The Complete Guide to Coach Background Checks
Coach background checks can help parents and guardians understand the histories of the coaches overseeing their children’s teams. Performing a background check for youth coaches responsible for your child can help give you better peace of mind about your child’s safety and security. Here’s what you need to know about background checks for coaches as a parent or guardian.
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Whether paid or volunteer, youth coaches are responsible for guiding, teaching, and inspiring young athletes. They often spend time with children or adolescents with little to no parental supervision. Ensuring they are trustworthy is essential for your child’s safety and security.
Coach background checks can help you identify potential risks and give you peace of mind. Here’s a look at what a coach background check is, why it matters, and how you can conduct one.
What is a coach background check?
A coach background check reviews public records to help you determine if an individual is suitable to work with children in a coaching role. Parents and guardians can choose to conduct background checks on their children’s coaches to learn more about them and decide if they are comfortable trusting them to supervise their children.
How to conduct background checks for coaches
Parents and guardians can consider different approaches for conducting background checks on youth sports coaches, including using online resources, working with the organizations that offer youth sports programs, or partnering with a background check provider, like Checkr. Here’s a look at each approach:
Make use of online resources
One way to conduct coach background checks is to search for records on your own. In some jurisdictions, criminal records are publicly searchable through online government databases. Others may require formal requests through law enforcement agencies or courthouses.
While conducting coach background checks on your own allows you to view specific records, navigating that information can be time-consuming and challenging. Public records databases often use complex coding and terminology, making them hard to interpret. Other factors like name changes, aliases, or address changes can make it easy to miss key details.
Work with volunteer organizations
Many youth sports organizations require background checks for volunteers—like coaches—at the start of each season. If your child’s league has a policy in place, request a copy to understand what screenings they conduct and what action is taken when adverse information appears.
If the organization doesn’t have a background check policy, consider discussing the importance of coach background checks with key decision-makers to ensure all volunteers are properly screened. Depending on the organization’s policies, you may even be able to view a copy of the background check report for your child’s coach.
Partner with background check providers
Parents and guardians who wish to perform a Little League coach background check or other youth sports coach background check can use a third-party background check provider, like Checkr. These providers streamline the process by automatically searching relevant databases and generating easy-to-read reports for your review. With Checkr, you can order a background check online with just a few clicks and receive a report in minutes.
Run a personal background check
Are you an employer? Run a candidate background check here >
What could show up on a coach background check?
The results of a coach background check depend on the screenings performed, but criminal history is typically the primary focus, especially for youth coaches. With Checkr’s personal background checks, a coach background check may include:
- Social Security number (SSN) trace searches databases, like lending institutions, utilities, schools, and credit card companies, to provide basic information about a Social Security number such as associated names and addresses.
- Sex offender registry check searches registries from all 50 states, Washington DC, and US territories. The results may include the offender’s date of registration and current status.
- Global watchlist search searches multiple domestic and international government and regulatory databases for individuals who are prohibited from certain industries or included on "most wanted" criminal lists.
- Federal criminal search reports federal felony and misdemeanor convictions in US federal district courts.
- National criminal search screens nationwide databases to identify records for further exploration; records may include felony and misdemeanor convictions, pending cases, and other interactions with law enforcement that did not result in a conviction.
- State criminal search reviews criminal records databases in a specific state to identify felony and misdemeanor convictions, along with charge type, disposition, and sentencing information.
- County criminal search reports records from US counties, which may include felony and misdemeanor convictions and related information, such as charge, disposition, and sentencing.
Run a background check with Checkr today
Coach background checks support the well-being of youth athletes by identifying potential risks to their safety and security. As a parent or guardian, you can feel more confident about a volunteer or paid coach by running a personal background check on them before the season begins.
Whether you wish to perform a background check for a soccer coach, a softball coach, a little league coach, or another youth sports coach, Checkr makes the process simple. With multiple packages available, you can select the type of screening to meet your needs. Order online to receive an easy-to-read report available to review in minutes. Get started today.
Run a personal background check
Are you an employer? Run a candidate background check here >
Disclaimer
The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.
