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At the start of the 2014-15 season the Fox Chapel Winter League Program implemented a mandatory background screening policy for all coaches for in-house, travel and tournament teams. The background check is thorough, confidential and begins with the winter 2014 season. The cost is $12.00 per applicant. If you are not able to afford this cost, please forward your receipt to our treasurer for reimbursement. The background check must be renewed semi-annually. All commissioners, referees and coaches must submit a background check application by December 1, 2014. All other members of the Board of Directors must be screened. If you have volunteered to coach in the 2014-15 season, or are on the Board of Directors, or are a referee, and you are older than 18 years of age, you can and must complete your Screening here. If you have recently completed a background check for another sports organization which is still valid please provide that information and we may be to use that in lieu of this background check.

Background Check

Purpose

It is the intent of this policy to establish certain guidelines wherein Fox Chapel Winter League (“FCWL”) can seek to protect children registered in the FCWL and teams by investigating the background of volunteers who will be coaching in sanctioned athletic programs.

I. Statement

Criminal background screening on coaches is conducted by an outside third party which specializes in such work, and overseen (in specific instances) by a screening committee, a subset of the “FCWL”) Board of Directors (“Board”). This is executed in an effort to protect the children who participate in organized baseball, softball and related activities associated with PAA.

II. Definitions

FCWL recognizes a coach is any person who leads and instructs players at practices and/or games - or portions of practices and/or games.
The criminal background screening is mandatory, there are no exceptions.

III. Procedure

All candidates for the above mentioned positions must sign a Release Form for Criminal History which gives FCWL the right to check criminal history records and verify social security numbers. This work is executed directly, through www.protectyouthsports.com
No other personal information (e.g. work history, financial, credit, etc.) is checked or researched. The company executing background checks has agreed to such terms contractually, and confirms such direction annually.
The company never forwards any individual's information to the league where no issues are discovered.
In the event information surfaces via the background check, a screening committee, with members consisting of the FCWL President will review such background check information to determine coaching eligibility. Only members of the screening committee will review data obtained, which will then be processed discreetly. All information is strictly confidential and will not be made public under any circumstances.
Reasons for being declined the opportunity to coach are noted below as part of this policy. In some instances, factors of time may be taken into account when considering coaching eligibility (i.e. length of time since disposition of certain offenses).
The decision of the screening committee may be appealed, for the purpose of clarifying facts or explaining extenuating circumstances, to the screening committee.
All criminal history record information will be promptly destroyed at the end of the current FCWL basketball season.
All coaches are required to notify the committee immediately following an arrest or conviction on any of the listed offenses. Any coach, who while coaching for FCWL is arrested for committing an offense as listed, will immediately forfeit his/her coaching eligibility until disposition by the courts. A conviction of an offense as listed will result in termination of coaching eligibility as stated in the policy.
The following is a list of offenses prohibiting an applicant from participation as a coach under FCWL-- offenses including but not limited to the following:

- Arson

- Assault (including aggravated and sexual)

- Aggravated Kidnapping

- Aggravated Robbery

- Crimes against Children (including abandonment, abuse, endangerment, pornography, possession or promotion of pornography, enticement, solicitation, sale or purchase of, injury to, or indecency)

- Criminally Negligent Homicide

- Deadly Conduct

- Delivery of Marijuana

- Manufacture of or Delivery of a controlled substance or dangerous drug

- Any violation of a law intended to control the possession or distribution of any controlled substance or illegal drug

- Indecent Exposure

- Injury to Elderly or Disabled

- Intoxication Manslaughter

- Kidnapping

- Manslaughter (voluntary or involuntary)

- Murder

- Prohibited Sexual Conduct

- Prostitution (including promotion of, aggravated promotion of)

- Public Lewdness

- Rape

- Sexual Abuse

- Marijuana Possession*

- Driving While Intoxicated/Impaired (DWI) / Driving Under the Influence (DUI)*

- Theft**

*If a first offense and not currently under probation --- eligible, but cannot drive any child other than his/her own. More than one violation has occurred or currently on probation --- ineligible.
**Eligibility dependent upon the severity and length of time since offense occurred.
When a report comes back with a serious hit, the Advisory board will discuss it and then reach out to said persons. They will be given due process if they so choose. Final decisions will rest with the Advisory board.

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A Little About FCWL.

To provide recreational and travel basketball programs in a safe, level and "stack free" playing environment to the boys, girls, men and women of the Fox Chapel Area School District and its immediate surrounding areas.