New Background Check Policy – U.S. Soccer Development Academy Players 18 Years and Older
Making our world safer, one background check at a time. While it is a sad statement, it is great that U.S. Soccer is protecting youth soccer players.
NCSI BACKGROUND CHECKS REQUIRED
All U.S. Soccer Development Academy athletes 18 years of age and older with access to minor athletes (which really means everyone as 18-year-old players train or play on the same team with minor athletes) are now required to complete background checks. This is not to be confused with the SafeSport training requirement. And, this is a great step towards keeping our kids safe.
This is mandatory for all participants in the Academy 18 years of age or older.
Should an athlete 18 years or older not complete the background check, they will no longer be eligible to participate in the Development Academy and will subsequently be deactivated in U.S. Soccer Connect until they complete the training.
U.S. Soccer Development Academy is offering background checks through the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI). The firm is located in Cleveland, OH and their number is 866-833-7100
The mandatory background checks are at no cost to the youth soccer players or their clubs.
And, yes, if the player is 18-years-old, they must complete their background check by January 21, 2020.
Deadline: January 21
For athletes, a “pending” background check on NCSI is enough to get them re-approved in Connect until their background check receives a Green Light. If their check then comes back with a Red Light, they will be unapproved indefinitely.
Please keep in mind you cannot do this in advance. Players under 18 should not submit their background checks early and must wait until the day of their 18th birthday in order to submit their background check to NCSI.
According to U.S. Soccer Development Academy, players will still be eligible to play on their 18th birthday but will become ineligible that night.
Just to be crystal clear, if a player turns 18-years-of-age on a Saturday, they could play in their Saturday game, but not a match on Sunday without submitting a background check. However, if their birthday is on Friday, they will need to submit a background check on Friday to be able to play that weekend.
On a personal note: As a parent of an 18-year-old DA player, I took this announcement to heart. I stopped what I was doing and called the DA hotline (312-528-7041). This is an amazing resource. I have actually called the DA Hotline twice as a confused parent and both experiences were wonderful and the people on the DA hotline were very helpful.
Our experience completing the online process: In today’s digital world, we all expect to complete an online form quickly. The NCSI background check is very easy to complete but it does require you to upload an ID. Taking a picture of a Drivers License with an iPhone and uploading the image worked for my son. It also required seven years of home addresses. We had moved a few times, so I had to look up one address but it was all very quick and easy. However, it did become a bit laborious when I watched my son click through several pages acknowledging consent and granting permission for the background check. The entire process took less than five minutes. And we did it on my MAC in Safari.
From the U.S. Soccer DA — Here are the Steps For the Required BACKGROUND CHECK
- Click on: http://www.ncsisafe.com/
- Please note this website is not compatible with Safari internet browser
- Click on “Applicant Submission and Status Check” in the upper right corner of the webpage
- Enter 28695114 in the Self Registration Number field
- Enter your Information as Requested
- You will need to provide your Social Security Number
- Provide Legal Authorization and Certification
- Have a driver’s license and/or passport available when submitting an application
- Use your full legal name as written on your birth certificate or driver’s license
Questions? Please contact the National Center for Safety Initiatives at 866.833.7100
If you require an international background check, please email compliance@ncsisafe.com for an international application.
A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act
