backgrounds checks in all states?
 

I'm curious. Are there any states that do not require background checks for high school sport's officials? We still do in Florida and I believe also back in New York. Anyone know or have a link to information?
Thanks in advance.

Not in Ohio and Michigan.

MTD, Sr.

Not in DE

Not California. I am trying to get in touch with State lawmakers to see how to get it on the books.

Not in Georgia, either.

Just wondering why? In my opinion, it is a knee-jerk feel-good response typical of bureaucrats and politicians that will only weed out those too stupid to avoid being caught. The truly most dangerous predators are those that haven't been caught, and a background check won't help detect them.

I have been informed that someone who currently works HS sports locally is a sex offender but is being protected by others. This is a real sore spot growing up I knew of at least one kid molested by someone who was involved with youth sports.
Additionally most of our local units have paper work asking if you have any Felonies and a lot of people lie about it. As coaches we have to due background checks and it is very quick and the cost is low to do it.

megan's law is your friend if you know the residence.

Low is relative term.
We get 45 bucks for a varsity game.
Background check is 75 and then if you pass, another 10 for an ID badge which you should display on school grounds...

I really have no problem with the check, just not excited about the almost 2 game cost.

C'mon Hugo, what's two games in the grand scheme? I'm sure you can make that up in less than a week of the season. Heck, you spent half that much for a cup that doesn't protect you. :p

What kind of background check is required in FL that costs $75? It sounds like it involves a lot more than just crimes against children.

Manny:

Hugo is correct in the cost. In fact, I just checked with the Seminole County School District in November because I was thinking of spending the month of March at my sister's home in Orlando and umpire H.S. baseball and fast pitch softball; I was told that the cost was now $78 and $15. One as to go to the administrative office of any county school district to be finger printed and pay the $78. Once one passes the background check the ID badge can be picked up at the same office after paying the $15 fee.

MTD, Sr.

As it should be...coaches are spending unsupervised time with youth players at practice and team events and have opportunity to cultivate inappropriate relationships.

A sports official is only interacting with these kids on the field of play with several other people watching. The "opportunity" as a result of the event itself is extremely limited.

In my neighborhood, we are required to submit to a fingerprint clearance check, the same thing that teachers undergo. It costs approx $60 just to have the fingerprinting done, then and additional $15-20 for the check. This is in addition to some of the highest registration and lowest game fees in the country.

All this as a knee-jerk reaction to a person that was arrested for sexual misconduct with two minor females that had NOTHING to do with the fact that he was a HS softball umpire.

I know megans law very well.
Our local HS associations covers 2 counties. we have over 300 members in basketball and football, 125 members in Baseball, 150 Members in Softball and so on.
Megans law shows 2686 registered sex offenders in my county and 3411 in the other county. I will say that their are a combined 4.5 Million people in these 2 counties

the offenders are listed by address, so are all members of your officials.

if you know where one lives that you suspect, check it against megans law database.

I agree with the requirement of having background checks for officials.

However, I STRONGLY disagree with making the officials pay for it - this should be handled by leagues and school districts as a cost of doing business.

:eek:
Invades privacy, gives personal info to unnecessary irresponsible people, is not reliable or universal,
ALLOWS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR IDENTIFY THEFT. :eek: :( :(

CO just added a requirement to provide an arrest report every three years, and account for the disposition of all arrests that show on the report. I still doubt it will do any good.

The kid you knew, was he molested by a sports official in a way aided by that officials duties as an official?

I've never been left alone with a kid in a school, nor should I be. I don't understand what dangerous contact is currently going on that would be eliminated by background checks.

[QUOTE=Manny A;922289]
(snip) Heck, you spent half that much for a cup that doesn't protect you. :p

(snip)QUOTE]

:eek:

It is a waste of time, waste of money, it is unnecessary, provides absolutely NOTHING, but a false sense of accomplishment.

And it is an invasion of privacy. A couple years ago, I almost walked out of a Regional Clinic because ASA's president-elect at the time basically accused anyone who had a problem with a BI as having something to hide. If it wouldn't have screwed over my fellow clinicians, I would have been gone.

I am tired of the cowardly fashion in which the people of this country act and I will not forfeit what freedom I have left simply to satisfy some Gestapo-style sense of "community".

BTW, I've had everyone up my tail, FBI, NIS(NCIS to the younger folks), DOD, DIS & state police and that doesn't include anyone involving my present job. So, to me, it is the mere stupidity of the people involved and the unnecessary invasion of my life by people who are no more qualified to determine my character than they are to turn water into wine with a wave of the hand.

And, just for the record, I had this exact discussion with Phil G. Like everything else with the ASA hierarchy, they don't handle any type of dissent very well.

ll the information need for Identity Fraud is already given to all the organizations. so that goes out the window. We fill out how many 1099 forms every year? plus my credit is so bad that no one would want it.

Cbc
 

In Texas, one-third of the officials that belong to Texas Association of Sports Officials have a criminal background check performed every year. TASO is the organization that assigns officials for softball, baseball, football, volleyball, soccer, and basketball high school sports. All members are checked at least once every three years. Some school districts perform their CBCs.

Maryland does not require background checks for high school officials.

I worry more about the information left in dugouts and on the desks of some school office workers.

Technically here in NY, lineup cards are supposed to have the first and last names of the players on them. I have NEVER enforced this. What if someone get a hold of that, and starts looking up names on social media?? The theoretical reason behind this is so, in case a kid gets hurt, we can fill out our liability report. Well, I do not know about you, since I have 48 hours to fill this out, I personally am calling the AD's office the next and finding out.

Virtually every rule book requires first and last names. This isn't something unique to NY. NY just so happens to use ASA rules that require this. The "theoretical reason" behind it was never contemplated by ASA and has nothing at all to do with the rule.

Remember, every time who choose to not enforce a rule, particularly one as simple as this, you run the risk of causing problems for the future umpires who work games for the same team. Don't be the "previous umpire said it was okay."

Yours is not to choose which rules to enforce.

Oh, and in NYS, new sports officials have to submit fingerprints, and a form. We got lucky, as they grandfathered all existing officials. And it does cover you all though the state for all sports.

But it still makes it even more difficult to find new umpires. Our clinic fee is $75...membership 1st year $75, then they have to pay in MAY for the next year another $75, PLUS all the gear, and now ANOTHER $60-75 for fingerprinting. No wonder we can't get people to start umpiring. :(

And just FYI, the starting level school fee around here is $68 this year, so someone has to work about 10 games the first year - just to break even!

You charge for clinics ????

We allow new umps to work for the first association dues, except the required registrations like ASA & NFHS.

Maybe some of our Texas friends can shed some light on this, but there was a story a couple years ago where a couple of law enforcement officers that refused to register because the local association refused to accept the BI routinely done for their job.

Not sure of the validity, just remember the story from an ASA meeting a couple years ago.

Don't remember that story so I can't confirm or deny. The state organization does the background check as a part of regular state dues.

I'm taking that class this year, as I started working In Port.

I am required to work one full year of Jr Hi and another full year of JV before I am considered ready for varsity.

I have already worked Army, Marist and Iona with board members!

Plus, I worked in a daycare two years ago and the clearances were $35 & $20 in Pa.

I think you're going a little extreme here.

High school players have their names publicized all over the place. They get announced during pregame, when they come to bat, when they enter the game as a sub, etc. They get mentioned in newspaper accounts of games, sometimes with pictures of them. Many many high schools have websites for school sports with team rosters and pictures. Some schools even stream their games live on the web for family members to watch from anywhere on the globe, and players names are announced there.

If someone with ill intent really wanted to get the first and last name of a softball player, I seriously doubt they would go looking for a team lineup card.

I prefer Cabernet! ;)

You coming to the CHVBGSO class next week, Patrick?

Michigan (MHSAA) does do criminal background checks. I know very few instances where it has been an issue, but we did have one non-softball official have his registration suspended after he was arrested, and subsequently plead guilty, to a count of CSC which occurred while he was substitute teaching.

The MHSAA does a simple criminal name check and does not do a full scale background check with fingerprints required. I do know that several years ago I was required to be fingerprinted because I was an employee of the Rec League and worked with minors officiating and umpiring multiple sports. The fingerprints were no big deal to me because I also teach and have to be fingerprinted for that.

The strictest national organization in regards to background checks is USA Swimming. They have taken a very hard stance on prior issues with coaches and athletes (young), and have very strict rules regarding Athlete Protection Training (APT) and background checks. We are required to get a background check every 2 or 3 years, and do APT every 2 years. The background check does include multiple checks and has been known to produce false positive results (my drug possession conviction in a city I've never been to).

It's tomorrow night now.

background checks
 

here in me. they are required and all i know is i dont pay for it and couldnt tell you who does!! it is also a one and done deal.not every year!

You may not directly pay for it, but it comes out of monies that you have either already paid, or monies that would have been yours otherwise.