Parents Not Spooked By Coaches And Child Sex Cases

Coaches aren’t seeing parents shy away from youth sports teams despite high profile cases like Joshua Carrier and Jerry Sandusky in the headlines.

David Williams said everyone on his Pride soccer league team is back from last year.

Though it’s not publicized, Pride does state and national criminal background checks on all coaches in the league. Those background checks are refreshed every two years.

Friday was the first practice for many players and parents at Bear Creek Park. One new couple said they didn’t consider background checks before signing up for soccer this Spring. They added that being at practice during it’s entirety helped them feel more comfortable about their child’s new coach.

Another parent, who’s child has been on the team for a few years, said she’d expect paid coaches to be subject to a background check but not volunteer coaches.

“I don’t know if it’s having any affect but I know that for me as a parent I personally am going to be very involved in what my kid does,” said David Williams, a coach and parent. “My eyes are going to be on the situation.”

A leader with Colorado Springs youth sports program said they’ve been doing background checks on coaches for at least the last 15 years.