We need volunteers!

Evanston AYSO is a completely volunteer run organization. This helps us keep our programs affordable, but it also means we need your help to make it all happen. We expect all parents/caregivers to volunteer in some way during the season.

Learn about the volunteer board positions we need to fill each year to keep the league running.

Volunteer Opportunities

Coaches

We need coaches: we aim to assign 2 coaches per team, so you don't have to do it alone! No experience is necessary. You'll receive training from AYSO on the AYSO approach, the rules of the game, and keeping players safe. You'll also have access to suggestions for practice drills to plan your practices and help your team improve. Coaches get to choose their team's practice schedule.

Coaches receive an Evanston AYSO shirt.  Equipment for practices and games, such as cones and whistles, is provided.

Referees

We need referees for 8U and older divisions!  No experience is necessary; training will be provided.

Referees play an important role in player development, and they are a tremendous help to coaches.  Without referees, coaches have to both coach and manage the matches.  Volunteer referees only referee as much as they want, and they can referee their own kid's games.  If you'll be attending your kid's games, you can referee!

Training and referee equipment (shirt, shorts, socks, whistle, stopwatch, flags) will be provided.  It's an opportunity to gain experience in a low-stress environment.  Refereeing AYSO games is a great way to start a refereeing career that may later grow to refereeing in other leagues as well.

Adults and youth can volunteer as referees; youth need to be at least 2 years older than those they referee.  If your player has an older sibling, we'd love to have them as a referee; it's a valuable community service activity.

New in 2023-2024 we will be using a referee assignment website to ensure we cover as many matches as we can! 

Please email Jerald Stiedaman - Referee Administrator, with any questions you may have. 

Team Parents (Core Program)

For Fall 2023 - Spring 2024, we're adding a new role: Team Parent.  Team parents will be assigned to teams with a solo coach as a second trained adult; team parents must meet the same training requirements as coaches, minus the coach certification.  Team Parents are expected to be at the practices and games, support the coach, handle team equipment and logistics (flags, portable goals for 5U/6U/8U), and help with practices/games as needed such as if the coach can't be in attendance.  Soccer knowledge is not expected.

Team parents work with the coach to set the practice schedule for the team.  

Board Members and Administration

We need people to run the organization. You can view a list of our current board members and positions; we're always happy to have new people. Contact [email protected] to learn about current needs or suggest something you can do to help Evanston AYSO.

Other Tasks

We also need folks willing to help with specific tasks and events, such as equipment distribution and collection.  We also need parents in 5U, 6U, and 8U to help with portable goals and flags.  Please keep an eye out for email calls for volunteers for these roles.  It takes everyone to keep our league running.

Process

See Volunteer Registration for instructions on registering as a volunteer.

All coaches, referees, team parents, board members, and ongoing volunteers must complete an application, pass a background check, and complete required trainings. Volunteers do not need to pay for the background check. Program registration fees cover volunteer background check fees.

See the instructions for logging into the primary training site.