SportsEngine, Inc., an NBC Sports Group company and a provider of sport relationship management software, announced it has completed the processing of 1 million background screens through its background check company, National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) demonstrating its ongoing effort to help ensure youth athlete safety.
As part of its commitment to provide additional value and services through its software platform, SportsEngine acquired leading background check providers, NCSI and Southeastern Security Consultants, Inc. (SSCI) in 2017. NCSI and SSCI consolidated under the name NCSI, and the company serves youth sports leagues, national governing bodies, recreation and parks, and other civic organizations. NCSI is the only background check provider endorsed by the National Council of Youth Sports.
“We are proud to announce that we’ve reached this milestone of completing 1 million background checks,” stated Brian Bell, president, SportsEngine. “Helping to ensure that youth sports are safe is not only a priority at SportsEngine, it’s a moral imperative that we believe in wholeheartedly. As we work every day to fulfill our mission of getting more kids involved in sports, and simplifying the lives of parents, coaches and administrators, we also want to do our part to ensure athlete safety, on and off the field. At the end of the day, nothing else matters.”
“At NCSI, we know from our nearly two decades of experience that effective background screening has proven to reduce harm and mitigate risks, but we also know that it should never be the ‘be all, end all’,” stated Trish Sylvia, co-founder, NCSI. “In addition to background checks, organizations need abuse prevention training, incident reporting and response systems in place through the use of technology to provide a comprehensive and secure approach to athlete safety. NCSI is honored to be part of SportsEngine’s industry-leading safety program and its ongoing focus on helping to ensure the safety of today’s youth athletes.”
Teams, leagues and clubs across all sports use SportsEngine’s software to run their websites, tournaments, leagues, online registration and mobile apps. In addition, SportsEngine offers a complete safety solution, with background checks and abuse prevention training provided directly through its software platform. Abuse prevention training fulfills the federal requirements outlined in the Safe Sport Act that went into law in February 2019. SportsEngine’s team of industry experts provide comprehensive service and guidance throughout a league’s registration period and entire season of play to ensure coach and volunteer eligibility requirements are met.
“We’re proud to partner with SportsEngine as our safety program provider,” stated Rob Connor, vice president and commissioner, Babe Ruth League. “We took it upon ourselves to really evaluate the differences in the marketplace for background checks and we learned that while many companies may offer them, not all background checks are created equal. Leagues need to do their homework and really compare not just the differences in the level of the background check but also the overall service provided. The level of service that SportsEngine has provided for us working together in tandem has been outstanding — they’ve been a terrific partner.”
