CLASS DESCRIPTION
Volunteer coaches are the backbone of community youth sports—yet they also create some of the biggest operational and risk-management challenges for parks and recreation agencies. In this session, John Engh (Executive Director, National Alliance for Youth Sports) outlines how youth sports have evolved in the U.S. and why modern programs require more intentional oversight than ever before. Participants will learn a practical, proactive system for managing volunteer coaches using an “employee-style” framework: screening, training, evaluation, and accountability. The course also highlights today’s most common issues facing youth sports administrators—parent behavior, safety and injury concerns (concussions, heat illness, sudden cardiac arrest), background check variability, and the growing complexity of regulations across states—along with tools and resources to help agencies build stronger policies and reduce reactive fire drills during the season.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe key shifts in youth sports (specialization, participation trends, volunteer-led organizations, and increased regulatory oversight) and how they impact parks and recreation operations.
- Apply a four-step volunteer management framework—screening, training, evaluation, and accountability—to improve program quality and reduce risk.
- Identify essential screening components beyond background checks, including written policies, role descriptions, applications, consent forms, interviews, and clear disqualifiers.
- Design a training approach for volunteer coaches that aligns with agency philosophy and includes behavior expectations, safety basics, and sport/age-appropriate instruction.
- Implement practical evaluation and accountability systems to respond to complaints, improve coach performance midseason, and manage serious misconduct consistently and fairly.
After successfully passing the Knowledge Check, participants will receive a completion certificate and follow-up email. The PRB+ University team is actively working to create partnerships with CEU-accrediting agencies and administrators. Please check back regularly for updates about new CEU partners, approved courses, and submission details: https://www.prbplus.com/ceus/.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
John Engh is the Executive Director of the National Alliance for Youth Sports, which since 1981 has been educating, equipping, and empowering youth sports leaders, volunteer coaches, and parents so all children can enjoy the lifelong benefits of sports.
He joined NAYS in 1988 as publications director for its volunteer coach training program, through which more than 4 million volunteers have been trained. He also oversaw the development of two award-winning programs – Hook A Kid On Golf and the Start Smart Sports Development Programs – that are conducted throughout the United States as well as on U.S. military bases worldwide.
He is frequently interviewed by national media on a variety of topics related to youth sports and writes a popular monthly column in PRB+ magazine.
He is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. He is the father of two and for many years was a volunteer youth sports coach.