Many children of all ages participate in youth sports through their schools or community organizations. Parents enroll their kids in sports to develop their athletic abilities and to teach values like teamwork and social skills. Parents expect their children to be safe and to be trained and supervised by people who are responsible and trustworthy.
Background Checks Are Not Always Required
One way to ensure that children are coached by qualified and responsible people is to conduct background checks. Many parents assume that anyone who works with children has to undergo a background check, but that is not always the case. State laws vary on whether or not background checks are required for volunteer athletic coaches who work with children. Some states require background checks, but many do not. Some youth sports leagues and organizations require background checks for anyone who wishes to coach children’s sports, but policies are not universal.
Why Your Organization Should Conduct Background Checks
If you run a youth sports team or league, you should require thorough background checks on anyone who wants to coach children’s sports, even if your state or local laws do not require it. Organizations that serve children have a responsibility to do everything they can to keep them safe. Conducting background checks is one way that athletic organizations can practice due diligence to keep kids safe from people who have criminal records or who are in sex offender registries. Knowing that organizations conduct thorough background checks can discourage people who could be threats to children from applying for coaching positions and can give parents peace of mind.
Data Check Can Conduct Background Checks on Coaches
Data Check conducts thorough background checks on applicants for positions in many industries, including full-time and part-time workers and volunteers, such as coaches. We can search criminal records to identify applicants with prior convictions and let you know if anyone who applied for a coaching position is a registered sex offender. We can also conduct drug testing to make sure that people who coach children are not using drugs that could affect their behavior and judgment and put the safety of children in their care in jeopardy.
We can conduct background checks quickly so that you will be able to recruit and hire coaches and then get right to work training for the upcoming season. If you need to conduct background checks on prospective coaches who will be working with children, contact Data Check today to get started.
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