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Nationwide, youth sports organizations are grappling with the sudden reality (not to mention the new normal) of needing to do background checks on coaches and other key personnel. And judging by some recent reports, some groups have made a good start while others, well, have not.
A scathing new report claims the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission failed to conduct and update required background checks for almost half of its volunteer youth sports coaches in 2025. As a result, at least two individuals with criminal histories were allowed to volunteer, according to the New Orleans Office of Inspector General, which outlined its findings in a five-page letter to NORDC officials.
The bombshell dropped just five days after NORDC CEO Larry Barabino announced his resignation, with no reason cited.
According to the New Orleans OIG, the letter from Inspector General Ed Michel stemmed from a larger, ongoing OIG evaluation related to NORDC’s youth sports policies and procedures.
In addition to failing to conduct background checks, the office found that NORDC “lacked adequate procedures for evaluating and documenting background checks once processed, and relied on background checks that lacked key information,” according to an OIG statement. Local media outlets reported that NORDC’s youth sports teams served more than 5,000 registrants in 2025.
The letter urged the commission to “immediately address weaknesses in its policies and procedures for collecting, processing, evaluating and recording background information about volunteers involved with youth athletics” and cited the following findings:
• NORDC could not provide an accurate list of authorized youth sports coaches for 2025.
• NORDC failed to consistently follow its own background check policy, with no checks on file for many youth sports coaches. Out of 275 application files, the OIG selected a random sample of 50 volunteer coaching applications and found that NORDC’s files lacked background checks for 46% of the sample.
Of the 46% of individuals lacking background checks, more than a third had completed a background authorization form, but the checks were not processed, violating NORDC policy.
• NORDC lacked the information needed to verify that coaching applicants had no disqualifying
criminal history or pending charges.
As a result of the findings, the OIG made the following recommendations:
• NORDC should maintain an accurate roster of coaches in an electronic format that explicitly identifies which coaching applications are approved, shows when individuals receive NORDC coach IDs and is easily accessible by all relevant staff members.
• NORDC should fully commit to processing background check authorizations for all coaches and should implement methods to ensure that each coach has an annual background check on file, with all required documentation, before an ID badge is issued.
• NORDC should adopt and implement formal, written policies and procedures for evaluating background checks of prospective coaches. These should include clear disqualification criteria and guidelines for documenting when charges have been dropped.
• NORDC should make every effort to obtain nationwide background checks that provide accurate dispositions for as many cases as possible.
“NORDC’s failure to properly document and screen youth sports coaches, despite policies requiring annual background checks, is a serious public safety issue impacting some of our most vulnerable citizens, our children,” Michel said. “As we enter the summer season, it is critical that NORDC immediately correct these significant gaps in its approval process. While stronger background checks may require additional resources, the investment is essential to protecting young people from potential harm and ensuring accountability in programs that serve them.”
In response, NORDC officials released a statement that, in part, read as follows:
NORD appreciates the Office of Inspector General’s review and accepts its findings and recommendations. We take these matters seriously and are committed to strengthening our processes to ensure all volunteer coaches are properly screened, documented and approved.
The issues identified in the report primarily relate to administrative and recordkeeping deficiencies within the Athletics Division during the 2025 youth athletics season. While NORD maintained background check requirements and coach certification standards, our internal processes for tracking, documenting and reviewing coach applications and background checks did not consistently meet the standards our participants and families deserve.
Most NORD volunteer coaches are parents and family members of participating youth who generously volunteer their time to support their teams and communities. Regardless of their relationship to a participant, all coaches are required to meet NORD’s screening, certification and approval requirements.
Many of the improvements recommended by the OIG have already been underway during the review process. Following the resignation of the NORD Athletics Division employee responsible for volunteer compliance, Athletics Division staff were reassigned to oversee coach compliance and background check administration. Additional staff now assist with reviewing documentation, maintaining coach records, monitoring certifications and conducting site visits to ensure compliance with NORD policies.
Meanwhile, New Jersey lawmakers are pushing for legislation that would require annual background checks for all youth sports coaches across that state, including private teams and trainers.
The bill is a step toward standardizing the state’s background-check process for youth sports; requirements vary widely depending on the sport and the league, according to the New Jersey Globe.
“State Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, D-Atlantic, Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-Morris and Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, D-Essex, said the bill (A4692) aims to strengthen oversight of youth sports programs and the booming private training circuit,” according to NJ.com. “The lawmakers said the legislation also was spurred by a 2025 NJ.com investigation that exposed how dangerous coaches are infesting youth sports across the state and flying under the radar because of errors in the state’s sex offender registry.”
“We know that predators go where the children are,” Webber said. “The vetting process has not kept pace with the explosive growth of youth activities and the increasing demand for adult leaders like coaches, trainers and instructors. We need to shore up regulations and oversight over youth organizations to protect New Jersey’s children.”
Just how vital is the need for mandatory criminal background checks for youth sports coaches? Consider what 38-year-old travel baseball coach Michael Ryals of Welling, Okla., recently told USA Today after he was banned for life by the United States Specialty Sports Association. Ryals allegedly instructed his 12-year-old son to hurl a baseball into the opposing team’s dugout.
“I knew that I couldn’t pass,” Ryals said about a background check, referring to his criminal history that includes a 2011 arrest for lewd behavior with a 14-year-old (he pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge of “outraging public decency”) and a 2006 conviction for domestic assault and battery in front of a minor. Ryals also was sentenced for grand larceny, embezzlement and bad checks between 2007 and 2019, according to USA Today.
No wonder many organizations (such as USA Cheer) maintain a public and easily accessible list of “individuals restricted, suspended or ineligible for membership,” as well as cite the individual’s “allegations/misconduct.”
USA Cheer’s list “does not include the names of individuals deemed restricted, ineligible or suspended by other organizations or other individuals who may not qualify for USA Cheer membership, such as by failure to pass a background check or failure to take required training. … As a result, this list may not be exhaustive.”
But it’s a good start.
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