.J.A.C. 5:52) and provides partial civil immunity protection to volunteer coaches under the “Little League Law” (2A:62A-6 et. seq.)

Registration is $40 and can be found at
https://youthsports.rutgers.edu/safety-clinic-courses/

Designed as a safety orientation for coaches of youth players participating within in-house settings, the 3 hour Y-Course explores injury prevention, first aid procedures, and general coaching concepts for building safe, fun, inclusive, nurturing, and challenging environments. Course is delivered through a virtual classroom format which can include a combination of online and a virtual learning engagement. 

The virtual engagement portion of the course is 90 minutes long, while the online assignments take approximately 90 minutes independent of the virtual engagement.

Registration is free and available at
https://www.njyouthsoccer.com/coaching-courses/#y-course

The NJYS State Certificate, formerly known as the “F” License, that meets the requirements of the New Jersey Little League Law P.L. 1988, Chapter 87 (NJSA C.2A:62A 6) relating to immunity from liability unless willful, wanton, or grossly negligent and is the minimum requirement for an NJYS Travel Coach member pass requirements.

This certificate is generally offered in a hybrid format for a total of six-hours (3 hours virtual, 3 hours in-person).

Registration is $50 and can be found at 
https://www.njyouthsoccer.com/coaching-courses/#state-certificate

One of the essential functions of coaches and team managers is to manage team communications with players and their families.  

Our partners at Sports Engine  have created a Coaches and Team Managers Getting Started Guide to help you use our website and mobile app to efficiently and effectively communicate and manage your teams.
 

Team Managers or the Coach in the absence of a team manager have additional responsibilities for ERYSL.

• Report any injuries or issues that occur on field to the appropriate parties (Ref, ERYSL, SBUSL etc)
• Maintain the ERYSL provided emergency kit and have it available at all practices and games
• Assist in communications between ERYSL and Parents including using the Sports Engine App Chat feature
• Distribute items to team members or their parents including uniforms, pictures, and end of season trophies
• Help maintain the field in good working order including ensuring team leaves no trash or items behind

The following items and training are REQUIRED of all ERYSL Coaches and Assistant Coaches:

• IdentGO Background Check
• Rutgers Safety Clinic ($40 fee)

The following items and training are recommended OPTIONAL training for ERYSL Coaches and Assistant Coaches :

• NJYS Y Course (Free)
• NJYS State Certificate ($50 OR $70 fee)

Fees for these programs will be reimbursed by ERYSL for coaches in good standing at the conclusion of the 2024 Fall Season.

Accessing TeamCenter

Easily add and edit athlete info, manage schedules, and message team members

Messaging Your Team in TeamCenter

Send a message to an individual member, selected members, or the entire team directly from TeamCenter or from the SportsEngine mobile app

Basic Team Management

Perform basic tasks using the Team Page Team Management functionality

Add Contacts to Receive Team Messages

Add additional email addresses to a non-member's profile in order to be able to include all athletes in team communications

Managing RSVPs

Manage RSVPs for each athlete within your team’s TeamCenter or within the SportsEngine mobile app

Sending RSVPs for Existing Games or Events

Do you import your game schedules from a third-party scheduler or create them manually on your team page? This article explains how to add RSVPs to those games and events after they are imported.

More Helpful Coach Links

Review help articles about how coaches interact with TeamCenter and the SportsEngine mobile app

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