Below is a program that I feel should be reviewed for implementation:



I would hope that FIDE would encourage the adoption of this risk
management plan by all it's affiliates involved in scholastic or
junior chess.
Rob












RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

CUSTOMIZATION


It is strongly recommended that each sports organization should
customize its own program to meet its own unique needs. The board
of directors should involve both coaches and parents in the planning
process, as they will be more likely to promote the program if their
input was received.

WARNING


An attorney in your state should be consulted prior to implementing
this program. The laws pertaining to child abuse/sexual molestation
vary from state to state and are undergoing constant change. In
addition, this program was designed for an all-volunteer sports
organization. If employees are involved, additional considerations
must be addressed. This program must be customized by your attorney.

DISCLAIMER



EVEN IF THIS PROGRAM IS FULLY ADOPTED and fully IMPLEMENTED, YOUR
SPORTS ORGANIZATION CAN STILL BE SUBJECT TO LIABILITY.

Background


Child abuse/molestation in the world of youth sports has received
much media attention over the past ten (10) years. A recent Sports
Illustrated article and frequent problems within the churches and
schools have heightened this awareness.


The June 9, 2003 feature article in Forbes Magazine states "the next
litigation goldrush: child sexual abuse. Never mind the church -
the Boy Scouts, day care firms, and Hollywood may be next." This
article outlines disturbing litigation trends where non profit
organizations like sports organizations and their directors and
officers can be targeted as "deep pockets".


Medical professionals state that the effects of child abuse can
surface decades later and often result in suicide, violence,
delinquency, drug and/or alcohol abuse, and other forms of
criminality that are child abuse related.


There have been a number of multi-million dollar verdicts against
coaches and associations for sexual abuse over the past several
years and at least one child has been killed.

PURPOSE


The purpose of this program is to reduce the liability risk and
related negative publicity, expense, and trauma to the local sports
organization and of course the children they serve. The likelihood
of such can be reduced by making the environment unsuitable for the
sexual predator and/or abuser.


This program will key in on the bare essentials of education,
volunteer screening, policies, and program administration. The
intent of this program is not to be all encompassing, but instead,
to provide the framework of a basic workable program that is more
likely to be implemented by a group of volunteers with limited
resources and time. The simple framework of this program will not
address all contingencies that are likely to be encountered.
Therefore, the materials in the conclusion section should be
available and consulted frequently.

DEFINITIONS


Child Abuse: Verbal abuse (ridicule or put-downs), physical abuse
(any hurting touching or excessive exercise used as punishment),
emotional abuse (threats to perform unreasonable tasks), and sexual
abuse.


Sexual Abuse: Refers to a wide spectrum of interactions including
rape, physical assault, sexual battery, unwanted physical sexual
contact, unwelcome sexually explicit or offensive verbal
communication, coercive or expletive sexual contact, verbal sexual
harassment, and/or sexualized attention or contact with a minor.


Conduct Official: Single person within the league who is appointed
by the board to administer the Simplified Child Abuse/Molestation
Risk Management Program. The Conduct Official is responsible for
education, reviewing Volunteer Applications, checking references,
conducting criminal background checks, handling appeals from
disqualified candidates, conducting investigations on allegations of
abuse, acting as liaison to local law enforcement, etc.


Volunteer: Citizens who perform the various functions entailed in
the running of a league without pay including league officers and
directors, committee personnel, coaches, managers, umpires,
scorekeepers, concession workers, etc.


Sexual Offender Registry Check (SOR):

SOR checks are currently available on the internet for free in 43
states. Each state determines its own definition of what
constitutes a sex offender. As a result, some states only list high
risk (level 3) sex offenders. SOR's rely on a third party to input
the information and current media accounts indicate that SOR's in
many states are more than 50% incomplete. SOR information only goes
back to the mid 1990's in most states. SOR's will never indicate
other serious criminal history such as murder, armed robbery, etc.
For the reasons listed above, a sports organization should not rely
on a SOR check. Instead, only a criminal background check (CBC)
should be used.


Criminal Background Check (CBC):

CBC's will provide all misdemeanor and felony information (not just
sex offenses) that a sports organization many want to take into
account in the disqualification process. CBC's show offenses that
go back a minimum of 7 years, but much longer in most cases. Also,
CBC's do not rely on third parties to enter information into the
database as this happens automatically as part of the judicial
process. It is recommended that sports organizations use CBC's in
the volunteer screening process instead of relying on the vastly
inferior Sexual Offender Registry checks.

POLICIES ON CHILD ABUSE/MOLESTATION


Limit One On One Contact: It is this organization's policy that no
activities shall take place involving one on one contact between a
single, non-related league volunteer and a child, if such activities
can be practically avoided. Instead, a "buddy system" is encouraged
where two (2) adults should always be present during practices,
games, carpooling, and special events.


Prohibition of Sleepovers: All sports organization sanctioned team
or league sleepover activities are prohibited whether overnight
parties or traveling to away games. Exception: Teams traveling to
far away tournaments can have sleepovers if each child is either
accompanied by his/her parent or is being supervised by two (2)
adults who are in each other's presence at all times.


Touch Policy: Touch is acceptable only if it is "respectful and
appropriate". Some experts have adopted a no touch policy, but most
experts believe that "no touch" is an over-reaction and is
ultimately damaging in itself and not practical.


Verbal Conduct Policy: Inappropriate comments of a sexual nature
and suggestive jokes are prohibited.


Take Home/Pick-Up: Take home/pick-up of athletes by league
personnel is strongly discouraged because of the difficulty in
limiting one on one contact between adult and child (remember the
Buddy System). Parent(s) should provide transportation for their
own children to and from scheduled events. The league will clearly
outline the expected start and end time for all events and
communicate this with all parent(s). Parent(s) should be instructed
to make back-up plans in the event they can't provide
transportation. If parent(s) can't provide transportation they must
communicate to the sports organization the name of the person(s) who
are authorized to pick up the child. Such policy will help to
protect against potential abductions or being thrust into the middle
of any custody dispute.


Child Abuse Prohibition: All forms of sexual, physical, verbal and
emotional abuse are prohibited.


Name Distribution: The distribution of directories/rosters with
names, phone numbers, addresses, and pictures should be limited to
persons on a "need to know" basis.

Examples of Abuse/molestation


Emotional Abuse: Yelling or making the following statements:


You're stupid;
You're an idiot;
You're an embarrassment;
You're not worth the uniform you play in; etc.


Physical Abuse: Besides the obvious examples of a coach hitting,
kicking, throwing equipment, or shaking a player, watch out for the
following:


Behaviors seem violent versus disciplinary;
Training practices become abusive
Fighting is encouraged or ignored;
Illegal moves, often associated with injuries are encouraged;
Coaches teach improper techniques or encourage conduct which
violates safety rules;
Coaches allow athlete(s) to become physically or verbally abusive;
Behaviors result in injures to athlete(s); etc.


Sexual Abuse: An adult may not improperly sexualize touch by
fondling instead of hugging (with permission), kissing, or seductive
stroking of various body parts. On the other hand appropriate
touching can be used when a young child needs comfort, reassurance,
and support. Appropriate touch is respectful of a person's personal
boundaries and comfort level, public (done in font of others and not
secretly), and nurturing (not sexualized).


Misuse of power and authority;
Misuse of love and affection;
Manipulation or tricks:
This is love;
This is what you need to be a part of the team;
This is what we do for initiation
Grooming: desensitization that begins with appropriate touch, then
the touch change. Examples:
You liked the touch before;
What's wrong? Don't you trust me?; or
courting (gifts, time, attention);
romancing (talking of love or attraction);
line (you're special, I don't usually do this sort of thing, you're
so mature, you're so attractive); or
secrets (this is our special secret, others wouldn't understand, you
or I would get in trouble)
WARNING SIGNS OF ABUSE/MOLESTATION


With some forms of abuse, there maybe physical indicators (examples:
with physical abuse, bruises, welts, broken bones) or with sexual
abuse venereal diseases, genital swelling/soreness, difficulty
sitting or walking, pain or itching when urinating or defecating,
stomach aches, pain/itching in genital area, and frequently
unexplained sore throats. But most often the effects of sexual
abuse are less obvious. For example, sudden shifts in behavior or
attitudes when outgoing child suddenly builds a protected, closed
wall or a generally happy child becomes aggressive and angry or a
trusting child becomes fearful may be an indication of abuse. In
sports, this can show up as losing interest or wanting to drop out
of sports or a sudden decline in ability or functions.


Please note that no indicators or symptoms are absolute. Many of
these could be indicators of problems other than child abuse.
However, if some of these things are going on, consider them to be a
red flag. One difficulty is that some signs are ambiguous.
Children may respond in different ways and some may show no sign at
all. Some indicators include:


Disclosure by child. Most children won't just come out and say they
have been abused, but instead, may hint at it.
Observations, complaints, concerns, or allegations about league
volunteers.
Attitudes/behaviors expressed on the part of an adult that may be
associated with inappropriate or abusive behavior (racist, poor
sense of athlete development, raging temper, extremely controlling,
jealous, hypersensitive, poor sexual boundaries, bullying,
intimidating manner, unrealistic or inappropriate training practices
and risks, etc.)
Unexplained/unlikely explanation of injuries.
Extreme fear of a league volunteer;
Extreme low self-esteem, self worth;
A child's attachment to a coach/staff to the point of isolation from
others;
A coach/staff with an interest beyond caring concerns, special
interest in a child (time, gifts, attention, obsession, unrealistic
expectations)
A child's desire to drop out without a clear explanation, or
without one that makes sense;
A child that misses a lot of practices or games with suspicious
explanations or excuses.


Despite increased sensitivity to abuse, there is still a tendency to
blame the victims instead of holding the person(s) accountable who:


lost their temper;
got a little out of control;
were just having a dispute;
misinterpreted the touch;
is really a wonderful person; etc.


Listen to what the athlete is saying.

ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE/MOLESTATION AND OTHER POLICY VIOLATIONS


Point of Contact: The Conduct Official is the appropriate person to
whom all reports of child abuse/molestation should be reported. In
the event that the Conduct Official is the alleged abuser/molester,
the report should be made to the President of the sports
organization.


Assessing the Seriousness of the Situation: It is useful to
differentiate between:


Concern: When the person just needs to be heard and have some
information clarified.


Complaint: When the person needs you to listen and may or may not
want action taken if they feel you listened.


Allegation: Clarify if the allegation is:


appropriate, but unappreciated act;
inappropriate act, but not illegal act;
illegal act that needs to be reported to law enforcement.


Disclosu When the person tells you that abuse occurred or based
on their actions gives you reason to believe abuse has occurred.


The Conduct Official must take the appropriate action depending on
where the situation falls in the above mentioned categories.



Information Gathering:


Upon receipt of a disclosure of child/sexual abuse or of a policy
violation the Conduct Official should gather all pertinent facts in
a fair, respectful, and confidential manner and review with both the
accuser and accused. All such disclosures must be brought to the
attention of the Board of Directors.


The Conduct Official must immediately report to the authorities when
there is reasonable cause to believe that physical abuse or sexual
abuse has occurred. At this point, the Conduct Official should
never investigate, as this is the role of the law enforcement
authorities. Furthermore, allowing the law enforcement authorities
to investigate helps to shield the Sports Organization against
potential lawsuits for defamation of character.


Suspension/Termination: The findings of the Conduct Official should
be reported to the Board of Directors and all proceedings should be
confidential. If the alleged abuser or policy violator admits to
the conduct, the Board can employ the most appropriate punishment.
If the alleged abuser or policy violator denies the conduct, the
Board can conduct further investigations (except when reasonable
cause of physical or sexual abuse exists that should be reported to
the authorities) deemed necessary prior to rendering any appropriate
punishment or exoneration.


Remember, the alleged violations range from inappropriate, but not
illegal behavior to clear cut child/sexual abuse and the punishment
must be tailored to the violation.


Suspension: Less egregious conduct on the part of the volunteer
will result in a written reprimand. If more than two (2) written
reprimands are received in a three (3) year time period, this will
result in termination of the volunteer. Slightly more egregious
conduct will result in both a written reprimand and suspension.
Upon the second suspension in a three (3) year time period, the
volunteer will be terminated.


Termination: All volunteers are subject to immediate termination
based on the disqualification criteria outlined below.


Duty to Disclose/Immunity/Confidentiality:

All volunteers may be required by state law to report suspected
cases of child/sexual abuse. Any person(s) who makes or
participates in the making of a good-faith report of abuse/neglect,
participates in the investigation, or in judicial proceedings shall
in so doing be provided with complete and absolute immunity from
civil liability.


The identity of the Volunteer reporting a case of suspected
child/sexual abuse should not be revealed. All records and reports
concerning investigations and their outcome are protected by various
confidentiality laws. Unauthorized disclosure of such records is a
possible criminal offense which could subject the violator to fines
an/or imprisonment.

vOLUNTEER SCREENING


Volunteer Application and Consent/Release Form: The attached
application entitled "Volunteer Application" must be completed,
signed, submitted, and processed on an annual basis before a
volunteer will be allowed to work with athletes.


All volunteers who have regular access to or repeated contact with
athletes must complete the "Volunteer Application." This would
normally include all head coaches, assistant coaches, managers,
league administrators, umpires, scorekeepers, concession workers,
field maintenance workers, etc. Refusal to comply will result in
immediate dismissal from the sports organization even if the
volunteer has been allowed to participate in the past.


The Conduct Official will review all such applications, will conduct
a Criminal Background Check, may conduct a follow-up interview to
clarify questions, and will decide whether or not the candidate is
disqualified based on this information.


Disqualification Criteria: The sports organization must adopt its
disqualification criteria in writing below before the Criminal
Background Checks are run.


(INSERT YOUR CRITERIA)


Sample Disqualification Criteria


Individual volunteers found to be guilty of the following crimes
will be disqualified as a volunteer as outlined below. Guilty means
the applicant was found guilty following a trial, entered a guilty
plea, entered a no contest plea accompanied by the court's finding
of guilty, regardless of whether there was an adjudication of guilt
(conviction) or a withholding of guilt. This policy does not apply
if criminal charges resulted in acquittal, dismissal or in an entry
of "nolle prosequi":


Ever Found To Be Guilty Of:
All sex offenses including child molestation, rape, sexual assault,
sexual battery, sodomy, prostitution, solicitation, indecent
exposure, etc.
All felony violence including murder, manslaughter, aggravated
assault, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated burglary, etc.


Found To Be Guilty Within The Past 10 Years Of:
All felony offenses other than violence or sex including drug
offenses, theft, embezzlement, fraud, child endangerment, etc.


Found To Be Guilty Within The Past 7 Years Of:
All misdemeanor violence offences including simple assault, battery,
domestic violence, hit & run, etc.


Found To Be Guilty Within The Past 5 Years Or Multiple Offenses In
The Past 10 Years Of:
Misdemeanor drug and alcohol offenses including driving under the
influence, simple drug possession, drunk and disorderly, public
intoxication, possession of drug paraphernalia, etc.


Any other misdemeanor within the past 5 years that would be
considered a potential danger to children or is directly related to
the functions of the volunteer including contributing to the
delinquency of a minor, providing alcohol to a minor, theft - if
volunteer is handling monies, etc.


Should any pending charges described in 1-3 above be uncovered, or
should any of the above charges be brought against an applicant
during the season, the applicant shall be suspended from serving
until such time as the charges have been cleared or dropped and the
Conduct Official has approved reinstatement.


Note: You may want to contact your local school district and copy
their disqualification criteria for teachers. Their criteria may
have been reviewed by legal counsel and tested in the court system.











































Criminal Background Check: After receiving the "Volunteer
Application", the Conduct Official will conduct a Criminal
Background Check with the selected vendor (ex: Intellicorp or SSCI)
and will search records in all current and past counties of
residence of the volunteer. This procedure is confidential and only
the Conduct Official will have access the these records. The
Conduct Official will decide whether or not the candidate is
disqualified based on the findings and the predetermined
disqualification guidelines that have been set in writing by the
sports organization.


Appeals: Candidate(s) disqualified due to an unsatisfactory
Referral or Criminal Background Check and/or other reason(s) will be
given the right to appeal upon written notification to the Conduct
Official.

The Board will appoint three (3) board members to hear the appeal
and they will decide whether or not to uphold or overturn the
decision of the Conduct Official. As a compromise, the appeal
committee may decide to reassign a candidate to a more appropriate
position or to place the candidate under a probationary period. The
results of all criminal background checks and appeals will be kept
confidential.


Acknowledgment Of Training: All volunteers who have been accepted
must read the Simplified Child Abuse/Molestation Risk Management
Program (Safe At First) and must agree to abide by the rules.


CONCLUSION:


Due to the simplified nature of this program; it does not address
all contingencies and as a result the sports organization,
Directors, Officers and Conduct Official may incur legal liability
for failure to perform certain acts related to a case involving
child/sexual abuse. For this reason, it is strongly recommended
that legal counsel be retained in the event that a case is
suspected.


This program was designed for sports organizations consisting
entirely of volunteer workers. Use of the Forms and decisions about
suspension/termination may not be appropriate for employees since
they have greater rights under the State, Federal, and
Constitutional Law. Please consult with legal counsel about
modifications to this program in the event your league uses
employees.



Sadler & Company will not answer questions concerning the
implementation of this program as this is beyond our scope of
expertise.


The following references were used almost exclusively in the design
of this program and it is strongly recommended that a copy be kept
on hand and that they are referred to whenever a question arises:


Athlete Abuse and Youth Sports, A Comprehensive Risk Management
Program; National Alliance for Youth Sports; Copyright 1996; 1-800-
729-2057.


Sexual Abuse Risk Management Manual For Youth Sports/Activities
Organizations; Gil B. Fried, M. A., J. D., Gil Fried & Associates
LLC (www.gilfried.com) (203)789-8694, Copyright 1996, Dr. Fried is a
national expert in the field of sports related legal issues and
provides legal services for a number of prominent sports
organization.


Southeastern Security Consultants, Inc. (SSCI), Byron Palmer, 2627
Sandy Plains Road, Suite 203, Marietta, GA 30066, phone 866-996-
7412. SSCI provides consultation and runs criminal background
checks on behalf of sports organizations. Their cost per criminal
background check ranges from $13.50 to $20.


Intellicorp, Cheryl Bowen, 6001 Cochran Road, Suite 200, Solon, OH
44139, phone 440-505-0238, www.intellicorp.com. Intellicorp
provides criminal background checks on a "do it yourself" basis off
of its website for a cost of as low as $1.75 per background check in
many states. In other states, the charge is $8.00 for every county
where the volunteer applicant has resided. Additional courthouse
fees may apply in some cases.




VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

To Be Completed By All Volunteers Including Coaches, Managers,
Administrators, Umpires, Etc. Of The Sports Organization Who Have
Regular Access To Or Repeated Contact With Athletes


A copy of a valid government issued photo ID must be attached to
complete this application.


Name of Sports Organization: (Prefill)


City and State of Sports Organization: (Prefill)




Personal Information


Date of Completion of This Form: ______/_______/______


Your Full Legal Name:
__________________________________________________ _______________


Date of Birth: ______/______/______


Other Names (maiden, alias, etc.):
__________________________________________________ ___________


Male or Female: _________________________ Social Security
Number: _________-_________-__________


Driver's License Number: ____________________ Driver's License
State: ________ Expires: _____/_____/______


Home Phone Number: (____)_____-_______ Work Phone Number: (____)
______-_______ Cell: (____)_____-_______





Home Address: List all for the past 7 years




Present (include dates):


__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________




Previous (include dates):


__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________




Previous (include dates):


__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________




Previous (include dates):


__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________

(attach a separate sheet if additional space is needed)




Qualifications:


What position are you applying for?:
__________________________________________________ __________________


Have you ever been convicted of a crime? (if yes, explain)
__________________________________________________ _

__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________________


Have you ever been refused participation in any other youth sports
program? (if yes, explain)_______________________

__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________________


Do you have children in the program? ______________________


Why do you want to be a volunteer?
__________________________________________________ ___________________



Why are you qualified to coach, manage, umpire, etc.:
_________________________________________________





See Back Page

Acknowledgement Of Training


I acknowledge that on ______________ (date) I was given a copy of
the sports organization's Simplified Child Abuse/Molestation Risk
Management Program and that I have carefully reviewed it and
voluntarily agree that as a condition of future participation,
employment, or involvement in this organization, I will abide by all
the terms, conditions, policies, and procedures contained within
this program.


If I violate the policies, regulations, or spirit of this program, I
will indemnify and hold harmless the sports organization, its
employees, board members, volunteers, and officials from any and all
liability including negligence and any intentional tort claims.


Signature_________________________________________ __________Date:
________/_______/_________





Consent/Release


I authorize and give consent for the sports organization referenced
above to obtain my personal information.


This includes, but is not limited to employment records/employer's
references; criminal background records/information; criminal
background checks/fingerprints; driving record check, financial
bankruptcy information, coaching experience, personal references,
and addresses.


I authorize this information to be obtained either in writing, via
internet, or via telephone in connection with my volunteer
application.


I understand that my position is contingent upon adverse information
about my background or character not being uncovered upon the
performance of the above referenced checks. I also understand that
regardless of my prior volunteer activities on behalf of the sports
organization, that the sports organization is not required to allow
my continued participation.

I agree to hold harmless and indemnify from liability the sports
organization and its directors, officers, employees, and volunteers
from all liability arising out of the use of the information that is
uncovered in the above referenced checks.


Signatu _______________________________________________ Date:
________/_______/_________





For Sports Organization Use Only


Background checks completed by Conduct Official ________________
(name) on ____/______/______(date)


Sources Checked:




Clean




Not Clean (keep this form and the record check on file for 15
years if not clean)


Only attach to this copy the records of background checks that are
not clean.

A simpler solution: Dissolve the profit-driven scholastic chess
movement, returning chess to a game played for fun in youth and
adulthood. Eliminate the mega-tournaments with the mega-trophies.

Pretty soon everyone walking in to a tournament or wanting to coach a
team will have to **** in a bottle , be fingerprinted, and submit to
temporary chemical castration.

Ridiculous? Yes. But no less so than a program that would be incredibly
expensive to design and could only benefit those who already profiteer
from the angst of Americans and the soccer moms.

Parents are the guardians of their children, not the rest of the world.

wrote:
A simpler solution: Dissolve the profit-driven scholastic chess
movement, returning chess to a game played for fun in youth and
adulthood. Eliminate the mega-tournaments with the mega-trophies.

Pretty soon everyone walking in to a tournament or wanting to coach a
team will have to **** in a bottle , be fingerprinted, and submit to
temporary chemical castration.

Ridiculous? Yes. But no less so than a program that would be incredibly
expensive to design and could only benefit those who already profiteer
from the angst of Americans and the soccer moms.

Parents are the guardians of their children, not the rest of the world.

You may be on to something.

wrote in message
ups.com...

A simpler solution: Dissolve the profit-driven scholastic chess
movement, returning chess to a game played for fun in youth and
adulthood. Eliminate the mega-tournaments with the mega-trophies.

Pretty soon everyone walking in to a tournament or wanting to coach a
team will have to **** in a bottle , be fingerprinted, and submit to
temporary chemical castration.

Ridiculous? Yes. But no less so than a program that would be incredibly
expensive to design and could only benefit those who already profiteer
from the angst of Americans and the soccer moms.

Parents are the guardians of their children, not the rest of the world.


What an amazing example of ignorance of scholastic chess!

So are you bitter because the kids are beating you or because
you just can't stand to watch normal people participate in
something hitherto reserved for the socially challenged?

Why not just hold scholastic tournaments online?

Though I gather eLEEtEdooD14 would wind up the champion if that happened.

"Rob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Below is a program that I feel should be reviewed for implementation:



I would hope that FIDE would encourage the adoption of this risk
management plan by all it's affiliates involved in scholastic or
junior chess.
Rob












RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

CUSTOMIZATION


It is strongly recommended that each sports organization should
customize its own program to meet its own unique needs. The board
of directors should involve both coaches and parents in the planning
process, as they will be more likely to promote the program if their
input was received.

WARNING


An attorney in your state should be consulted prior to implementing
this program. The laws pertaining to child abuse/sexual molestation
vary from state to state and are undergoing constant change. In
addition, this program was designed for an all-volunteer sports
organization. If employees are involved, additional considerations
must be addressed. This program must be customized by your attorney.

DISCLAIMER



EVEN IF THIS PROGRAM IS FULLY ADOPTED and fully IMPLEMENTED, YOUR
SPORTS ORGANIZATION CAN STILL BE SUBJECT TO LIABILITY.

Background


Child abuse/molestation in the world of youth sports has received
much media attention over the past ten (10) years. A recent Sports
Illustrated article and frequent problems within the churches and
schools have heightened this awareness.


The June 9, 2003 feature article in Forbes Magazine states "the next
litigation goldrush: child sexual abuse. Never mind the church -
the Boy Scouts, day care firms, and Hollywood may be next." This
article outlines disturbing litigation trends where non profit
organizations like sports organizations and their directors and
officers can be targeted as "deep pockets".


Medical professionals state that the effects of child abuse can
surface decades later and often result in suicide, violence,
delinquency, drug and/or alcohol abuse, and other forms of
criminality that are child abuse related.


There have been a number of multi-million dollar verdicts against
coaches and associations for sexual abuse over the past several
years and at least one child has been killed.

PURPOSE


The purpose of this program is to reduce the liability risk and
related negative publicity, expense, and trauma to the local sports
organization and of course the children they serve. The likelihood
of such can be reduced by making the environment unsuitable for the
sexual predator and/or abuser.


This program will key in on the bare essentials of education,
volunteer screening, policies, and program administration. The
intent of this program is not to be all encompassing, but instead,
to provide the framework of a basic workable program that is more
likely to be implemented by a group of volunteers with limited
resources and time. The simple framework of this program will not
address all contingencies that are likely to be encountered.
Therefore, the materials in the conclusion section should be
available and consulted frequently.

DEFINITIONS


Child Abuse: Verbal abuse (ridicule or put-downs), physical abuse
(any hurting touching or excessive exercise used as punishment),
emotional abuse (threats to perform unreasonable tasks), and sexual
abuse.


Sexual Abuse: Refers to a wide spectrum of interactions including
rape, physical assault, sexual battery, unwanted physical sexual
contact, unwelcome sexually explicit or offensive verbal
communication, coercive or expletive sexual contact, verbal sexual
harassment, and/or sexualized attention or contact with a minor.


Conduct Official: Single person within the league who is appointed
by the board to administer the Simplified Child Abuse/Molestation
Risk Management Program. The Conduct Official is responsible for
education, reviewing Volunteer Applications, checking references,
conducting criminal background checks, handling appeals from
disqualified candidates, conducting investigations on allegations of
abuse, acting as liaison to local law enforcement, etc.


Volunteer: Citizens who perform the various functions entailed in
the running of a league without pay including league officers and
directors, committee personnel, coaches, managers, umpires,
scorekeepers, concession workers, etc.


Sexual Offender Registry Check (SOR):

SOR checks are currently available on the internet for free in 43
states. Each state determines its own definition of what
constitutes a sex offender. As a result, some states only list high
risk (level 3) sex offenders. SOR's rely on a third party to input
the information and current media accounts indicate that SOR's in
many states are more than 50% incomplete. SOR information only goes
back to the mid 1990's in most states. SOR's will never indicate
other serious criminal history such as murder, armed robbery, etc.
For the reasons listed above, a sports organization should not rely
on a SOR check. Instead, only a criminal background check (CBC)
should be used.


Criminal Background Check (CBC):

CBC's will provide all misdemeanor and felony information (not just
sex offenses) that a sports organization many want to take into
account in the disqualification process. CBC's show offenses that
go back a minimum of 7 years, but much longer in most cases. Also,
CBC's do not rely on third parties to enter information into the
database as this happens automatically as part of the judicial
process. It is recommended that sports organizations use CBC's in
the volunteer screening process instead of relying on the vastly
inferior Sexual Offender Registry checks.

POLICIES ON CHILD ABUSE/MOLESTATION


Limit One On One Contact: It is this organization's policy that no
activities shall take place involving one on one contact between a
single, non-related league volunteer and a child, if such activities
can be practically avoided. Instead, a "buddy system" is encouraged
where two (2) adults should always be present during practices,
games, carpooling, and special events.


Prohibition of Sleepovers: All sports organization sanctioned team
or league sleepover activities are prohibited whether overnight
parties or traveling to away games. Exception: Teams traveling to
far away tournaments can have sleepovers if each child is either
accompanied by his/her parent or is being supervised by two (2)
adults who are in each other's presence at all times.


Touch Policy: Touch is acceptable only if it is "respectful and
appropriate". Some experts have adopted a no touch policy, but most
experts believe that "no touch" is an over-reaction and is
ultimately damaging in itself and not practical.


Verbal Conduct Policy: Inappropriate comments of a sexual nature
and suggestive jokes are prohibited.


Take Home/Pick-Up: Take home/pick-up of athletes by league
personnel is strongly discouraged because of the difficulty in
limiting one on one contact between adult and child (remember the
Buddy System). Parent(s) should provide transportation for their
own children to and from scheduled events. The league will clearly
outline the expected start and end time for all events and
communicate this with all parent(s). Parent(s) should be instructed
to make back-up plans in the event they can't provide
transportation. If parent(s) can't provide transportation they must
communicate to the sports organization the name of the person(s) who
are authorized to pick up the child. Such policy will help to
protect against potential abductions or being thrust into the middle
of any custody dispute.


Child Abuse Prohibition: All forms of sexual, physical, verbal and
emotional abuse are prohibited.


Name Distribution: The distribution of directories/rosters with
names, phone numbers, addresses, and pictures should be limited to
persons on a "need to know" basis.

Examples of Abuse/molestation


Emotional Abuse: Yelling or making the following statements:


You're stupid;
You're an idiot;
You're an embarrassment;
You're not worth the uniform you play in; etc.


Physical Abuse: Besides the obvious examples of a coach hitting,
kicking, throwing equipment, or shaking a player, watch out for the
following:


Behaviors seem violent versus disciplinary;
Training practices become abusive
Fighting is encouraged or ignored;
Illegal moves, often associated with injuries are encouraged;
Coaches teach improper techniques or encourage conduct which
violates safety rules;
Coaches allow athlete(s) to become physically or verbally abusive;
Behaviors result in injures to athlete(s); etc.


Sexual Abuse: An adult may not improperly sexualize touch by
fondling instead of hugging (with permission), kissing, or seductive
stroking of various body parts. On the other hand appropriate
touching can be used when a young child needs comfort, reassurance,
and support. Appropriate touch is respectful of a person's personal
boundaries and comfort level, public (done in font of others and not
secretly), and nurturing (not sexualized).


Misuse of power and authority;
Misuse of love and affection;
Manipulation or tricks:
This is love;
This is what you need to be a part of the team;
This is what we do for initiation
Grooming: desensitization that begins with appropriate touch, then
the touch change. Examples:
You liked the touch before;
What's wrong? Don't you trust me?; or
courting (gifts, time, attention);
romancing (talking of love or attraction);
line (you're special, I don't usually do this sort of thing, you're
so mature, you're so attractive); or
secrets (this is our special secret, others wouldn't understand, you
or I would get in trouble)
WARNING SIGNS OF ABUSE/MOLESTATION


With some forms of abuse, there maybe physical indicators (examples:
with physical abuse, bruises, welts, broken bones) or with sexual
abuse venereal diseases, genital swelling/soreness, difficulty
sitting or walking, pain or itching when urinating or defecating,
stomach aches, pain/itching in genital area, and frequently
unexplained sore throats. But most often the effects of sexual
abuse are less obvious. For example, sudden shifts in behavior or
attitudes when outgoing child suddenly builds a protected, closed
wall or a generally happy child becomes aggressive and angry or a
trusting child becomes fearful may be an indication of abuse. In
sports, this can show up as losing interest or wanting to drop out
of sports or a sudden decline in ability or functions.


Please note that no indicators or symptoms are absolute. Many of
these could be indicators of problems other than child abuse.
However, if some of these things are going on, consider them to be a
red flag. One difficulty is that some signs are ambiguous.
Children may respond in different ways and some may show no sign at
all. Some indicators include:


Disclosure by child. Most children won't just come out and say they
have been abused, but instead, may hint at it.
Observations, complaints, concerns, or allegations about league
volunteers.
Attitudes/behaviors expressed on the part of an adult that may be
associated with inappropriate or abusive behavior (racist, poor
sense of athlete development, raging temper, extremely controlling,
jealous, hypersensitive, poor sexual boundaries, bullying,
intimidating manner, unrealistic or inappropriate training practices
and risks, etc.)
Unexplained/unlikely explanation of injuries.
Extreme fear of a league volunteer;
Extreme low self-esteem, self worth;
A child's attachment to a coach/staff to the point of isolation from
others;
A coach/staff with an interest beyond caring concerns, special
interest in a child (time, gifts, attention, obsession, unrealistic
expectations)
A child's desire to drop out without a clear explanation, or
without one that makes sense;
A child that misses a lot of practices or games with suspicious
explanations or excuses.


Despite increased sensitivity to abuse, there is still a tendency to
blame the victims instead of holding the person(s) accountable who:


lost their temper;
got a little out of control;
were just having a dispute;
misinterpreted the touch;
is really a wonderful person; etc.


Listen to what the athlete is saying.

ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE/MOLESTATION AND OTHER POLICY VIOLATIONS


Point of Contact: The Conduct Official is the appropriate person to
whom all reports of child abuse/molestation should be reported. In
the event that the Conduct Official is the alleged abuser/molester,
the report should be made to the President of the sports
organization.


Assessing the Seriousness of the Situation: It is useful to
differentiate between:


Concern: When the person just needs to be heard and have some
information clarified.


Complaint: When the person needs you to listen and may or may not
want action taken if they feel you listened.


Allegation: Clarify if the allegation is:


appropriate, but unappreciated act;
inappropriate act, but not illegal act;
illegal act that needs to be reported to law enforcement.


Disclosu When the person tells you that abuse occurred or based
on their actions gives you reason to believe abuse has occurred.


The Conduct Official must take the appropriate action depending on
where the situation falls in the above mentioned categories.



Information Gathering:


Upon receipt of a disclosure of child/sexual abuse or of a policy
violation the Conduct Official should gather all pertinent facts in
a fair, respectful, and confidential manner and review with both the
accuser and accused. All such disclosures must be brought to the
attention of the Board of Directors.


The Conduct Official must immediately report to the authorities when
there is reasonable cause to believe that physical abuse or sexual
abuse has occurred. At this point, the Conduct Official should
never investigate, as this is the role of the law enforcement
authorities. Furthermore, allowing the law enforcement authorities
to investigate helps to shield the Sports Organization against
potential lawsuits for defamation of character.


Suspension/Termination: The findings of the Conduct Official should
be reported to the Board of Directors and all proceedings should be
confidential. If the alleged abuser or policy violator admits to
the conduct, the Board can employ the most appropriate punishment.
If the alleged abuser or policy violator denies the conduct, the
Board can conduct further investigations (except when reasonable
cause of physical or sexual abuse exists that should be reported to
the authorities) deemed necessary prior to rendering any appropriate
punishment or exoneration.


Remember, the alleged violations range from inappropriate, but not
illegal behavior to clear cut child/sexual abuse and the punishment
must be tailored to the violation.


Suspension: Less egregious conduct on the part of the volunteer
will result in a written reprimand. If more than two (2) written
reprimands are received in a three (3) year time period, this will
result in termination of the volunteer. Slightly more egregious
conduct will result in both a written reprimand and suspension.
Upon the second suspension in a three (3) year time period, the
volunteer will be terminated.


Termination: All volunteers are subject to immediate termination
based on the disqualification criteria outlined below.


Duty to Disclose/Immunity/Confidentiality:

All volunteers may be required by state law to report suspected
cases of child/sexual abuse. Any person(s) who makes or
participates in the making of a good-faith report of abuse/neglect,
participates in the investigation, or in judicial proceedings shall
in so doing be provided with complete and absolute immunity from
civil liability.


The identity of the Volunteer reporting a case of suspected
child/sexual abuse should not be revealed. All records and reports
concerning investigations and their outcome are protected by various
confidentiality laws. Unauthorized disclosure of such records is a
possible criminal offense which could subject the violator to fines
an/or imprisonment.

vOLUNTEER SCREENING


Volunteer Application and Consent/Release Form: The attached
application entitled "Volunteer Application" must be completed,
signed, submitted, and processed on an annual basis before a
volunteer will be allowed to work with athletes.


All volunteers who have regular access to or repeated contact with
athletes must complete the "Volunteer Application." This would
normally include all head coaches, assistant coaches, managers,
league administrators, umpires, scorekeepers, concession workers,
field maintenance workers, etc. Refusal to comply will result in
immediate dismissal from the sports organization even if the
volunteer has been allowed to participate in the past.


The Conduct Official will review all such applications, will conduct
a Criminal Background Check, may conduct a follow-up interview to
clarify questions, and will decide whether or not the candidate is
disqualified based on this information.


Disqualification Criteria: The sports organization must adopt its
disqualification criteria in writing below before the Criminal
Background Checks are run.


(INSERT YOUR CRITERIA)


Sample Disqualification Criteria


Individual volunteers found to be guilty of the following crimes
will be disqualified as a volunteer as outlined below. Guilty means
the applicant was found guilty following a trial, entered a guilty
plea, entered a no contest plea accompanied by the court's finding
of guilty, regardless of whether there was an adjudication of guilt
(conviction) or a withholding of guilt. This policy does not apply
if criminal charges resulted in acquittal, dismissal or in an entry
of "nolle prosequi":


Ever Found To Be Guilty Of:
All sex offenses including child molestation, rape, sexual assault,
sexual battery, sodomy, prostitution, solicitation, indecent
exposure, etc.
All felony violence including murder, manslaughter, aggravated
assault, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated burglary, etc.


Found To Be Guilty Within The Past 10 Years Of:
All felony offenses other than violence or sex including drug
offenses, theft, embezzlement, fraud, child endangerment, etc.


Found To Be Guilty Within The Past 7 Years Of:
All misdemeanor violence offences including simple assault, battery,
domestic violence, hit & run, etc.


Found To Be Guilty Within The Past 5 Years Or Multiple Offenses In
The Past 10 Years Of:
Misdemeanor drug and alcohol offenses including driving under the
influence, simple drug possession, drunk and disorderly, public
intoxication, possession of drug paraphernalia, etc.


Any other misdemeanor within the past 5 years that would be
considered a potential danger to children or is directly related to
the functions of the volunteer including contributing to the
delinquency of a minor, providing alcohol to a minor, theft - if
volunteer is handling monies, etc.


Should any pending charges described in 1-3 above be uncovered, or
should any of the above charges be brought against an applicant
during the season, the applicant shall be suspended from serving
until such time as the charges have been cleared or dropped and the
Conduct Official has approved reinstatement.


Note: You may want to contact your local school district and copy
their disqualification criteria for teachers. Their criteria may
have been reviewed by legal counsel and tested in the court system.











































Criminal Background Check: After receiving the "Volunteer
Application", the Conduct Official will conduct a Criminal
Background Check with the selected vendor (ex: Intellicorp or SSCI)
and will search records in all current and past counties of
residence of the volunteer. This procedure is confidential and only
the Conduct Official will have access the these records. The
Conduct Official will decide whether or not the candidate is
disqualified based on the findings and the predetermined
disqualification guidelines that have been set in writing by the
sports organization.


Appeals: Candidate(s) disqualified due to an unsatisfactory
Referral or Criminal Background Check and/or other reason(s) will be
given the right to appeal upon written notification to the Conduct
Official.

The Board will appoint three (3) board members to hear the appeal
and they will decide whether or not to uphold or overturn the
decision of the Conduct Official. As a compromise, the appeal
committee may decide to reassign a candidate to a more appropriate
position or to place the candidate under a probationary period. The
results of all criminal background checks and appeals will be kept
confidential.


Acknowledgment Of Training: All volunteers who have been accepted
must read the Simplified Child Abuse/Molestation Risk Management
Program (Safe At First) and must agree to abide by the rules.


CONCLUSION:


Due to the simplified nature of this program; it does not address
all contingencies and as a result the sports organization,
Directors, Officers and Conduct Official may incur legal liability
for failure to perform certain acts related to a case involving
child/sexual abuse. For this reason, it is strongly recommended
that legal counsel be retained in the event that a case is
suspected.


This program was designed for sports organizations consisting
entirely of volunteer workers. Use of the Forms and decisions about
suspension/termination may not be appropriate for employees since
they have greater rights under the State, Federal, and
Constitutional Law. Please consult with legal counsel about
modifications to this program in the event your league uses
employees.



Sadler & Company will not answer questions concerning the
implementation of this program as this is beyond our scope of
expertise.


The following references were used almost exclusively in the design
of this program and it is strongly recommended that a copy be kept
on hand and that they are referred to whenever a question arises:


Athlete Abuse and Youth Sports, A Comprehensive Risk Management
Program; National Alliance for Youth Sports; Copyright 1996; 1-800-
729-2057.


Sexual Abuse Risk Management Manual For Youth Sports/Activities
Organizations; Gil B. Fried, M. A., J. D., Gil Fried & Associates
LLC (www.gilfried.com) (203)789-8694, Copyright 1996, Dr. Fried is a
national expert in the field of sports related legal issues and
provides legal services for a number of prominent sports
organization.


Southeastern Security Consultants, Inc. (SSCI), Byron Palmer, 2627
Sandy Plains Road, Suite 203, Marietta, GA 30066, phone 866-996-
7412. SSCI provides consultation and runs criminal background
checks on behalf of sports organizations. Their cost per criminal
background check ranges from $13.50 to $20.


Intellicorp, Cheryl Bowen, 6001 Cochran Road, Suite 200, Solon, OH
44139, phone 440-505-0238, www.intellicorp.com. Intellicorp
provides criminal background checks on a "do it yourself" basis off
of its website for a cost of as low as $1.75 per background check in
many states. In other states, the charge is $8.00 for every county
where the volunteer applicant has resided. Additional courthouse
fees may apply in some cases.




VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

To Be Completed By All Volunteers Including Coaches, Managers,
Administrators, Umpires, Etc. Of The Sports Organization Who Have
Regular Access To Or Repeated Contact With Athletes


A copy of a valid government issued photo ID must be attached to
complete this application.


Name of Sports Organization: (Prefill)


City and State of Sports Organization: (Prefill)




Personal Information


Date of Completion of This Form: ______/_______/______


Your Full Legal Name:
__________________________________________________ _______________


Date of Birth: ______/______/______


Other Names (maiden, alias, etc.):
__________________________________________________ ___________


Male or Female: _________________________ Social Security
Number: _________-_________-__________


Driver's License Number: ____________________ Driver's License
State: ________ Expires: _____/_____/______


Home Phone Number: (____)_____-_______ Work Phone Number: (____)
______-_______ Cell: (____)_____-_______





Home Address: List all for the past 7 years




Present (include dates):


__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________




Previous (include dates):


__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________




Previous (include dates):


__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________




Previous (include dates):


__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________

(attach a separate sheet if additional space is needed)




Qualifications:


What position are you applying for?:
__________________________________________________ __________________


Have you ever been convicted of a crime? (if yes, explain)
__________________________________________________ _

__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________________


Have you ever been refused participation in any other youth sports
program? (if yes, explain)_______________________

__________________________________________________ ___________________
_____________________________


Do you have children in the program? ______________________


Why do you want to be a volunteer?
__________________________________________________ ___________________



Why are you qualified to coach, manage, umpire, etc.:
_________________________________________________





See Back Page

Acknowledgement Of Training


I acknowledge that on ______________ (date) I was given a copy of
the sports organization's Simplified Child Abuse/Molestation Risk
Management Program and that I have carefully reviewed it and
voluntarily agree that as a condition of future participation,
employment, or involvement in this organization, I will abide by all
the terms, conditions, policies, and procedures contained within
this program.


If I violate the policies, regulations, or spirit of this program, I
will indemnify and hold harmless the sports organization, its
employees, board members, volunteers, and officials from any and all
liability including negligence and any intentional tort claims.


Signature_________________________________________ __________Date:
________/_______/_________





Consent/Release


I authorize and give consent for the sports organization referenced
above to obtain my personal information.


This includes, but is not limited to employment records/employer's
references; criminal background records/information; criminal
background checks/fingerprints; driving record check, financial
bankruptcy information, coaching experience, personal references,
and addresses.


I authorize this information to be obtained either in writing, via
internet, or via telephone in connection with my volunteer
application.


I understand that my position is contingent upon adverse information
about my background or character not being uncovered upon the
performance of the above referenced checks. I also understand that
regardless of my prior volunteer activities on behalf of the sports
organization, that the sports organization is not required to allow
my continued participation.

I agree to hold harmless and indemnify from liability the sports
organization and its directors, officers, employees, and volunteers
from all liability arising out of the use of the information that is
uncovered in the above referenced checks.


Signatu _______________________________________________ Date:
________/_______/_________





For Sports Organization Use Only


Background checks completed by Conduct Official ________________
(name) on ____/______/______(date)


Sources Checked:




Clean




Not Clean (keep this form and the record check on file for 15
years if not clean)


Only attach to this copy the records of background checks that are
not clean.

David Kane wrote:

So are you bitter because the kids are beating you or because
you just can't stand to watch normal people participate in
something hitherto reserved for the socially challenged?

Um, no, I have a very good record against kids, not that that matters.
They aren't fun to win against anyway.

Your second comment is simply a non-sequitor.

Even the normally combative Rob got my point - I was posting a devil's
advocate, opposite view. However my views are fairly libertarian; but I
am also a devotee of EF Schumacher, who advocated that smaller is
better.

Rob's proposal sounded like something straight out of the Handbook to
"It takes a Community to Raise a Child" - I doubt he intended it as
such.

This just seems to me something that can only spiral out-of-control,
like mandatory drug testing, and other "fraidy-cat" methods we use to
"protect" ourselves and our "poor children" in this oh-so-scary world.
You may as well say, "if we don't implement this, the terrorists win!"

There probably is an acceptable middle ground here, and for that reason
I posted my little statement, but I still will always agree with the
statement I made at the end - when push comes to shove, parents are
responsible for the safety of their children.

(And Liarry calls me an educationist!)

Thanks Rob for starting the dialogue. As you can tell, I don't agree
with it, but you do make some interesting points.

wrote:
David Kane wrote:

So are you bitter because the kids are beating you or because
you just can't stand to watch normal people participate in
something hitherto reserved for the socially challenged?

Um, no, I have a very good record against kids, not that that matters.
They aren't fun to win against anyway.

Your second comment is simply a non-sequitor.

Even the normally combative Rob got my point - I was posting a devil's
advocate, opposite view. However my views are fairly libertarian; but I
am also a devotee of EF Schumacher, who advocated that smaller is
better.

Rob's proposal sounded like something straight out of the Handbook to
"It takes a Community to Raise a Child" - I doubt he intended it as
such.

This just seems to me something that can only spiral out-of-control,
like mandatory drug testing, and other "fraidy-cat" methods we use to
"protect" ourselves and our "poor children" in this oh-so-scary world.
You may as well say, "if we don't implement this, the terrorists win!"

There probably is an acceptable middle ground here, and for that reason
I posted my little statement, but I still will always agree with the
statement I made at the end - when push comes to shove, parents are
responsible for the safety of their children.

(And Liarry calls me an educationist!)

Thanks Rob for starting the dialogue. As you can tell, I don't agree
with it, but you do make some interesting points.
Thanks James.
It is a problem and I also agree that ultimatly it is the parents job
to make sure their children are same. Many kids want the experience of
scholastic chess. For those childrenand as a parent it is why I ask the
question..
Maybe there is nothing we can do.The world isn't the same place it was
40 years ago. Things that would have seemed silly paranoia then may be
common sense today.
Thank you for wanting to discuss it.
Rob

Rob wrote:
..
Thanks James.
It is a problem and I also agree that ultimatly it is the parents job
to make sure their children are same. Many kids want the experience of
scholastic chess. For those childrenand as a parent it is why I ask the
question..

I just can't figure out how prevalent it is and what sort of safeguards
are acceptable. It would seem to me that a study should probably be
comissioned to get some data. The cases we see are high-profile,
probably because the world doesn't associate chess with abuse,
especially sexual. What happens in other countries? I know in Germany
there are various trainer levels, are these things covered?


Maybe there is nothing we can do.The world isn't the same place it was
40 years ago. Things that would have seemed silly paranoia then may be
common sense today.

May be. Perhaps it is then the environment that needs changing, not the
people. That can bring you back to my point (scholastic tournaments
should be small) or one of many others.

We have so many laws in this country, for example, and it seems to me
that much abuse stems from not properly implementing those laws. Once
you start layering this on top of that, it becomes pretty complicated.

One small step might be to revive the USCF'S certified coaches program,
but put more teeth in it. That would make it no more different than a
certification a nurse, an LPN, a NA, an RT, or any number of health
professionals take and pass to provide a modicum of protection to
patients, who are in probably even more compromised positions than
these players. No felony convictions, pass a test that includes moral
dilemmas, etc.

But this may simply lead to a system without teeth as well, and there
is nothing worse than more government or administration than is
necessary.

But I hold little hope that the USCF will do this, although one can't
help think that it wouldn't make money for them, properly implemented.
And I said that without laughing!

Perhaps David Kane, in his-ever-so-polite way, was suggesting a greater
role for the USCF. But over the grunting and squealing I found it hard
to hear what the heck he was talking about, except perhaps that I lost
to kids too often.

This should perhaps be posted somewhere else, like a blog where
comments could come in on both sides - another way to gather data to
see if this is worth pursuing.

wrote:
A simpler solution: Dissolve the profit-driven scholastic chess
movement, returning chess to a game played for fun in youth and
adulthood. Eliminate the mega-tournaments with the mega-trophies.

Pretty soon everyone walking in to a tournament or wanting to coach a
team will have to **** in a bottle , be fingerprinted, and submit to
temporary chemical castration.

Ridiculous? Yes. But no less so than a program that would be incredibly
expensive to design and could only benefit those who already profiteer
from the angst of Americans and the soccer moms.

Parents are the guardians of their children, not the rest of the world.

Well said. The proposed program reminds me of all the political
correctness crap floating around these days.