More background check incidents....

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Received this today:
"ALL UMPIRES who wish to umpire ANY ASA games in the state of ... snip ... are required to have a background check starting this year. It is not an option.

If you refuse to have a background check, you must notify me no later than Friday April 25th. This will allow me to refund your dues and to remove your name from the ASA registration that goes to the National Office. ... snip ...

There was a big article about a convicted sex offender in Alabama working a youth USSSA game. Had a background check been performed, this individual would not have been assigned any youth games.

Again, this is not up for debate. If I do not hear from you, then I will assume you are okay with the background check and you will be assigned league games and work tournaments etc. If you attended a state or regional clinic then you would also be eligible for state, regional, and national tournaments. If you are NOT OKAY with it, then you must notify me no later than April 25th so you can be removed from registration and therefore, not work any ASA games. Your dues will be refunded to you.

Whether you agree with it or not, this is the society we now live in and it is what it is.

I thank you all for your cooperation and look forward to a great season.
"

Background checks have been available at a reasonable price (about $5 each) to ASA Associations for several years; and some, but not all, have mandated it for their umpires. And some have also done their staff and tournament directors.

At the latest ASA Board of Directors meeting (March 29) following the Alabama news report hitting the news wires, it is now mandated for 2015 for all associations; umpires and RegisterASA team and league administrators. Your Commissioner is just getting ahead of the curve; it has been done here in Georgia ASA for 3-4 years.

Certainly agree it is a "feel-good" solution with no real effect; other than being able to say you have done everything reasonably possible to limit exposure and/or liability.

[Andy]

I have also been told that any ASA umpire that works any games at Hall of Fame Stadium in OKC must pass a background check starting this year.

This includes all Adult FP and SP play.

In my association, we identify umpires as to the games they work. If they only work adult SP, we do not submit them to a background check.

We do have to stay on top of this, as the umpire could decide halfway through the season that they wish to work youth FP, but it hasn't been an issue so far.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Thank God we live in a free and democratic......er, never mind.

Here is the original e-mail from OKC:

From: John Miller [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2014 11:59 AM
To: John Miller
Cc: YZ - Department Heads; zz - RegisterASA Staff
Subject: ASA Mandatory Background Check Policy For 2015 Season



Good Morning Council Members,

I hope you all enjoyed Easter yesterday. This is the last email for actions taken by the ASA Board of Directors at their March 29 board meeting.

ASA has in place a background check screening process to help keep our youth players safe from those that seek to harm them. Over the last five years ASA has run more than 300,000 background check reports in an effort to keep those that would want to harm our youth players out of our program.

There are state/metro associations that require their umpires and administrators to pass a background check in order to umpire or serve as a team or league administrators so these associations are setting the standard.

During the March 29 board meeting the ASA Board of Directors established a national policy for background checking council members, umpires and RegisterASA team/league administrators. This policy would take affect starting with the 2015 season.

Council members, umpires working Junior Olympic Championship play and all RegisterASA administrators shall pass an ASA background check.

Now that the state/metro associations have the choice of starting their Junior Olympic season on either September 1 or January 1 those starting on September 1 and using RegisterASA would have to have their RegisterASA admins pass a background check before being able to register their individuals for a team or league. Those same September 1 state/metro associations that would schedule JO championship qualifiers after September 1 would need to background check those umpires that would be working JO championship play.

Only an ASA background check report will be allowed to verify that a council member, umpire or RegisterASA admin has passed a background check. This must be done in case ASA has to prove that a council member, umpire or RegisterASA admin has passed a background check in any litigation brought before ASA. The background check reports will have to be run annually.

As any new policy is put into place there will be many questions. Please direct those questions to me and I will get them answered for you.

[Multiple Sports]

In your state, if you are working SP only are you required to have a BG check. In my state they are requiring everyone regardless of fast ( youth ) or just slow ( adult )......it makes no sense unless they are looking for issues non child related......

[chapmaja]

Maybe it is time for one organization to oversee all background checks for all umpires/coaches/volunteers working with youth sports.

Doing multiple sports for multiple organizations, I have to have a background check run for each different organization. It does get a bit tiresome, and costly.

Add in the fact that I work in education, and am required to be fingerprinted for work purposes and have regular background checks run as well.

Maybe one organization handling all background checks would just make things so much easier.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

...Add in the fact that I work in education, and am required to be fingerprinted for work purposes and have regular background checks run as well. ...

It seems every other week there is another teacher in the news for a sexual offense with a student.

So, how well is that fingerprinting and background checking working out for the education establishment?

Clearly, (well, clearly to ME), this is all about liability limitation for the organizations themselves and very little about protecting anyone from anything.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Clearly, (well, clearly to ME), this is all about liability limitation for the organizations themselves and very little about protecting anyone from anything.

And ASA even says so.
"This must be done in case ASA has to prove that a council member, umpire or RegisterASA admin has passed a background check in any litigation brought before ASA. "

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

And ASA even says so.
"This must be done in case ASA has to prove that a council member, umpire or RegisterASA admin has passed a background check in any litigation brought before ASA. "

And when someone is certified by a sanctioning body through a BI, does that now make them liable since apparently their system failed?

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

Maybe one organization handling all background checks would just make things so much easier.

NO NO NO. Please think about the effect of centralizing personal information.