HASSELBECK MOM URGES BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR YOUTH COACHES by Michael David Smith

[Deb]

HASSELBECK MOM URGES BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR YOUTH COACHES
by Michael David Smith

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Betsey Hasselbeck, the mother of Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and Giants backup quarterback Tim Hasselbeck and the wife of former NFL tight end Don Hasselbeck, is spearheading a campaign to promote background checks for youth football coaches.

Hasselbeck, who has been around football her entire adult life, says this has long been a concern of hers.

"As a mother, I'm looking at the coach and I'm thinking 'I don't know about this guy.' He, to me, looked shady, I know that's judging him, but that's a mother's intuition," Betsey Hasselbeck said.

The campaign, which has the support of members of Congress including former Redskins quarterback Heath Shuler, involves a $500,000 contribution from USA Football, a nonprofit organization founded by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

USA Football recommends that all youth coaches be screened via a national criminal database search, all available state sex offender registries, and a federal terrorist database search.

[25MVPKing]

I think it's a great idea. A search against a sex offender registry is a good place to start but should not be the end of the search.

Although, I don't know that I'd bother checking the federal terrorist database.