Coaching Application

Coaching Background Check Procedure:

Any Coach who will be in contact with the children who are registered for the Brightbill Basketball League and in order to receive a Court Pass issued through Lower Paxton Township Parks & Recreation MUST complete an application for coach/volunteer and successfully pass a background check/screening for criminal and sexual offenses. Background clearances must be dated within five (5) years. A successful background check/screening MUST be completed and submitted to Parks & Recreation PRIOR to the Coaches Meeting.  Failure to do so will result in you being excluded from coaching in the Brightbill Basketball League.

REQUIRED CLEARANCES: (please note: clearances can take up to several  weeks to process)
1. State Background: https://epatch.state.pa.us 

2. Child Abuse Clearance:  https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home 

3. FBI Waiver Form: Must affirm in writing that you have been a continuous resident of Pennsylvania for the past 10 years, otherwise an FBI Clearance is required  

or  FBI Clearance: https://www.identogo.com/locations/pennsylvania 

Appointments to be fingerprinted are not required, but pre-registration is required and can be done either online or by phone. Use Service Code 1KG738 when registering.

            These background clearances must be dated within five (5) years.  

For COACHES:

Lower Paxton Township Parks & Recreation Volunteer Screening / Background Check Policy and Procedure 

I. Statement
 In an effort to protect the welfare of the children who participate in the Lower Paxton Township Parks & Recreation Brightbill Basketball league, this policy has been established to evaluate each applicants eligibility to serve in the capacity as a Volunteer Coach. 

II. Definitions 
 A Volunteer Coach is any eligible adult person who leads and instructs players at scheduled practices or games offered by the Brightbill Basketball League and is listed on the team roster.

III. Procedure  
Please see the procedure at the top of this page.   Lower Paxton Township Parks and Recreation reserves the right to check criminal history records or any other official record which would document disqualifying acts.

IV. Disqualifying Terms 
In the event potentially disqualifying information surfaces via the background check, a screening committee, consisting of the Human Resource Manager, Parks & Recreation Manager, and the Sports Manager will review the information to determine if the individual is eligible to serve in a role a Volunteer Coach.  Only members of the screening committee will review the data obtained.  All information is strictly confidential and will not be made public under any circumstances.

A candidate may exercise the right to an appeal of their initial decision to disqualify him/her, for purpose of clarifying facts or explaining extenuating circumstances. 

All volunteer Coaches shall notify the committee immediately following an arrest or conviction of any of the listed offenses.  Any Volunteer Coach who, while coaching for Lower Paxton Township, 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 below will result in termination of coaching eligibility as stated in the policy.

The offenses listed below disqualifying an applicant from eligibility as a Volunteer Coach under Lower Paxton Township Parks & Recreation Brightbill Basketball Screening/Background Check Policy.   Offenses including but are not limited to the following in accordance with the National Alliance for Youth Sports Guidelines / Protect youth Sports Guidelines state that a felony charge will remain as part of the record indefinitely and charges involving a misdemeanor will be considered within a 10 year period. 

The offenses listed below disqualify an applicant from participation as a Volunteer Coach under Lower Paxton Township Parks & Recreation - offenses including but, are not limited to the following:

Any felony conviction

Any violation of PA C.C. Chap. 31 Sexual Offenses Open Lewdness

Any conviction for manufacture, grow, cultivate or distribution of any controlled substance or illegal drug* (synthetic or counterfeit drugs) within ten (10) years.

Arson

Assault (including aggravated and sexual) once in the last five (5) years or more then once in the last (10) years.  

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

Disorderly Conduct - Involving violent/combative threats

DWI / DUI - two or more times in the past 5 years.

Firearms violations - possession without a license, prohibited offensive weapon

Furnishing alcohol to minors

Homicide - including vehicular

Injury to Elderly or Disabled

Kidnapping / Unlawful Restraint

Manslaughter Voluntary or Involuntary

Obscene or Sexual Materials

Possession - of marijuana once in the last 5 years or more than once in the last 10 years

Possession - of a controlled substance other than marijuana once in the last 10 years

Prostitution

Stalking