Coaches and adult helpers must complete role-appropriate screening, training, orientation and approval before working with children. NCYPA verifies completion records and practical competence. Serving as a volunteer does not exempt a coach from these standards.

Complete the appropriate California Office of Child Abuse Prevention linked training before service. Employees and administrators use training suited to their mandated-reporter roles; volunteers use the appropriate volunteer pathway. Submit the completion certificate through NCYPA's designated private process.

Training must cover recognition, reasonable suspicion, direct reporting to public authorities, the individual reporting duty and the written follow-up deadline. NCYPA also requires an annual internal safeguarding refresher.

Complete the NCYPA safeguarding workshop, planned for 45 minutes, covering visible supervision with two qualified mandated reporters, bathrooms, pickup, physical boundaries, messages, photography, peer misconduct and external reporting. Practice responding to a disclosure without investigating or promising secrecy.

Before supervising, successfully complete concussion/head injury and sudden cardiac arrest prevention education. NCYPA offers and reviews related materials annually. Coaches must recognize warning signs, stop activity, notify guardians, document events and follow written medical clearance requirements.

A suspected concussion or head injury, fainting or suspected cardiac condition requires immediate removal for the remainder of the day and appropriately qualified medical evaluation and written clearance before return. Diagnosed concussion/head injury also requires a provider-supervised graduated return lasting at least seven days. Coaches never make medical clearance decisions.

Every coach must hold current CPR and AED certification from an accredited training organization consistent with evidence-based guidelines before the 2027 program begins. Renew at least every two years or earlier if the certificate expires. NCYPA also requires first-aid training for each session lead. The online NCYPA acknowledgment or quiz is not a substitute for certification.

Complete a site walk-through and emergency rehearsal, planned for 30 minutes. Locate the AED, first-aid kit, emergency phone, exits, bathrooms, EMS entrance and reunification area. Practice collapse response, calling 911, retrieving the AED, meeting EMS, notifying the guardian and supervising the remaining children.

Review the site cardiac emergency plan and repeat the orientation at a new site or after material changes. NCYPA requires an annual drill and refresher.

Complete an instruction workshop and observed teaching demonstration, planned for 45 minutes. Demonstrate safe paddle spacing, clear stop signals, short instructions, inclusive feedback and supervised rotations.

Use the first approximately 30 minutes of the weekly hour for warmup and skills, and the remaining approximately 30 minutes for rotating games, closing and release. Build in water breaks. Ages 6-8 use simple demonstrations and cooperative play; ages 9-10 add serving and scoring; ages 11-12 develop positioning and teamwork. Adapt to individual ability and support needs.

Six children per court is the initial planning target. When four play, the two waiting children remain at an assigned safe supervised station. Use short rounds or point targets suited to the group. No elimination or rotation may leave children unattended.

The trainer must verify that the candidate can correctly respond to a child's disclosure, loss of the second mandated reporter, pending screening, a private child message, a possible concussion, sudden collapse and an unfamiliar pickup adult. The candidate must also demonstrate safe instruction and rotation control.

All safety-critical responses must be correct. Errors require reteaching and reassessment before approval. Retain course certificates, assessment results, orientation date, code acknowledgment and approving director's decision.

I will follow NCYPA's Child Protection Policy and Adult Screening Procedures. I will not begin youth duties until authorized, work alone with a child in a private setting, privately message a child, use prohibited discipline or supervise while impaired.

I will maintain required training, follow supervision and pickup rules, report suspected abuse directly to public authorities without delay, and notify the designated NCYPA lead when safe. I understand that an internal report does not replace an external reporting duty. I will protect confidential information, report relevant changes through the designated private process and cooperate with protective action.

I understand that violations can result in restriction or removal from duties. My acknowledgment confirms this commitment; NCYPA separately determines whether my screening and training requirements are complete.