Marshalltown Football League-Background Check Policy

Policies and Procedures for Volunteer Coach Background Check

PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this policy is to preserve the safety and well-being of youth players who choose to participate in programs offered by the Marshalltown Football League (MFL) by conducting background checks on volunteers who may have unsupervised contact with players.

POLICY

The MFL requires that any individual applying to be considered as a volunteer coach (head or assistant) for any team/league under the MFL program, or any member of the MFL Board of Directors, will be required to complete the national background screening when registering to coach. Volunteers will be automatically disqualified from coaching if an applicant provides inaccurate information in their application or if the volunteer refuses to complete the screening process. Coaches will be cleared to coach after information gathered from the background check is analyzed and the applicant passes the standards detailed below.

PROCESS/PROCEDURES

1. All individuals applying to be considered as a volunteer coach will be required to register as a coach. 

All registrations must be completed prior to acting as a coach / assistant coach for any team/event. 

Failure to complete the application will automatically disqualify the volunteer from coaching.

2. Once the registration is complete, MFL will automatically perform the background check for the 

individual that registered.

a. The required background screening entails the following:

1. Social Security Verification — This verifies the applicant's name and date of birth 

against the social security number provided. This is utilized to help eliminate the 

possibility of false names and/or information. The full social security numbers are 

directly sent to the background screening vendor and are not visible to anyone within 

the MFL.

2. Address Trace

3. National and Local Criminal Record Search

4. Sex Offender Registry Screening

3. Results are typically provided within 1—5 days. The background screening vendor will provide a 

report back to the MFL to review and notify them if an applicant passed or a report “Needs 

Review.”

4. If the background screening/check reveals a conviction that is detailed under 

”Disqualifications/Exclusions” below, the report will be discussed by the MFL Board of Directors. That individual will then receive a written or verbal notice from the MFL Board of Directors that he or she is not eligible to begin or continue in their role as a volunteer coach. Determination of eligibility will be made by the MFL Board of Directors. In the case of a verbal notice, two or more members of the MFL Board of Directors should be present in the discussion.

DISQUALIFICATIONS/EXCLUSIONS

A volunteer coach applicant will be disqualified as a youth sports coach if the individual has status as a registered sex offender or has been found guilty of the following crimes: (Guilty means that a person was found guilty following a trial, entered a guilty plea, entered a no contest plea accompanied by a court finding of guilty, regardless of whether there was an adjudication of guilt (conviction) or a withholding of guilt.)

1. Sex Offenses

a. 

All sex offenses regardless of the amount of time since offense.

I. 

Examples include, but not limited to : child molestation, rape, sexual assault, sexual

battery, sodomy, prostitution, child enticement, solicitation, indecent exposure, etc.

2. Felonies

a. 

All felony involving violence, regardless of the amount of time since offense.

I. 

Examples include, but not limited to: homicide, manslaughter, aggravated assault,

kidnapping, robbery, aggravated burglary, etc.

b.  All felony offenses other than violence or sex within the past 10 years.

I.

Examples include, but not limited to: Drug offenses, theft, embezzlement, fraud,

child endangerment, etc.

3. Misdemeanors

a. All misdemeanor violence offenses within the past 7 years.

I. 

Examples include, but not limited to, simple assault, battery, domestic violence, hit

& run, etc.

b.  Two or more misdemeanor drug and/or alcohol offenses within the past 7 years.

I. 

Examples include, but are not limited to, driving under the influence, simple drug

possession, drunk and disorderly, public intoxication, possession of drug

paraphernalia, etc.

c. 

Any other misdemeanor within the past 5 years that would be considered a potential

danger to children or is directly related to the functions of the volunteer.

I. 

Examples include, but not limited to, contributing to the delinquency of a minor,

providing alcohol to a minor, etc.

Pending Cases

Anyone who has been charged for any of the disqualifying offenses or for cases pending in court should not be permitted to volunteer until the official adjudication of the case. In the case that an already approved coach is charged for any of the disqualifying offenses while actively coaching, they will be required to immediately disclose the nature of the charges to the MFL and voluntarily terminate their coaching duties until the official adjudication of the case.

APPEALING DECISIONS

1. If the volunteer coach applicant should choose to appeal the contents of the report, the individual is responsible for taking appropriate action with the vendor conducting background checks to have the results of the criminal background check report corrected if they believe anything was reported in error. 

The applicant is responsible for providing any and all documentation to support his/her claim.

2. If an applicant’s background check includes a charge set forth on the list of disqualifiers above, the MFL shall immediately disqualify the applicant from volunteering as a coach. There shall be no appeal of a decision to disqualify the applicant if the history reported is accurate; all decisions are final.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION

All forms and information submitted and/or received as a part of the background screening/check process will only be used as part of the review process and kept confidential. However, criminal histories are a matter of public record. If an individual is disqualified and/or excluded from volunteer coaching the MFL cannot guarantee that this type of information, once discovered, will be kept confidential.