USA Swimming is getting redundant. Yeah, and they are getting superfluous too.

Background checks for coaches are important.  The background checks required by USA Swimming on every single USA Swimming are good for the swimmers, good for teams, and important for the credibility of USA Swimming.  Mistakes have been made in the past, and USA Swimming has done a good job by instituting a thorough check on each of us.  Keep it up!

Now USA Swimming is enacting the new Pre-Employment Screening Program.  Yup, big brother is making sure that soon to be hired, non-criminal coaches also have their work record, education, and driving records checked.  I suppose this is to make sure that we are not hiring liars...and bad drivers.  I get the whole idea behind it, but it is just getting to be over the top as far as USA Swimming looking over our shoulders.

The driving record thing does confuse me a bit.  I suppose it is to make sure that you don't hire someone with any DUI's, but wouldn't that show up on the Background check?  I admit, that I don't know, but it just seems redundant, superfluous, repetitive, etc.

Again, I get it.  We want to hire honest, non-criminal people (with good driving records) to coach our kids.  But where is the trust from USA Swimming that clubs can do these things without a mandate?

Just wait, I am sure there will be more requirements to come our way.  Perhaps hygiene requirements?  Voting records?  Credit reports?

I got it!  We need to require vision tests....to make sure that everyone sees things USA Swimming's way!