Coaches comments USAWKS Background Screening
smokeycabin smokeycabin
Member


Registered: July, 07 2001
Posts: 603
Loc: Shawnee Kansas USA Wrestling Background
Screening Program

I am all for the Background Screening Program. Except I think it also opens up the door for the possibility of identity theft. They are asking for a lot of potential private information that could be sold electronically and used in identity theft. Can TClogiQ sell our information to other for profit or nonprofit companies, marketing companies or any company. Can the electronic payment vendor Authorize.net (third party company) sell our information to other for profit or nonprofit companies. What are the safe guards that this could never happen? All clubs should forward the information to their coaches as soon as possible so that USA Wrestling Background Screening Program
is take care of before upcoming deadlines.

Breaking News ...

As most members are aware, USA Wrestling will be requiring background checks for member coaches starting next season (beginning September 1). USAW has now released their background screening policy, along with a detailed description of the program and how it will be implemented.

If you will be applying for a coaches' card next season, be aware that you must successfully complete this background screening before you can obtain your membership card. (4/22/08)

I may be a little nervous about the procedure because identity theft is a huge problem in the electronic age. More so now than it was 15-25 years ago when everything was shuffled in paper format with signatures of both parties involved. Paper Trail Example: I sign an agreement saying it is OK for TC logiQ to to do a background check and I mail it to them. That company sends me back a letter with a persons name on it who performed the back ground check - ON THAT COMPANIES letter head saying I passed or was denied for what ever reason and I stick it in a legal file. I take that letter to the club director and then order my coaches card. I just feel this also protects the coaches so that they have some legal ground to stand on by having a paper trail.

Sean McCarthy
STA Kids Club

you can go to kbi and get one too and probably not have to worry as much about that. i'm not sure what they all charge, but it's another way.

Can someone point me in the direction of the USAW background check policy? You would think the policy would be plastered all over at this point.

each method, paper or electronic, poses its own set of problems. I trust the decision makers of USA Wrestling to choose a safe and reliable source for handling private information. electronic or conventional identity theft is always a threat and you should always take proper steps to help protect your side of the transaction.

sportsfan- the background policy is on the home page. First paragraph

This is OK with me will the High Schools Kansas High School Athletic Association follow with the same for they rely on this site for all pertinent info, this will also thin the heard down won't it S M

This is OK with me will the High Schools Kansas High School Athletic Association follow with the same for they rely on this site for all pertinent info, this will also thin the herd down won't it S M. I may have ment this instead.

I guess I'm still missing it! Front page of what? I've checked both themat.com and this site with no luck. Link please? Oh and please tell me our policy regarding background checks is an extremely long paragraph in length.

The links are the first topic of "Beaking News" on the home page of this site.

Policy

Program

The first item under breaking news on the site for me is FS/GR entries for the state tournament. Thanks for the links!

I read the policy and I have a couple of questions. If any of you can help out with answers I would greatly appreciate it.

1. In the policy it makes it sound like we only have to do this every 2 years, however, we have to buy new cards every year. In other parts of the policy it makes it sound like you have to do it before you purchase a new card, that would make it an annual requirement. Can someone provide clarification?

2. When doing the online check it asks for certain info. One of the items they ask for is your USAW membership #. If I have to do this before I get my USAW membership then how can I have a USAW membership #? OR do I put in the previous year's #?

3. What is the state procedure for getting coaches cards once this is implemented? My understanding of the policy and the instructions lead me to believe that we pay for the screening and the card at the same time right to USAW. Is this true or am I not reading it correctly?
If we don't do it at the same time, then do our coaches have to print their screening and turn it in to the club so we can forward it to the state when we purchase their cards?

Any help is appreciated.

Shawn Budke

Why does it say "proposed POLICY" on the policy page?

I have been coaching wrestling for 5 years now and I love it. My reason for saying that is because when I was young dumb and full of it I made some very bad decisions!! I have a felony for sales of a controlled substance in 1990. Because of that I find it hard to get work because I guess people dont think people can change for the better!! I always tell kids to not smoke, drink, or do drugs!! I am very adament about that!!! I hope that my bad decisions when I was younger dont keep me from coaching, but if it does I guess that can be anothr example I can tell the kids!! If I can keep 1 kid off drugs it will be worth it!!!! There I just aired my dirty laundry to everyone, hope nobody thinks less of me, I am a different person than I was in 1990.

Based upon the criteria in the policy I would say yes that will disqualify you from holding a coaches card. It is important to remember, that this not only disqualifies you from coaching at tournaments but in the room as well IMO. A club who uses a coach that failed the background check is likely voiding their club sanction IMO. If that is the case, no club is going to want to have someone coaching in the room that voids their insurance.

I will apologize up front if I missed the answers to my questions in the short time I had to look over the policy and the Background Screening companies' website. Having worked for a contract employment services company for eight years and having handled hundreds of criminal background checks for companies, I had the following questions:

1) How many years does the background check screen for (it makes mention of filling out information from the age of 18). Most companies only conduct background checks for 5-7 years back, seven being the norm.

2) Is this a Federal, State or County, Federal & State & County, State & County, etc? I know from experience that a State background check will not always uncover convictions at the county level in certain cases.

3) It says that the cost is $17 per screen. It also talks about additional costs being incurred in certain situations. If a company is doing criminal checks down to the county level, and the person being screened has had multiple addresses in multiple states and/or counties, usually the cost can increase quite a bit.

Just some thoughts until I have time to fully absorb the policy and do more research on the company doing the screening. I think this is a good step for the Kids Federation to take.

I would appreciate yours or anyone's personal knowledge in this area so keep us informed.
It is important to recognize that this isn't Kansas Kids or the Federation implementing this background check policy, it is USAW, and thus we should all be even more careful and concerned. I am worried that we are gradually giving all power and authority to USAW.

The background check is valid for two seasons (Sept-Oct). If you passed a background check the prior season you will be able to obtain a coaches card without undergoing another background check for that year.

You'll notice that this item is marked "if applicable." If you don't have a number it won't create any problem.

I have been working with USAW for the past year to try and establish a procedure that would allow us to continue to issue coaches' memberships at the club level, as requested at this past year's state body meeting. I believe that we are going to be able to do this, but since it is outside of their standard procedure you won't find it in their policy. As soon as I know how/if this will be handled I'll inform the state on the procedure.

My understanding is that it includes all available records without any time limits. Since records on minors are restricted by law they would not be included.

I don't know the precise records that will be checked, but I do know that it is not restricted to state and local sources, but does include some of those records.

TC logiQ has comitted to a flat fee of $17. I believe that additional fees only come into play if there is additional work done after the conclusion of the initial screening.

Try refreshing/reloading your browser - you are probably looking at a copy of the site that your computer has cached.

Although they did not clear this text from the page, I've been assured that this is the final policy.

Even if you fail to pass the background screening, you will still have the opportunity to make your case. You will have three options to resolve your screening results: 1) withdraw your application from the screening process; 2) dispute the accuracy of the search report; or 3) request a waiver acknowledging the results of the search and requesting an appeal to USAW’s Background Check Review Committee. In your case, you would choose #3 and make your case to the Review Committee.

Mike,

Thanks for the answers. Should we hold off on having our coaches do this until we find out how we are going to do the card issue within the state?

Thanks again.

Shawn Budke

Thanks Mike I appreciate that!!!

Shawn,

Definitely hold off the background checks until September 1. Since the checks are good for two seasons, if you do anything now you will be wasting one season.