Fort Collins, CO— The youth sports sector is plagued by insufficient background checks, contributing to potentially unsafe environments for children and youth both on and off the playing fields. A new partnership between two organizations committed to better, safer youth sports – Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and background screening provider Verified Volunteers – aims to increase protections for young athletes, provide the tools necessary to promote safe and enriching sports programs, and improve the experience for coaches and administrators.

PCA offers resources for youth and high school coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes designed to develop “Better Athletes, Better People” and to transform the youth sports culture into a positive, character-building experience.

“Participating in sports is a great way for young people to build character and learn valuable life skills, and we strongly support PCA’s positive approach and their mission to transform the youth sports culture,” says Katie Zwetzig, Executive Director, Verified Volunteers.

“Keeping kids safe is the top priority in youth and high school sports,” said Jason Sacks, PCA’s National Director of Business Development. “That’s why we have teamed up with Verified Volunteers to help introduce the Verified Coaches platform as a resource for all those involved in youth and high school sports.” Verified Volunteers’ new partnership with PCA provides a library of shared informational resources for organizations and individuals looking to create a safe and positive sports experience for children, youth and families they serve. Other aspects of the partnership include:

• Comprehensive background screening services.
• Streamlined efficiencies to remove administrative burdens, assist with regulatory compliance and reduce costs.
• Effective solutions that address other potential gaps in screening such as identity validation.
• Added security with monthly monitoring of volunteer coaches to help identify new public records.
• A dedicated coach portal (PCA Verified Coaches powered by Verified Volunteers) that gives coaches the ability to manage and own their personal background check. Coaches also have the ability to share their results within a community if they volunteer with other leagues or youth sports organizations that require a background check, as well as with schools, religious organizations and other nonprofits.

According to Zwetzig, “PCA and Verified Volunteers share the belief that the sports experience must be a safe one.  Because of the age and vulnerability of these participants, it’s imperative that all young athletes are ensured a safe and secure environment, free of physical, sexual or psychological harm. We look forward to working with PCA and their partner organizations to achieve this environment.”

About Positive Coaching Alliance

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) develops BETTER ATHLETES, BETTER PEOPLE through resources for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. In addition to 1,500+ free audio-video and printable tips and tools at www.PCADevZone.org, PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide to deliver live group workshops, online courses and books by PCA Founder Jim Thompson that help those involved in youth and high school sports create a positive, character-building youth sports culture.

PCA resources, which have reached more than 8.6 million youth, strive to transform high school and youth sports into a Development Zone® culture, where the goal is to develop Better Athletes, Better People and the following become the prevailing models in youth and high school sports:

• The Double-Goal Coach®, who strives to win while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports
• The Second-Goal Parent®, who concentrates on life lessons, while letting coaches and athletes focus on competing
• The Triple-Impact Competitor®, who strives to impact sport on three levels by improving oneself, teammates and the game as a whole.

PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board, including National Spokesperson and 11-time NBA Champion Coach Phil Jackson, and many other top coaches, athletes, organization leaders and academics who share PCA’s mission.

About Verified Volunteers

Verified Volunteers helps nonprofit organizations gain confidence in the volunteers working with those they serve by delivering thorough, compliant background checks. By enabling volunteers to order, manage and share their background checks via a secure online platform, we create a community of vetted volunteers and help nonprofit organizations save time and money. Our extensive expertise in screening and compliance best practices help clients recruit the best volunteers in order to maintain a safe environment and positive reputation. Verified Volunteers is backed by Sterling Talent Solutions, the world’s largest background screening company, and partnered with Points of Light, the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. Visit www.verifiedvolunteers.com.

Media Contacts:

Katie Zwetzig, Verified Volunteers
(970) 232-3550
Katie@verifiedvolunteers.com

Jason Sacks, Positive Coaching Alliance
609-457-6540
jason_sacks@positivecoach.org