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Pretty strict background check? Just so your kid can play Little League? Please help me understand why. If the parent were signing up to coach, I could underst

Pretty strict background check? Just so your kid can play Little League? Please help me understand why. If the parent were signing up to coach, I could understand. But just to have a kid in the league. I don't get it.

pridkett 6y ago
It’s referring to strict background checks for the volunteers.
- throwawayboise 6y ago
  Yes thanks to Larry Nassir and Jerry Sandusky every volunteer parent on every youth sports club is seen as a potential pedophile. Mandatory background checks, mandatory training on bullying, harassment, hazing, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct is now required. It has really made it much more difficult for leagues to get volunteers because though many parents want to help, most don't want to have to submit to this level of scrutiny and demands on their time.
  - 542458 6y ago
    Is it really that bad? From what I remember, in Canada my vulnerable sector check was as simple as going to a location, showing my drivers license and giving basic contact info, and waiting a few minutes while they query a few databases. I’m told it gets slightly more complicated if you share a name and birthday with somebody convicted of a serious crime, but that’s the exception rather than the rule.
    - throwawayboise 6y ago
      The background check is pretty much that -- it's online and quick, but you have to submit Driver's License #, SS#, DOB, everything that makes people nervous online. And in my experience, the form was a classic ASP page that looked like it had been developed in 1998. I didn't try any SQL injection tricks or anything, but it didn't inspire confidence. In sum, it's not so much the background check itself I object to, it's the wondering about the third parties that get the information. Then there's the hours of online "Safe Sport" training, every year, plus you become a "mandatory reporter" for any kind of abuse, neglect, etc. and that also makes people nervous. So it's just more reasons for people to decline to help.
  - kstrauser 6y ago
    My background check to be an Assistant Scoutmaster was much more rigorous than for any job I’ve ever had. I’m pretty OK with that, too.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - alisonkisk 6y ago
    Pedophilia isn't the problem. Molestation is.
  - smcl 6y ago
    It’s much more widespread than just those two cases. I know that the Scottish FA recently issued a report into historic abuse and it seems a few clubs had problems over the years. I imagine that this is not something limited to these few clubs in this one small country, and that it’s happened this way over the world. I understand that some of the stuff required for this person to get their kid involved in Little League seemed over the top, but let’s not downplay the risks of involving adult coaches and volunteers without checks or turn a blind eye to what has happened in the past. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-56019232 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-56019232
- krumpet 6y ago
  Ahh, yes for volunteers actually working with children, I'm fine with more strict background checks.

pridkett 6y ago

It’s referring to strict background checks for the volunteers.

throwawayboise 6y ago
Yes thanks to Larry Nassir and Jerry Sandusky every volunteer parent on every youth sports club is seen as a potential pedophile. Mandatory background checks, mandatory training on bullying, harassment, hazing, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct is now required. It has really made it much more difficult for leagues to get volunteers because though many parents want to help, most don't want to have to submit to this level of scrutiny and demands on their time.
- 542458 6y ago
  Is it really that bad? From what I remember, in Canada my vulnerable sector check was as simple as going to a location, showing my drivers license and giving basic contact info, and waiting a few minutes while they query a few databases. I’m told it gets slightly more complicated if you share a name and birthday with somebody convicted of a serious crime, but that’s the exception rather than the rule.
  - throwawayboise 6y ago
    The background check is pretty much that -- it's online and quick, but you have to submit Driver's License #, SS#, DOB, everything that makes people nervous online. And in my experience, the form was a classic ASP page that looked like it had been developed in 1998. I didn't try any SQL injection tricks or anything, but it didn't inspire confidence. In sum, it's not so much the background check itself I object to, it's the wondering about the third parties that get the information. Then there's the hours of online "Safe Sport" training, every year, plus you become a "mandatory reporter" for any kind of abuse, neglect, etc. and that also makes people nervous. So it's just more reasons for people to decline to help.
- kstrauser 6y ago
  My background check to be an Assistant Scoutmaster was much more rigorous than for any job I’ve ever had. I’m pretty OK with that, too.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- alisonkisk 6y ago
  Pedophilia isn't the problem. Molestation is.
- smcl 6y ago
  It’s much more widespread than just those two cases. I know that the Scottish FA recently issued a report into historic abuse and it seems a few clubs had problems over the years. I imagine that this is not something limited to these few clubs in this one small country, and that it’s happened this way over the world. I understand that some of the stuff required for this person to get their kid involved in Little League seemed over the top, but let’s not downplay the risks of involving adult coaches and volunteers without checks or turn a blind eye to what has happened in the past. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-56019232 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-56019232
krumpet 6y ago
Ahh, yes for volunteers actually working with children, I'm fine with more strict background checks.