SportsSignup Implements Next Generation Background Check System for Coaches and Volunteers
Saratoga Springs, NY (PRWEB) January 07, 2014 -- SportsSignup, a national leader in online services for sports organizations, announced the next generation of its proprietary KidSafePlus® coach and volunteer background check program, adding automation that knows whether or not a volunteer candidate has an eligible background check as a condition of registration.
Here’s how the upgraded service works: A league administrator determines which volunteer roles will require a background check — for example coach, assistant coach, or team parent. During volunteer registration, if a registrant does not have an eligible background check, they must consent to one before registration can be completed. The entire transaction takes place on a secure website; administrators will know before assigning a coach or other team volunteer whether the individual has an eligible background check.
“We’re constantly seeking ways to improve our products and services, especially when it comes to services that will improve the safety and security of young athletes as well as those who coach and lead them,” said Anthony Bruno, CEO of SportsSignup. “Our business is built on providing services that save people time and stress, and we’re very pleased to provide this additional level of protection and convenience for our customers.”
“SportsSignup has made managing our leagues more convenient and efficient. With KidSafePlus, we have the tools that parents and volunteers need to be sure we’re doing everything we can to keep our children safe,” said Lisa Smith, Finance Manager for Town and Country Optimist Club of Austin, Texas, which for over 35 years offers a range of youth sports to a membership that exceeds 8,500 participants.
Jim Link, athletics director for Dublin Youth Athletics of Ohio, an organization that serves more than 3,000 youth athletes, said “improving an already invaluable service like KidSafePlus solidifies SportsSignup’s commitment to participant safety.”
“Every advance in our ability to accurately and efficiently screen our coaches and other volunteers provide all of us with an extra degree of optimism that we’re doing everything we can to be sure our children and other volunteers are participating in a safe environment,” Mr. Link said. “I congratulate and thank Anthony and his team at SportsSignup for the work they are doing to improve the administration and safety of youth sports.”
The new service is SportsSignup’s second major improvement to KidSafePlus since last spring. In March 2013, SportsSignup announced a strategic partnership with backgroundchecks.com, which provided access to a national criminal database containing more than 430 million records, including sex offender registries from all 50 states.
When using KidSafePlus, all applicants complete a secure online form, which includes a series of “self-admit” questions about their criminal history. If no criminal records are found, and the “self-admit” questions are satisfied, the applicant is automatically cleared to participate, saving sports administrators time and allowing them to evaluate and make decisions about applicants whose records reveal previous criminal activity. If criminal records are found, they are re-verified and authenticated by a trained researcher directly at the source before being reported, ensuring compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which governs the way background checks are conducted.
KidSafePlus also facilitates the electronic capture photographs of adult volunteers during the application process, enabling “Photo ID Badges” to be printed directly from the system using a new “Pass Printing” module. SportsSignup also provides synthetic card stock and lanyards, affixed with a microprint security feature to prevent duplication, to all of its KidSafePlus customers. Using this special card stock, up to 8 Photo ID Badges per page can be printed on a standard laser printer.
About SportsSignup
SportsSignup, owned and operated by League Sports Services LLC, provides sports organizations and event organizers with easy-to-learn and easy-to-use integrated Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions to facilitate online sports registration, coach/volunteer background checks and tournament registration. Since 2003, the company has been dedicated to operating a secure, affordable, and hassle-free online service suite that enables administrators from thousands of soccer, football, baseball, lacrosse, basketball, track and field, and many other sports organizations to easily automate many aspects of their duties. For more information about SportsSignup, please visit http://www.sportssignup.com. Follow SportsSignup on Twitter; like SportsSignup on Facebook; or watch the SportsSignup video to learn how to simplify sports management tasks.
Jodi Murphy, SportsSignup, http://www.sportssignup.com/, +1 914-489-9072, [email protected]
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