Is the guide really free?

Yes. Sign in with Google or LinkedIn and the PDF opens right away. Signing in doesn’t set up an organization, start a trial, or charge anything.

Does SafeSport apply to our league?

If your club is affiliated with a national governing body — directly or through its state or regional affiliate — the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies apply. Federal law also requires not-for-profit amateur sports organizations that take part in interstate or international competition to report suspected abuse within 24 hours, limit one-on-one interactions and train adults. A purely local league may not be covered; ask counsel, and consider adopting the policies anyway.

Who in a league should be screened?

Anyone who could be alone with, or responsible for, a player who isn’t their own child: head and assistant coaches, team parents who supervise or drive, trainers, travel chaperones, board members, and teen assistants with a parent or guardian’s authorization.

Can I share it with our board and coaches?

Please do. Print it for your next board meeting or forward the PDF. The policy checklist and family letter in the appendices are written to be copied and adapted.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is general education. Requirements vary by state, by sport, and by your governing body, league and insurer — confirm yours with them and with qualified counsel.

Free guide · 2026 edition · For league presidents, club directors & coaches

Before the First Whistle

A coach and volunteer screening playbook for youth sports

What federal law, your governing body and your state expect, what a real background check covers, and how to clear every coach before the first practice.

19 pages, written for league and club leaders
12 chapters and a preseason screening calendar
A policy checklist and a family letter you can copy
Every statistic and legal requirement cited

Who this guide is for

League presidents, club directors, board members, volunteer coordinators and the parents who say yes when a team needs a coach. Whether you run a neighborhood rec league with forty volunteer coaches or a travel club with paid staff and hotel weekends, if adults in your program coach, train or travel with other people’s children, this guide is written for you.

93%

of people who sexually assaulted a juvenile were known to the child — family or acquaintances. Only 7% were strangers.

Bureau of Justice Statistics

key components of preventing child sexual abuse in youth-serving organizations. Screening is only one of them.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

for a full, identity-verified background check on a coach or volunteer — or $0 to the league if volunteers cover their own.

VolunteerBadge pricing

From the executive summary

Six things every league leader should know

1
A coach is one of the most trusted adults in a child’s life.
Authority over playing time, private moments before and after practice, rides, and trips away from home.
2
Your governing body and your state may already set rules.
National governing bodies, national youth leagues and some states set screening and conduct requirements — know which apply to your program.
3
The FCRA governs how you screen volunteers.
Consent before the check, and specific notices before turning anyone away because of it.
4
A real check is more than a name search.
National criminal records, all-50-state sex-offender registries, watchlists, an SSN trace, and identity verification.
5
Screening is one layer, not the whole plan.
Limits on one-on-one contact, rules for texting and social media, locker-room and travel policies, and a clear reporting path do the rest.
6
Clear every coach before the first practice.
Build screening into coach selection, so nobody takes the field with players until they’ve cleared.

What's inside

01
The short version
The whole case on one page — read it before your next board meeting.
02
Why youth sports needs a real safeguard
Authority, one-on-one moments, travel and locker rooms — and the trusted-adult reality.
03
What the law requires
Federal law, state rules, and what the FCRA asks of every league that screens.
04
Your governing body and your league
What national governing bodies and national youth leagues require of coaches.
05
What a real background check covers
The five components to insist on for anyone coaching minors.
06
Who in your league should be screened
Coaches, team parents, trainers, chaperones, officials, board members and teen assistants.
07
Screening is the foundation, not the house
One-on-one contact, texting, locker rooms, travel, private training and a signed code of conduct.
08
When a check isn’t clean
A fair, private review — and the adverse-action steps the law requires.
09
When someone raises a concern
Reporting duties, and a response plan every league should adopt.
10
A preseason screening calendar
From registration to the first practice — plus honest answers to the hard questions.
11
Paying for it, and telling families
What it costs for 40, 100 or 250 coaches, and how to make it part of your promise.
12
Rec leagues, travel clubs, school programs and tournaments
What changes for your kind of program.
A
Appendix A: Youth sports safeguarding policy checklist
Draft or audit your written policy before the season.
B
Appendix B: Letter to families
How we screen our coaches — ready for registration or the parent handbook.
C
Appendix C: Free tools, further reading and sources
League workbooks, free coach training and every citation.

Get the free guide

Questions

Is the guide really free?: Yes. Sign in with Google or LinkedIn and the PDF opens right away. Signing in doesn’t set up an organization, start a trial, or charge anything.
Does SafeSport apply to our league?: If your club is affiliated with a national governing body — directly or through its state or regional affiliate — the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies apply. Federal law also requires not-for-profit amateur sports organizations that take part in interstate or international competition to report suspected abuse within 24 hours, limit one-on-one interactions and train adults. A purely local league may not be covered; ask counsel, and consider adopting the policies anyway.
Who in a league should be screened?: Anyone who could be alone with, or responsible for, a player who isn’t their own child: head and assistant coaches, team parents who supervise or drive, trainers, travel chaperones, board members, and teen assistants with a parent or guardian’s authorization.
Can I share it with our board and coaches?: Please do. Print it for your next board meeting or forward the PDF. The policy checklist and family letter in the appendices are written to be copied and adapted.
Is this legal advice?: No. It is general education. Requirements vary by state, by sport, and by your governing body, league and insurer — confirm yours with them and with qualified counsel.

Keep going

VolunteerBadge is owned and operated by ScreenForge Labs, LLC, an FCRA-regulated Consumer Reporting Agency that has obtained its FCRA Certificate from the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). This guide is general educational information and is not legal advice.