SHYBA
Background Checks
SHYBA Background Checks (for 2026-2027 Season) are required prior to any SHYBA activities FOR ALL VOlunteers (Board Members, Coaches and Asst. Coaches )
Clearances are valid for 3 years post issue date (per Protect Youth Sports). When you register to volunteer for the 2026-27 season, you will be given the option to select “returning coach/volunteer” or “new coach/volunteer”. This applies to all volunteers (head/assistant coaches and/or other). If you are not volunteering to be a head or assistant coach, this does not apply.
1- If you select “returning coach/volunteer”, you will not be charged the $25. The commissioner for the league you are coaching will confirm your check from last season.
2-
If you select “new coach/volunteer”, you will be charged $25 for the background check (see additional details below). The check will be good for 3 years (and if you volunteer for the 2027-28 season, #1 above will apply). TeamSlide uses Protect Youth Sports for their background check process.
By When?
Before Skills Evaluation: ANY coach identified by a commissioner to actively participate on the floor in the Skills Evaluation session must have their background check record provided to the commissioner 3 days prior to the skills evaluation date.
Before League Draft: ALL coaches must have their background check record provided to the commissioner 3 days prior to the League Draft night.
After League Draft: If a coach is not identified until the league draft, they must have their background check record provided to the commissioner BEFORE they participate on the floor with their team.
Process?
All volunteers will be prompted to give their consent prior to placing their order for a background check. They will also be asked for the following information when they register as a volunteer (all pages are encrypted for security):
Legal First Name
Legal Middle Name
Legal Last Name
SSN
Gender
Date of Birth
The cost for this clearance is $25 and will be added to your registration cart.
Completing a New Background Check
If a volunteer is new or their previous clearances have expired (PA clearances are valid for 5 years / 60 months), they must complete the following steps (please note that Team Sideline and PYS note 3 years, however, the PA checks are valid for 5).
- Step 1: Sign In and Register Log into your organization’s TeamSideline site. Navigate to the current season's registration page and select the Volunteer option. Choose your desired role (e.g., Head Coach, Assistant Coach).
- Step 2: Fill Out the TeamSideline Background Check Form During the checkout/registration flow, TeamSideline will prompt you for your legal information (Full Name, DOB, Gender, and SSN). Complete this integrated form. All new volunteers/Coaches need to select the “new coach” or “new Volunteer” and pay the fee at checkout.
- Step 3: Complete Your PA State Clearances (External to TeamSideline) Because national checks do not fully satisfy PA Act 153, you must obtain your state clearances if you haven't already:
- PA State Police Criminal Record Check (PATCH): Free for volunteers online.
- PA Child Abuse History Clearance: Free for volunteers online via the PA Compass portal.
- FBI Fingerprint Check OR Waiver: If you have lived in PA for the last 10 consecutive years, you can sign a §6344.2 Disclosure / Residency Waiver instead of getting fingerprinted. If you've lived outside PA in the last 10 years, you must register via IdentoGO for fingerprints.
- Step 4: Upload or Submit Clearances Go back to your TeamSideline Account Overview. If your organization has enabled document upload, upload PDFs of your PA Clearances under your profile. If not, email them directly to your league’s Safety Officer or Admin.
Questions? Here is a link to some FAQs from the PYS website.
