Special report - Danger on the sidelines - The Detroit News Online3/15/04

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Monday, March 15, 2004

Max Ortiz / The Detroit News

PAL coach Randy Lano and assistant Lynda Cooper go over a play during a timeout at Boystown Gym in Detroit. Each of the 900 Detroit PAL coaches is run through a system called the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN).

Monday, March 15
Police Athletic League does toughest coach checks
The Detroit Police Department believes so strongly in the most stringent background checks for coaches of its Police Athletic League that it routinely breaks the law to run them. 03/15/04

Hockey league scraps state's error-prone system
For the past two years, the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association has had one of the toughest policies for conducting background checks in the state. 03/15/04

Sunday, March 14
Coaches slip crime checks; kids at risk
Youth hockey coach Matt Tapping of Saline raped a 13-year-old boy he met in an Internet chat room. 03/14/04

Key tool leaves false sense of security
If Steven Crawford, a former girls and boys track coach at Southlake High in St. Clair Shores, applied today for a similar position, school officials would follow their usual practice for coaches who are non-teachers and run a criminal background check on him through the Michigan State Police. 03/14/04

Despite clean record, coaches may pose threat
Cheryl Drogosch went to all of her son's sports practices until he reached middle school last year. 03/14/04

Costs keep scrutiny limited
Little League baseball is proud of its leadership role in becoming the first national organization to demand criminal record checks for all coaches and team officials. 03/14/04

FBI provides most thorough check
Paul Bresson, a spokesman for the FBI in Washington, has some advice for youth sports leagues who think it's important to run criminal history checks on coaches and others who deal with kids. 03/14/04

Coaches in trouble
03/14/04

How to keep your child safe
03/14/04

About this series

Sunday, March 14: Criminal background checks of youth coaches in Michigan are flawed or not done at all, putting children at potential risk.
Monday, March 15: Youth sports organizations try to better screen coaches, but one -- the Police Athletic League -- is breaking the law to do it.

Keeping your child safe

What to look for

Does the organization conduct criminal background checks on coaches? If so, what information do the checks provide? Can parents conduct or request additional checks?

Do coaches conduct meetings for parents to explain their program, teaching philosophy, team goals and safety procedures?

Are coaches certified in first aid or CPR?

Do coaches attend sexual-abuse awareness classes?

Do coaches stress development over winning?

Do coaches urge athletes to play when injured?

Is there a defibrillator on hand at practices and games?

What to do

Go to practices.

Take your turn chaperoning away games and travel with teams.

Be alert to any unusual relationships between coaches and players. Don't play detective -- report any concerns to league officials.

Talk frequently to your child about his experiences and relationships with coaches.

Background checks

The Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry of people convicted after October 1995; free to public; on-line at www.mipsor.state.mi.us; searchable by zip code, or name and esstimated age.

The Michigan Department of Corrections' database of all active offenders -- people on probation, in prison or on escape status; free to public at www.state.mi.us/mdoc/asp/otis2.html.

I-CHAT: The Michigan State Police database of felony convictions back to 1929; open to the public for a $10 fee per search; online at mi-mall.michigan.gov/ichat. Users must register and create a password. Exact name, date of birth, sex and race are required for searches.

Rapsheets.com: Not available to general public; multistate searches for $1.50 for Little League and Pop Warner; $3-$4 for other youth leagues; no monthly fee for youth leagues; online at www.rapsheets.com.

FBI: Not available to public; requires fingerprints from subject; must be forwarded through local police agency; can cost as much as $70 per check; online at www.fbi.gov.

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