Clayton County Parks & Recreation relies heavily on the contribution of volunteers, particularly in the Athletics Division for the facilitation of youth sports programming. Specifically, volunteers are enlisted to provide coaching support and team management for youth baseball, basketball, cheerleading, flag football, soccer softball, tackle football, and track & field.
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In order to volunteer with youth sports for Clayton County Parks & Recreation: Every coach must submit an application to coach a team, and he or she must sign the Coaches Code of Conduct. They must declare their desire to head coach or assist, and identify the age group with which they would like to help. Every coach receives a copy of the Clayton County Coaches’ Code of Ethics. He or she must sign the code, acknowledging receipt thereof. Every coach is subject to both a local and a national background check. Candidates are automatically disqualified for offenses identified in the “Clayton County Athletics Criteria for Volunteer Exclusion.” Each coach must attend a 3-4 hour on-field/court clinic, which covers position play, tips, drills, and sport-specific coaching points. All coaches must obtain at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance.
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The Clayton County Athletic Coordinators are the on-site supervisors of all volunteer coaches, managing the daily operation of each Clayton County park. The Coordinators ensure that County procedures are followed and that established standards are met. Also, program participants complete an end-of-season survey which evaluates the effectiveness of each volunteer and provides some feedback to Coordinators, who consider their input when deciding to retain or dismiss volunteers. For additional youth sports resources, visit our Links & Handouts section.