Our Rec Centers, Offices, and Pools will be closed
December 23 - December 25,
and January 1.
COACHING
CHANGE THE GAME
Change The Game to Make Our Community Better.
Youth sports leagues rely solely on the support of volunteer coaches! Ask anyone who's ever coached with a good attitude - it's a soul-warming experience and our staff will provide you with the support and instruction you'll need to be successful at it.
Three to five hours of your time each week for a season is all that is needed. You'll build relationships and memories with parents, kids, and officials, as well as, get a $40 coaches coupon (head coaches only) that can be redeemed after the completion of the season, AND get one of our nifty new coaches' shirts!
Coaches are always needed for all age divisions. We are now able to accept applications for future seasons!
You can apply online right now, right here.
Once you have completed the application, complete the Secure Volunteer background consent form here. The average turnaround time on this background check is around TWO business weeks so it's important to complete these at least 7 BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE the youth sports registration deadlines. Beaufort County absorbs the cost of this background check so it's free to you.
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Secure Volunteer is an easy to use online system created to help organizations manage volunteer screening. Use the secure online system to request your background check with just a few steps. Once your background check is complete, Secure Volunteer will review and notify you by email when you have been approved. You will also receive a digital Secure Volunteer ID card to verify your background screen has been completed. These cards must be presented to athletics supervisors prior to coaching kids. Background screenings MUST BE COMPLETED ONCE PER YEAR. Our updated Volunteer Screening and Identification Process states that every volunteer that participates with BC Parks and Recreation must pass a comprehensive background check. Approved volunteers will be issued identification badges that must be worn at all times. You can see and download this policy, dated 7/17/24 here.
If you'd like to talk it over with one of our athletic supervisors, simply call us at our
Beaufort office at 843-255-6680 or our
Bluffton office at 843-255-6710.
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WHAT COACHES CAN EXPECT:
1. Once registration has ended, our staff holds evaluations to properly place kids on teams that are balanced and fair. A coach who has a child playing the sport has the right-of-first refusal to have their child placed on his or her team. Coaches are not permitted to add or cut players. Coaches also have top priority to sponsor their team but must do so before registration has ended.
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2. Team rosters are created by athletics staff and an evening coaches' meeting is held. These meetings last just under an hour. At these meetings conducted by our athletics staff, coaches choose the practice times that are most convenient for them and they receive their team roster. The rosters contain all pertinent information about players, including parents' contact information, emergency contacts, and allergy info. All coaches receive their team's equipment, a rulebook, field maps, and a Code of Conduct Form. The coaches' manual can be found here. Helpful learning resources about coaching can be found here.
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3. Coaches contact the parents of the players on their roster to inform them of the time and location of their practices. Emailing parents is good but we've noticed texting parents in a group chat works better. Coaches can cancel a practice but are not permitted to have practices if athletics staff has closed the field due to conditions. To know if practices or games have been canceled by staff, use our Weather Hotline numbers. The recorded messages on these lines are not updated until staff has officially canceled. Staff will not respond to any voicemails left on these lines. Practices are only held 1-2 times per week and generally last about an hour.
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BEAUFORT WEATHER HOTLINE: 843-255-6748
BLUFFTON WEATHER HOTLINE: 843-255-6724
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4. As practices are being conducted over the course of a few weeks, athletics staff prepares and finalizes game schedules. Game schedules with picture days will be distributed via our Rec Desk system. It is advised to send a message to parents about the game dates, times, and locations.
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5. One or two weeks before games begin, your team uniforms will arrive. Staff groups all uniforms by team and will contact you for pickup. Simply distribute them at your next scheduled practice. All games last under 1.25 hours and run at age-appropriate times on weekday evenings and Saturdays. Expect 1-2 games weekly until the end of the season.
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6. Enjoy the season with your team and send us your fun team pics to jway@bcgov.net for placement on our social media sites!
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7. For any problems, please call athletics staff.
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BEAUFORT ATHLETICS: 843-255-6680
BLUFFTON ATHLETICS: 843-255-6710
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