I understand the reason for this, it was probably overdue. We need to protect our children from sexual predators. They are also screening for violence and drug offenses. These issues are very different. I bet this could affect a number of people. We have an 18 year old minor drug conviction that should not preclude anyone who has stayed out of trouble that long. And, what about the person who 20 or more years ago they were in a bar fight and got an assault conviction. Now they are married, have kids, a good job and have given that part of their life up. Maybe setting a criteria for some offenses like drug and violence of 5 years off of supervision would make sense. These are just my beliefs. I would also recommend anyone who has any issues like this apply on September 1st. I bet there will be a number of cases like this and USA could have a backlog that will take a while to address. I am not saying I am against this. Where I work I had to pass a pre-employment check and another background check every 5 years and there is nothing wrong with it. I just think this may need to be refined some. At least the criteria the waiver committee uses should be public and they should have a criteria of some type.

I would like to say I admire Coach Bill for bringing this up so it can be discussed. Good luck, hope to see you next year.

John Johnson,

Thank you for the cudos, I to think this is a good idea to protect the kids from sexual preditors. But like you said there are some of us who like me got in trouble 18-20 years ago for something that really has no effect on the children I coach. As a matter of fact only 1 or 2 people in our club knew about my "past", until now. I am not proud of my past and wish I could have kept it to 1 or 2 people knowing about it, because believe it or not even though it was a long time ago people still look at you different when they find out!!
I have a feeling this is going to affect alot of clubs and coaches who like me are in this for the kids to learn a great sport and to learn disapline so mabe they wont make the same mistakes I did!!!

Is this background check going to be looking for people that have been charged for stealing from companys or clubs. I think this is very important to know to keep someone from moving from club to club makeing a living off the clubs.

You are correct Coach Bill, this is going to effect just about every club and coach in the state in one way or another. The financial impact alone could be significant for some clubs.

No, not according to the policy.

???????

“Conviction of, imposition of a deferred sentence for, or any plea of guilty or no contest at any time, past or present, or the existence of any pending charges, for (i) any crime involving sexual misconduct, (ii) any crimes of abuse against children, (iii) any crimes involving firearms, and (iv) any offense involving distribution or intent to distribute illegal drugs or substances, (v) felonious assaults or batteries.”

Theft, embezzlement, fraud, felony bad checks? Club funds mysteriously dwindling? Misappropriation of club funds? I hate to say it, but it happens. These eggs are rotten and should not be allowed near the cash box/checking account.

yes it does and I think that should be part of the back ground check. I know for a Fact that this happens and has to be stoped

You can see the policy above and those type of offenses, if ever prosecuted, which many are not, are not listed as ones that would disqualify a coach from receiving a card.

Do any other kids sports do these kind of checks on there volunteers? The clubs that I have been associated with have done an excellent job IMO of policing any type of abuse or unacceptable behavior on there own. While I would never want a sex offender anywhere near my son, I would much rather have someone who was convicted of a felony 20 years ago who had changed there life coaching my son then have a dishonest person counting the money.

There have been many hard lessons learned from entrusting the wrong people with club finances. As a result, the checks and balances for the majority of clubs accross the state have strengthened. I agree that those type of offenses should be included in the background check. To be sure, EVERY CLUB should have duplicate statements going out to their various leaders.

From the description of the program link:

If the applicant requests a waiver acknowledging the results of the search and requests an appeal to the USAW Background Check Review Committee, this information will be forwarded to USAW’s Executive Director who in turn will forward to the Chairperson of the USAW Background Check Review Committee to conduct a review.

"At least the criteria the waiver committee uses should be public and they should have a criteria of some type." - John Johnson

I agree with John Johnson 100% on this one. Knowing the criteria that this committee is looking at when rendering a decision, especially since it is final with no further appeal, should be public information so that all parties are informed. I realize that this is not a background check for condition of employment. Our company, in consideration of a condition of employment, looked at the following factors:

1) How long ago was the crime?
2) How violent was the act in committing the crime?
3) Did the applicant fullfill all of their obligations (serve their time, pay restitution, complete probation/parole without incident, etc)?
4) Has the applicant had a stable work history since the offense?
5) Does the applicant have good personal and professional (work) references?

These are some of the main items that our risk management team looked at when considering applicants with a prior record/conviction.

Some very good people have made very bad decisions. Learning from their mistakes is what sets these individuals apart from the riff raff that we are trying to weed out.

Call me Paranoid or whatever. This article was in the KC Star today. I pulled out some high lights for all of us giving out our social security numbers electronically and other info. Just an FYI. This is a long article but read it and think about it.

High Lights first then the entire article:

Don’t be a victim
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9.9 million Americans were the victims of identity theft last year. Here are tips on how to avoid it:
•Review W2s and Social Security Administration statements to see whether there’s income you don’t know about.
•Protect your Social Security number and other sensitive information. Don’t use your Social Security number as a password or account number, and be careful who you share it with.
•Carefully dispose of sensitive mail and documents. Shred receipts, credit card offers, insurance forms, used checks and statements.
•Be careful who has access to personal documents, purses, wallets, computers or bank records.
Resources
U.S. Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/ microsites/idtheft
Identity Theft Resource Center: http://www.idtheftcenter.org

After her identity was stolen, Linda Foley founded the San Diego-based Identity Theft Resource Center. She said identities can be bought for as little as $30 or much more for quality counterfeits. Often, as in Bien’s case, the same identity is sold multiple times.
“Thirty dollars, that’s how much your good name is worth,” she said. “And if you’re going to counterfeit a document, it’s as easy to make five copies and sell all of them.”

The IRS may suspect that multiple people are using the same Social Security number, but the agency doesn’t investigate ID theft. Local police and prosecutors cannot deport illegal immigrants they arrest.
“I feel like nobody’s listening,” said Bien, 23, of Ottawa, Kan. “If this can happen to me, it can happen to anybody. And if we don’t do something about it now, what’s going to happen in 10 years?”
Federal estimates indicate that nearly 10 million Americans become victims of identity theft each year. Officials can’t say how many of those identities are being used by illegal workers, but prosecutors in Kansas say they see more cases of illegal immigrants using fake credentials every year.
It mirrors an increase in overall cases related to illegal immigration. The Kansas U.S. attorney’s office received 18 such cases in 1997; in 2007, the number was 106.
Experts expect the trend to continue, and they’re finding ID theft in surprising places. Last fall, U.S. prosecutors in Missouri charged five noncitizens with ID theft after they were found working in the Kansas City Federal Building’s cafeteria.

COMPLETE ARTICLE FROM the KC STAR 4-24-08

Posted on Wed, Apr. 23, 2008 10:15 PM
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Do you know where your ID is now?
By DAVID KLEPPER
The Star’s Topeka correspondent

• Federal Trade Commission's identity theft Web site
• Identity Theft Resource Center
Nobody likes getting a letter from the IRS. So imagine Amanda Bien’s reaction last Valentine’s Day when the agency wrote to demand $3,300 in back taxes.
For jobs she never worked. Five of them. In multiple states.
A Lenexa Taco Bell. A Wendy’s restaurant. Two Target stores, one in California. The Engineered Air manufacturing plant in De Soto. Someone, somewhere, got Bien’s name and Social Security number and gave it a workout.
A 28-year-old illegal immigrant was later arrested at the De Soto plant and faces ID theft charges.
Though illegal immigrants aren’t the only ones stealing identities, cases like Bien’s illustrate the inability of disparate government agencies to tackle the problem.
While lawmakers in Washington, Jefferson City and Topeka debate ways to crack down on illegal immigration, the market for false documents and stolen Social Security numbers is booming.
Particularly vulnerable, authorities say, are legal residents with Hispanic last names. Or, as in Bien’s case, names that could sound Hispanic.
As politicians know and Bien is finding out, it’s a problem that defies easy solutions.
The IRS may suspect that multiple people are using the same Social Security number, but the agency doesn’t investigate ID theft. Local police and prosecutors cannot deport illegal immigrants they arrest.
“I feel like nobody’s listening,” said Bien, 23, of Ottawa, Kan. “If this can happen to me, it can happen to anybody. And if we don’t do something about it now, what’s going to happen in 10 years?”
Federal estimates indicate that nearly 10 million Americans become victims of identity theft each year. Officials can’t say how many of those identities are being used by illegal workers, but prosecutors in Kansas say they see more cases of illegal immigrants using fake credentials every year.
It mirrors an increase in overall cases related to illegal immigration. The Kansas U.S. attorney’s office received 18 such cases in 1997; in 2007, the number was 106.
Experts expect the trend to continue, and they’re finding ID theft in surprising places. Last fall, U.S. prosecutors in Missouri charged five noncitizens with ID theft after they were found working in the Kansas City Federal Building’s cafeteria.
“We know there are thousands and thousands of people working here who aren’t even supposed to be here,” said Brent Anderson, assistant U.S. attorney for Kansas. “There is rampant ID theft going on … and I’m afraid that given the situation we’re in right now, this is just the beginning.”
A pervasive crime
Bien doesn’t know how someone gained access to her information, but experts say it can happen in several ways.
Hackers steal databases. Workers with access to records sell them illegally. Sometimes, it’s as simple as someone rifling through your mail or garbage for sensitive documents.
And illegal immigrants are hardly the only perpetrators. Americans avoiding warrants or child support payments steal identities, too. Scam artists use the information to drain bank accounts or get credit cards.
After her identity was stolen, Linda Foley founded the San Diego-based Identity Theft Resource Center. She said identities can be bought for as little as $30 or much more for quality counterfeits. Often, as in Bien’s case, the same identity is sold multiple times.
“Thirty dollars, that’s how much your good name is worth,” she said. “And if you’re going to counterfeit a document, it’s as easy to make five copies and sell all of them.”
Judy Ancel, director of the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Labor Studies, said it’s wrong to compare immigrant workers to criminals who take out fraudulent credit cards.
“Identity theft is when you steal someone’s identity in order to profit from them,” she said. “The crime they (illegal immigrants with fake identities) have committed is working under somebody else’s Social Security number. The attempt to criminalize immigration is the wrong path. … It’s just going to make a bunch of families suffer.”
Once, a made-up name and Social Security number were enough to get a job. But as employers became more diligent, the demand has grown for real identities that can pass database checks.
Children and the elderly, who are less likely to work or watch credit scores, are especially susceptible, Foley said. When Utah officials checked a list of children on welfare against tax rolls, they found that 1,800 children, all under 13, were listed as working.
Bien, a wife and mother, is completing her student teaching, but had to delay her credentialing when she applied for a new Social Security number. She’s lost sleep, and she worries that even more people are using her identity.
Still, she’s fortunate: Many victims don’t learn of the crime until their credit score drops or a loan is denied. In one recent Kansas case, a man found out when he was arrested for a crime committed by an illegal immigrant using his identity.
After Bien discovered the ID theft, she and her mother drove to De Soto to find the Engineered Air plant. When they asked a sheriff’s deputy for directions, he said he had arrested an illegal immigrant there a week before.
The deputy followed Bien to the plant, where he arrested Rocio Diaz Cano, the woman allegedly claiming to be Amanda Bien. Cano pleaded not guilty last week.
Her attorney, James Conard, said he’s handled 10 or 12 similar cases, and said roughly 85 percent of his business is now Spanish-speaking. He said he sympathizes with Bien and said she’s a victim of the government’s tacit acceptance of illegal immigration.
“I think the federal government is in cahoots with this whole problem,” he said.
Conard noted one example of the mixed messages: Probation, which his client is likely to receive if convicted, often requires the person to stay employed, which illegal immigrants cannot do.
Engineered Air President Ric Rambacher said his company follows all employment laws and checks applicants against a federal database of legal workers. But that system doesn’t catch ID thieves.
Fragmented authority
Bien would like to see her ID thieves charged with federal crimes. She believes federal authorities could push for greater sentences and could be more likely to start deportation proceedings.
Yet so far, people using her ID in other states haven’t been charged, even though Bien has given information to local and federal authorities.
Prosecutors say the decision to file charges and deport comes down to manpower, resources and evidence. When local police make an arrest, the case often falls to the county prosecutor. Federal authorities say they must focus on the most serious crimes.
“Like all law enforcement agencies, we prioritize,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Tim Counts. “We have finite resources.”
Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline, whose office is prosecuting Cano, agreed that federal agencies often lack the manpower to take on lesser cases. When Kline was state attorney general, he said, his office helped U.S. authorities in a checkpoint where three vans of illegal immigrants were stopped. Immigration officials arrested those in one van, but had to release the others.

Deportation, too, is a federal matter. And ID thieves prosecuted locally are likely to get probation if they have no prior record.
“You can have an illegal (immigrant) commit a felony with presumptive probation and they’ll be right back on the street and not deported,” Kline said. “We’re left with no options.”
Kline has made it his policy not to offer diversion to illegal immigrants. Diversion is when a suspect in a low-level crime can avoid a conviction through restitution and community service.
Foley, from the Identity Theft Resource Center, said federal authorities must do more. Too often, she said, agencies don’t even share data that could pinpoint ID theft.
“There is no universal database. Who’s going to collect it? The IRS is there to find out who isn’t paying their taxes, not to look for ID theft,” she said. “Create a new universal database, and suddenly you’ve created a new target for ID theft.”
________________________________________
Don’t be a victim
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9.9 million Americans were the victims of identity theft last year. Here are tips on how to avoid it:
•Review W2s and Social Security Administration statements to see whether there’s income you don’t know about.
•Protect your Social Security number and other sensitive information. Don’t use your Social Security number as a password or account number, and be careful who you share it with.
•Carefully dispose of sensitive mail and documents. Shred receipts, credit card offers, insurance forms, used checks and statements.
•Be careful who has access to personal documents, purses, wallets, computers or bank records.
Resources
U.S. Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/ microsites/idtheft
Identity Theft Resource Center: http://www.idtheftcenter.org

My suggestion in this process would be let us mail in the information to XYZ company. We can print off the forms on the internet and mail it in by certified mail. When they (XYZ Company) are done with the screening process they can e-mail us -the coaches, referees, whoever - that we have indeed passed or failed the screening. 9.9 million Americans that were affected by identity theft last year. That is a pretty big number - I just do not want to become number one (if someone gets mine they will have yours also) on next years list of 9.9 million people that have their lively hoods turn upside down. This is not a joke. Their are a lot of people willing to sell your credentials for $30 unfortunately. I understand that it speeds up the process electronically but it also speeds up the process to get the data to the BAD GUYS. The companies collecting the data do not want to input the data or they may have to charge more. I want someone held accountable if security is breached and all of USA wrestling coaches data base is sold, lost, accidently borrowed by another company or person(s).

for those of you that do not know. if you do have a felony you can have your record EXPUNGED what that does is no one can do a background check and see you have ever had a felony. when your employer asks if you have ever been convicted of a felony legally you can say no the only ones who know are law enforcement. now this process usually takes 4 months to complete and 400.00 to 1,000.00 and any attorney can do it.

or if you don't have the funds. you can print off the expungement forms online and file them yourself to the district attorney. the rule is you can file an expungement if you have not had another felony in 3 years. in my opinion this information is correct.. you can pm me if you have any questions.

There will always be the unscrupulous among us. The following may be of special interest to those in District I.

Edited: Links to Johnson County District Court - Criminal Division - will not open!
6001

i believe that if your conviction has nothing to do with children, than it should not count, now i know of a few people who were charged with endangering a kids welfare or what ever the charge is, and it was a misdomenor now that person would clear the check because it's not a felony.

now why not ban a person who has been convicted of felony animal abuse, because if you can kick or starve a dog well you probally would do it to a child as well but some one with that charge could coach does not seem right.

just 1 more thing to add i seen that a battery, would not let you get a coaches card, i know a guy who was charged and convicted of a battery, because he looked at a guy wrong and the guy felt intimedated. now that is true the guy named david can show you the conviction papers on that. now battery is a wide range of offenses. it should really be looked at or anything over 5 years ago unless it was hurting a child.

Richard, none of those links worked for me.

ok i read it again and it also state no pending charges. now is that not saying your already guilty. what ever happened to innocent untill proven guilty. i mean say at 19 you went skinny dippin in a public pool at nite while in college, and was caught. now that could be considered sexual misconduct.

i also thank there should be appeal guidelines. lets say 2 people have the same crime and both appeal, but one is more liked than the other whats to say one was approved and one was not. i do believe there should be guidelines set