TENAFLY, New Jersey (PNN) - April 5, 2011 - A New Jersey Little League is taking safety up a notch. For the first time they’re requiring all their volunteers be fingerprinted. We’re talking coaches and concession stand workers, too.
Some parents, however, are crying foul.
When your little ones head out to a field of dreams they are eager to learn the game. They will trust everybody.
To make sure parents can trust everybody teaching their children, the Tenafly Little League runs background checks on all their coaches and for the first time they’re requiring those volunteers be fingerprinted.
Most of the coaches are fathers like Johnny Garcia.
“I’m fine with it. I have nothing to hide. I’m pretty good,” Garcia said.
“I think it’s a good thing. You can’t be extra cautious, especially towards our (children),” parent Vanessa Semone said.
The coaches aren’t the only ones who are required to be fingerprinted. Any adult volunteer that comes in contact with the children - from concessions to t-shirt vendor - is required be fingerprinted.
“It just seems like it’s over diligent,” parent Kevin Pierce said. “I think their money is better spent on other things than on me getting background checked.”
Some parents who only occasionally volunteer said the league is going too far.
“I’m helping gather up the balls or I’m helping rake the field and now I need a background check,” Pierce said. “It’s an intrusion that is unnecessary without any probable cause.”
Tenafly Little League president John Preolo said the league had to require fingerprinting this year because of a much-needed grant.
“To get the grant there is certain criteria that had to be met. One of them is the fingerprinting process. If the town didn’t agree to get coaches and volunteers fingerprinted, I don’t think we would have gotten the money,” Preolo said.
One thing about which all people can agree… the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave is no longer free and brave. It has become the Land of the Paranoid and Home of the Compliant.