The Need for Background Checks in the Sporting Industry

whistle hanging against black chalkboard

It’s no secret that the world of sports has fallen victim to a number of high-profile criminal scandals. Without naming names, gymnastics trainers, long-tenured college football coaches, and decorated cyclists have breached the trust of fans and have committed serious crimes against unsuspecting victims.

While the perpetrators of such crimes tend to shield themselves with a cloak of money and status, wrongdoings often come to light— but not after irreversible damage has been done.

Taking a step away from the big stages, youth sports still confront the same challenges. There are thousands of youth coaches and officials spanning all varieties of sports that assume the responsibility of, in many ways, influencing and shaping young children. With children, trust is often assumed, and what constitutes inappropriate behavior is sometimes more unclear. The combination of impressionable youth and an adult with a history of violence can quickly turn tragic.

Whether youth are involved or not, the world of sporting needs to carefully vet its personnel in order to ensure safety for all participants.

Our Goal to Make the World of Sporting Safer

At Peopletrail, providing background screening solutions to sporting organizations means much more to us than dollar signs. We truly view it as an opportunity to help create memorable environments for athletes around the country, mitigating as much wrongdoing as possible.

We are privileged to work with outstanding organizations such as the NCAA and USA football as they hire new coaches, officials, and staff. Through such relationships, we have been able to build processes and refine protocols for optimal sporting industry screening solutions. Here are the main takeaways we would like to communicate:

1. Sporting Background Checks Are Painless

For those undergoing a background check, the process is very simple. All that is needed is a bit of information such as name, date of birth, and social security number. Once that information is received, searches are initiated, and results are often returned within one business day.

We have a uniquely-calibrated yet easy-to-use reporting system for league administrators and managers who are tasked with overseeing the hire of up to tens of thousands of officials in one bound. Our process makes it remarkably simple for all parties involved.

2. Sporting Background Checks Are Effective

Delivering actionable insights to our clients is what makes us a valuable partner. While many thousands of coaches and officials have met the standards of hire, a considerable number have also been denied positions due to information uncovered by our researchers. This isn’t seen as a triumph but rather an indication that security measures have been established and are being productively executed. Having such measures in place creates an effective barrier around each organization, warding off potential misconduct.

3. Sporting Background Checks Are Necessary

As mentioned before, people can be prone to making big, highly-damaging mistakes. A record of one’s past can be useful in identifying patterns and determining the trustworthiness of an individual. In sporting, especially when youth are involved, this is of considerable importance. For this reason, we recommend every sporting organization, big or small, implement some sort of screening practice. This will help bring peace of mind to athletes, their families, and organizational staff.

Peopletrail Is Proud to Be a Screening Pioneer

By forging relationships with both major sporting organizations and youth leagues across every state, as well as dedicating considerable resources to improving screening practices, Peopletrail has become one of the most trusted screening partners in the sporting world. As such, our sights continue to be set on safety and improvement, working to keep sporting environments as healthy and meaningful as possible.

For more information, visit us online.

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