• (Required for HEAD COACHES, recommended for Assistant Coaches) US Lacrosse Level 1 Coaching Certification:    You must register with US Lacrosse and complete the level 1 certification.  This consists of a NCSI Background Check (every two years), complete a Level 1 online course, Complete a Positive Coaching Alliance Coach Workshop (online or in person), Complete a Level 1 instructional clinic.  These clinics are seven-hour, on-site, hands-on training sessions, available October - March.   When US Lacrosse has all of your requirements on record, you will receive an email stating that your Level 1 certification is complete. Please forward a copy to the RYSI office at [email protected].  Once you earn Level 1 certification, you do not need to recertify.  To maintain your certification, you need to keep your US Lacrosse membership current, renew your NCSI background check screening every two years and attend a JGLA Rules and Interpretation meeting once a year.  ** All coaches who have passed the requirements of the Level 1 Coaching Certification are exempt from the Rutgers SAFETY Certification.  

To get the schedule for the clinics, click on:
 http://www.uslacrosse.org/coaches/coaching-education-program/instructional-clinics

  To start your Level 1 Certification, click on: 

http://www.uslacrosse.org/coaches/coaching-education-program/certification/level-1-certification
        For information on JGLA Rules Meetings, contact Nathalie Kirkwood at [email protected]                                                                

• (Required for ALL LACROSSE COACHES):    US Lacrosse Membership: To be used in conjunction with the Level 1 Coaching Certification above.  All RYSI lacrosse coaches are required have a current membership with US Lacrosse for insurance purposes. The cost is $50 and you can enroll or renew at www.uslacrosse.org.  Please make sure to select "Ridge Youth Sports" as your organization when completing your membership or renewal. We have approval to reimburse coaches for this $50 annual fee for US Lacrosse registration/renewal!  Specific details will be emailed to coaches.

• (Required for ALL COACHES NOT LEVEL 1 CERTIFIED):   Coaches Background Screening:   Ridge Youth Sports has taken important steps to ensure the highest level of safety within our programs - for the youth participants and also for you, who make the programs successful. One of these steps is the implementation of a standardized approach to background screening for our coaches through the National Center for Safety Initiatives. This includes a comprehensive background screening using the Center’s Check it Twice™ product and a simple “Red Light/Green Light” clearance report issued in accordance with the Recommended Guidelines® published by the National Council of Youth Sports. This is part of a national movement towards the standardization of safety programs for youth-serving organizations in this country.  RYSI has worked with National Center for Safety Initiatives to ensure that this process is convenient, secure and confidential.  To register, go to https://ridge-youth-sports.sportngin.com/register/form/934741044 .  Set up an account and follow the simple directions.  It will say USA Football, but it is for all sports.

• (Required for ALL COACHES NOT LEVEL 1 CERTIFIED)  Rutgers Safety Training:  REMINDER! All coaches in Bernards Township must be RUTGERS certified to coach, except if they are US LAX Level One Certified..This is the one training that RYSI does not pay for. It is a three hour course and is good for a lifetime. Once the course is completed please submit a copy of your certificate to RYSI. To sign up for this course,  please visit the Rutgers website at http://youthsports.rutgers.edu/

• (Encourage for all coaches, but required for all coaches with Rutgers Certification before 2012)*  CDC Heads Up:  Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports is a free,  online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to help you recognize a concussion and know how to respond if you think that your athlete might have a concussion. Click onhttp://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/online_training.html for more information.   Once you complete the training and quiz, please print out a certificate and send a copy to RYSI.  This course will help you understand a concussion and the potential consequences of this injury, recognize concussion signs and symptoms and how to respond,  learn about steps for returning to activity (play and school) after a concussion and focus on prevention and preparedness to help keep athletes safe season-to-season. * Bernards Township requires that all coaches take a concussion course if they completed their Rutgers SAFETY Training prior to July 2011. The Updated Rutgers Training Course include information and training on how to recognize, protect and recover from concussions. Bernards Township only requires that a concussion test be taken once and is good for a life time. 

• (Required for Head Coaches, Recommended for all others) AED/CPR Training:  Ridge Youth Sports provides safety training courses for our coaches which are run through Corporate Medical Emergency Training, LLC.  classes are paid for and set up throughout the year for our coaches for every sport. The training provides you with a certification in AED, CPR, and Basic First Aid. The certification lasts for 2 years and will need to be renewed prior to its expiration to continue to coach.

•   Please familiarize yourself with the Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for the fields you will be coaching at.  They can be found by clicking here or on our website under the SAFETY & SPORTSMANSHIP tab.

• (Recommended) Complete Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes Information Training: http://www.state.nj.us/education/students/safety/health/services/