Already affiliated with 47 national governing bodies and 36,000 youth sports organizations across the country, sports management software provider SportsEngine saw an opportunity to offer them a new service when it acquired two leading providers of background check services two years ago.
Most major youth sports sanctioning bodies require members to run background checks on coaches and other volunteers who will have regular contact with children. As of January, 10 states required background checks of coaches and volunteers not associated with a school.
With the acquisition of the National Center for Safety Initiatives and Southeastern Security Consultants Inc., combined with its existing service, SportsEngine expects to screen nearly 1 million youth coaches and volunteers this year.
“Like Project Play is passionate about training all coaches, we want to make sure they’re the right coaches,” said SportsEngine CEO Justin Kaufenberg. “They’ve passed a background screen. They’ve been certified with abuse prevention training. It has become the most significant rallying cry for our company, to make sure the coaches we do have in the ranks are the right coaches.”
While youth sports organizations typically agree on the need for background checks, the cost can be a limiting factor for some. Cost can vary widely, depending on the quality of the search and the number an organization purchases.
Some NGBs that offer coaching certification and licenses include a background check in the cost of the license. Many large organizations, such as Little League, offer local leagues and clubs a package of background checks as part of their membership.
Little League, which requires background checks of all volunteers who have “regular and repetitive” access to children, as well as all board members, provides 125 free screenings to each of its local leagues.
Any resistance typically comes from those organizations that either blanch at the expense or are hard-pressed to come up with volunteers to coach. They say they fear that putting the additional expectation of a background check on their already reluctant volunteers might drive them away.
“These are our kids. Why would we let just anybody coach them?” said Ken Martel, who as technical director of USA Hockey works extensively with youth organizations. “People will research who’s going to do their kitchen cabinets more than they will who’s going to spend significant amounts of time with their kids.
“The youth sports coach — outside of the parents and maybe a teacher or two at school — probably is the most influential adult figure that their kids are around. You’re not concerned here? Background check is the absolute bare minimum if I’m going to drop my kid off at the ice rink. Those organizations that aren’t doing this — shame on them.”
