Completing Your Background Check

Why do I Need a Background Check?

Any one in regular contact with amateur athletes who are a minor are required to have a SafeSport Certificate and approved RMA, prior to participation in any activities at Washington Premier Football event or activity, per U.S. Soccer mandate Policy 212-3 and SafeSport Act 2017 Public Law (PL) 115-26.

What is Needed to Complete the Process?

It is extremely important when completing any component of the Risk Management Process that you use your legal name as it reads on your government ID on everything. If you have any problems completing the process, contact Kelley Jean (keg108@msn.com).

Effective in 2021, all required training will be accessed through US Soccer learning Center.   The Concusssion and Sudden Cardiac trainings have been combined into one course titled Intro to Safety.  The 3 items listed below are required to successfully complete the Risk Management Process.

1. SafeSport Certification
2. Intro to Safety
3. Completing the Background Application and approval

What is the Sequence of the Steps to Complete the Process?

If you are a manager or chaperone for an ECNL team, please contact Kelley Jean (keg108@msn.com), club registrar, BEFORE beginning this process.

Step 1

Complete the two training courses by accessing the learning center website (above button),  You will either need to log into your account if you have accessed the US learning center before or you will need to create an account.  Once you have logged in to your Learning Center account or have created  a new account, then click on “Coaching Education” then click on “My Courses” and any course that you are eligbile for will display, click on the course you want to take.

1. SafeSport (SS)
2. Intro to Safety

Step 2

After completing you training course follow the steps below to complete the background check application.

1. Login to your Sports Connect account using the following link to Login Now
2. Click on the Volunteer tile on the left side of your home page
3. This will bring you to the main volunteer page, click on the “Find Volunteer Roles” in the upper right-hand corner of the page under your shopping cart
4. From the program list, select the program that applies to you (see below) and click the View Divisions button right of the program name.
   • For Premier Staff Select 2023/24 Premier Players
   • For JR. RCL Staff 2023/24 Junior RCL (U8 & U9)
   • For the Recreational Staff select 2023 Washington United Fall Recreational Soccer
5. Select the divisions that apply to you, scroll to the bottom of the page and select “View Selected Opportunities
6. From the list, click the tile for the role you are applying for and then click who you are signing up. Scroll down and hit continue. You need to select the role for each division you will be assigned to.
7. On the next page titled Position Information you will enter/update your personal information and complete the waivers for each role you are applying.
8. You should see by the upload for the Safe sport and Intro Safety if the API was successful or not.
9. You have to complete the waivers for each division you are registering for and then hit continue/save at the bottom of the page
10. This will bring you to the volunteer home page of your account, click the certification box in the blue head bar, then hit the Renew and Update button.
11. If a dialogue box pops up stating you are missing the safe sport certificate it means  the API from Safesport had not been received. To resolve the issue, in the lower left corner of volunteer home page, underneath the the renew and update button, you will see the application for your role(s), if you click the detail button in the lower left it will take you back to the previous page.  On your first role, check to make sure where the waivers are required, now reads Document verified, then hit save again and. you will be back at the volunteer home page and repeat step 10.  If that does not work and you are still unable to complete the application, please contact club registrar, Kelley Jean (keg108@msn.com).
12. This will bring you to a page that you will fill in the final details and will be asked for your social security number, this is a new requirement of the background service the state association is using.  You may have to click “Submit” twice.

What is the Deadline for Completion?

Annually, your RMA will expire on 4/30.   You should complete the RMA process for the upcoming year prior t0 4/30.  If you complete the RMA process on or after 2/1 of a given year, the clearance will be good through 4/30 of the following year.

For 2023, you should complete the application  process as soon as possible so there are no issues with your team’s summer tournament roster that will be printed in mid-June.