Background Checks

[AtlUmpSteve]

Here in the Atlanta area, one agency passed a resolution requiring all officials in the youth programs to undergo background checks. The several organizations serving their softball programs advised that 1) this would seriously curtail the available pool of umpires, because we anticipated a substantial rate of refusal, 2) this would make "borrowing" umpires from other associations an impossibility, so they should anticipate times without coverage with that policy, 3) the umpires who would grant permission would not pay for their decision to require this. The best part of the "resolution" was that this agency ran the fields, but had independent youth associations who ran the leagues, so they were mandating this requirement (and expense) to others to implement.

Since that time, the youth association I contracted with disbanded, so I have no first hand knowledge of any further action. I do work (and so do others in my association) at youth tournaments held by that agency, and none of us have been asked to agree to background checks. I suspect that means the other umpire association that handles the contract directly with that agency either refused, or made it so difficult and costly to the agency that it reconsidered its position. In this case, they may have been in a position of having to run programs and tournaments without ANY umpires, because the umpires were NOT going to pay.