ASA Requires ACE Certification and Background Checks in 2010

[crystalblu31]

As mandated by the ASA National Board of Directors, each 2010 Junior Olympic Championship Play team (includes all qualifiers and state tournaments) must have at least one coach within the field of play/dugout ACE Certified in order to participate in Championship Play. The ACE Certification includes a background check. It is highly recommended that all coaches associated with JO Teams complete the ACE Certification program in 2010.

Also required for 2010 Championship Play, each adult on the field or in the dugout must be background checked. This includes anyone helping a team warm up on the field prior to or during the game and anyone sitting in the dugout during the game (including scorekeepers).

Please visit www.indianaasajo.com for details on how to fulfill this requirement.

[SiddFinch]

Also required for 2010 Championship Play, each adult on the field or in the dugout must be background checked. This includes anyone helping a team warm up on the field prior to or during the game and anyone sitting in the dugout during the game (including scorekeepers).

Please visit http://www.indianaasajo.com for details on how to fulfill this requirement.

Why don't you take some of the entry money or registration money and pay for this yourself. Just another measure for ASA to get another $100 per team. This is starting to get comical.

[looking in]

How in the world are you going to police this?? There are teams that have 2 people helping and teams that have 10 people helping. $50-$250 per team and we still pay $400 to $700 per tournament!! You are going to run everybody away from ASA, I see now why ASA lost so many leagues last year and my guess is alot more in '10! Next year we will have 1 berth to ASA Nationals, so why waste the money! The bigger programs have enough "juice" in the college world, looks like friendlies and round robins at college fields will become the summer program!

[SnocatzDad]

How in the world are you going to police this?? There are teams that have 2 people helping and teams that have 10 people helping. $50-$250 per team and we still pay $400 to $700 per tournament!! You are going to run everybody away from ASA, I see now why ASA lost so many leagues last year and my guess is alot more in '10! Next year we will have 1 berth to ASA Nationals, so why waste the money! The bigger programs have enough "juice" in the college world, looks like friendlies and round robins at college fields will become the summer program!

The rule is only for championship play so would not be necessary to enforce for weekend tournaments. IF you do plan on attending ASA Nationals, Someone brought up a good point, you may want several coaches ACE certified because technically if you have just one and he/she gets tossed your now not legal to play as a team.

FYI, The Ace certification includes a background check, which might be the only valuable service it provides. So coaches showing their ACE cards have all been background checked.

[bucketboy]

First of all with regards to the backround checks, I asked this question specifically at the recent ASA meeting. The key word is on the field coaches or those in the dugout not a parent that shags wiffle balls in pregame, but if that said parent keeps a scorebook and sits in the dugout they need to be backround checked. If you are going to be on the field or in the dugout you must be subjected to a backround check.

Unfortunately there were very few coaches in attendance at that meeting and I knew it would be a perception issue of just another way the ASA will get in our pockets, but I am of the opinion that in today's society of everyone wanting to sue someone over something that it is a way of protecting the kids and us as coaches. It has already weeded out some folks nationwide and will continue to do so going forward.

How many stories have we read about some fool having something in their past and praying on kids in recent years?

I am not going to risk being held liable for someone elses actions so background checks will be done for those coaches/parents that will be on the field with the kids going forward.