YOUTH SPORTS TODAY
Official Publication of the
National Council of Youth Sports
Volume 8, Issue 2
Summer 2003
MISSION STATEMENT
The NCYS is a nonprofit organization
representing the youth sports
industry to:
•
•
Advance the values of
participation; and
Educate and develop leaders.
“Enhancing the Youth Sports
Experience in America!”
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
2
3
Criminal Background
Checks for Volunteers
With On-line Screening
Child I.D. Kits are
“Promoting Safety,
Protecting Children”
Winning The E-Mail
Battleground For Your
Members Attention!
4
U.S. Congress Designates
NCYS As A Participant in
the PROTECT Act
I
“It’s Not Whether They Win
or Lose, It’s Where They
Stay After the Game”
--Best Western Intl
National Council
of Youth Sports
7185 SE Seagate Lane
Stuart, FL 34997
Telephone: 772-781-1452
Fax: 772-781-7298
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ncys.org
WHO’S PROTECTING THE
CHILDREN? NCYS HAS A
WINNING GAME PLAN!
“IntelliCorp Named to
Provide Comprehensive
On-line Criminal
Background Screening
for Volunteers”
W
hy do background checks?
To protect the children and to
protect our teams and leagues
from possible loss of personal or
association assets due to litigation.
The National Council of Youth Sports
(NCYS) is excited about its partnership
with IntelliCorp Records, Inc. setting the
standard of excellence in providing the
most advanced criminal screening
technology available today. IntelliCorp is
owned by ISO, Insurance Services Office,
the premier source of information about
property and liability risk. Together they
have a broad enterprise with a repository
of criminal records that is the largest of its
kind. This special internet site can assist
organizations by uncovering violent
criminals who could pose potential danger
to our youth sports participants.
”NCYS is proud to offer its members
reliable, rapid, comprehensive background
check service at a very reasonable cost,”
says Sally S. Cunningham, NCYS Executive
Director. “IntelliCorp was selected for the
depth of its database, the quality of its
delivery capability, the integrity of its
leadership, and their passionate
commitment to protecting children.”
With a criminal screening tool in place,
NCYS will have access to 23 billion records
in addition to all data and services. These
services will allow NCYS members to
determine if an adult (administrators,
volunteers, and coaches) has a criminal
record anywhere in the United States.
“Our children are our most valuable
assets, and we look forward to providing
NCYS an effective way to protect them,”
says Chad Salahshour, President and CEO
of IntelliCorp Records, Inc. “IntelliCorp will
benefit NCYS, not just by offering
consistent, reliable services, but also by
making the safety and security of our
youth a top priority.”
The criminal background search is a
nationwide Super Search that performs a
multi-state criminal search covering 31
states, instantly for $1.75. Records vary
by state, and most include statewide
convictions, arrests, court records, and
inmate records. Also included in the Super
Search are the Sex Offender and
IntelliCorp Criminal Repository records.
The criminal history requests are ordered
from the IntelliCorp.net website. The
following information will be needed from
the applicant: Last Name, First Name,
Date of Birth, and Social Security Number.
Where available a criminal history search
will provide the: case number, file date,
charge code, charge description,
disposition (guilty, dismissed, deferred
adjudication), disposition date, and
sentence. Criminal searches typically look
at a minimum of ten years of history.
IntelliCorp is a first-class, reputable
company totally committed to this child
safety program—backed by the integrity
and credibility of one of the largest
insurance services companies in the
world—delivering the most comprehensive
address histories and SSN information of
any company in the country, and is the
originator of exclusive criminal data.
NCYS Leadership Training
Conference
“THE SUPER SUMMIT”
of Youth Sports!
November 5-8, 2003
Fairmont Hotel ◆ New
Orleans
Call Hotel at 800-441-1414
National Council
of Youth Sports
Board of Directors
President
Wanda L. Rutledge
National Amateur Baseball Federation
Vice President
Jon Butler
Pop Warner Little Scholars
Secretary
Pam Marshall
Amateur Athletic Union
Treasurer
Larry Landolt
Lynchburg Parks & Recreation
Director
Karen Collins
USA Field Hockey
Director
Alicia McConnell
U. S. Olympic Committee – COP
Director
Clay Walker
NFL Players, Inc
Executive Director
Sally S. Cunningham
National Council of Youth Sports
This very dedicated NCYS Board of
Directors wishes to thank the entire
membership for its untiring support
and loyalty to help the organization
achieve its aspiring goals.
The Skin Cancer Foundation’s SIMPLE
TIPS TO SUN SAFETY
◆
Limit time in the sun, regardless
of the hour or season.
◆
Cover up with clothing, a widebrimmed hat, and UV-blocking
sunglasses.
◆
Use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or
higher whenever you spend time
outdoors.
◆
Seek the shade.
◆
Never try to tan.
◆
Stay away from tanning parlors
and artificial tanning devices.
◆
Protect your children and teach
them sun safety at an early age.
Receive One Free Child I.D. Kit for
Every Hershey’s FundRaising
Assortment Box Purchased!
800,000 Children are Missing Each Year, That’s 1 Every
40 Seconds
Dr.
The National Child Identification Program is the largest child I.D. effort ever conducted,
with more than 10 million Child I.D. kits distributed throughout the country. National Child I.D.
provides families with a viable tool that puts vital information about their children at their
fingertips. If needed, this information can be turned over to authorities to help reunite a
missing child with his or her family. National Council of Youth Sports and Hershey FundRaising is
proud to support this initiative.
Schools, leagues, youth groups and any other fundraising organization participating in a
Hershey’s FundRaising program in 2003 are eligible to receive one free Child I.D. Kit for every
Hershey’s FundRaising Assortment Box purchased this year.
Did your association sell Hershey’s FundRaising
Assortment Boxes? Don’t forget to redeem for your free
Child I.D. Kit.
For additional details contact your local Hershey’s
FundRaising distributor or visit
www.hersheysfundraising.com.
Best Western International, The World’s Largest Hotel Chain®
supports National Council of Youth Sports and National Child
Identification Program
TEAM: Together Everyone
Achieves More
By Wally Amos
Reprinted with permission.
More and more I appreciate the value of teamwork, working together. I am convinced that in
order to be successful in any area of life, it is necessary to be part of a team. Team says,
“Together everyone achieves more.” The only thing we can do alone is fail.
The value of teamwork is demonstrated in sports more than any other segment of life. Michael
Jordan, a spectacular player right out of college, was with the Chicago Bulls for seven years
before they won a championship. However, the Bulls did not become a championship team
until Michael was joined by other skilled and dedicated team players.
Mark McGwire’s unprecedented feat of 70 home runs was not enough to carry the St. Louis
Cardinals to the playoffs, nor could Sammy Sosa get the Chicago Cubs to the World Series with
his impressive 66 home runs. The New York Yankees, on the other hand, with no media stars,
won more games than any team in the history of the American League, then went on to easily
win the playoffs and sweep the World Series. It was truly an excellent example of the rewards
of working together for the good of a common cause.
Whether you’re part of a team in sports, a one-on-one relationship, in business, or in the
volunteer sector, you stand to benefit greatly by being a positive, unselfish contributor for the
good of the team. I love the quote, “I am more than I am, but less than we are.”
I heard a speaker who said, “The only reason we exist is to serve one another.” That’s also a
great definition of a team player. My attitude says that I am a member of the greater
community, planet Earth, and when I give to the community, I give to myself. We’re all
members of the same team, the human race. Make a commitment today to serve one another.
Eight Strategies for Promoting
Programs by E-Mail
How Many E-Mails Do You Receive
Every Day? How Many Of Them Do
You Read? The in-box has become a fierce
battleground for your members’ attention.
Let’s look at effective ways to keep your
electronic meeting promotions from
becoming victims of the “Delete” key.
1. KNOW YOUR MEMBERS AS
INDIVIDUALS. E-mail marketing works
best as one-to-one marketing. The goal is to
create a dialogue with your customers
through messages tailored to several things:
their individual needs and interests, what
seminars they attended in the past (upselling), other training products you offer
that they might benefit from (cross-selling),
their budget, and so forth.
Creating this dialogue requires you to
know a lot about your members. You can
learn by tracking and analyzing their
behaviors--and by asking them. Although
asking questions is direct and doesn’t
require you to be concerned with privacy
issues, looking at what people actually do
is the more reliable method for
discovering what they think and want.
2. PERSONALIZE. Even if one-to-one
marketing is beyond your abilities,
personalization is a must. Greet recipients
by name. If I get a bulk e-mail, it feels
much less bulky if it uses my name--and I’m
more likely to read the message and maybe
risk a click or two. Often, you’ll use the first
name only, but for some campaigns the last
name will be more appropriate.
Of course, one of the most crucial aspects
of personalized marketing is responding to
personal requests. If members send you
e-mail, it means they are interested in
your events or products. By failing to reply
promptly, you will not only miss an
opportunity, you will probably lose a
customer for life. So make it a priority to
reply to all incoming e-mail from prospective conference-goers within 24 hours.
3. GET YOUR TIMING RIGHT. During
holidays, people tend to be away from
their computers. When they return they’ll
get your message along with a ton of
other mail that has piled up. Chances are
they will delete all but the most important
messages in a rush, without a second
look. This is why you should avoid
conducting major e-mail marketing
campaigns across December, January,
July, and August. The exceptions to this
rule include your members’ schedules and
when your conferences occur.
What’s the best day to send your e-mail?
This question is probably overrated.
Nevertheless, here’s a simple rule of
thumb. If your message is of vocational
interest and read at work, send it on
Wednesday or Thursday. If it’s primarily
read-at-home and focuses on spare-time
activities, send it on Sunday.
4. USE “SUBJECT” AND “FROM”
WISELY. Because these are the main
elements that motivate someone to open
e-mail, give them your best shot.
The “From” is the easier part. People don’t
take candy from strangers, and they don’t
read mail from “.” So don’t use a mere email address. Include a real name. If
you’re worried that your own e-mailbox
will be inundated, send your e-mails from
a “hypothetical real person’s” account.
Writing killer “Subject” lines is more
difficult. You have approximately 40
characters to motivate your members to
click and read on. Remember that the best
reason to open a message is to find a
benefit within. The recipient’s concern is
literally, What’s in it for me?
Don’t think you can trick recipients into
opening your message. The benefit you
promise must be one that you can actually
fulfill. This rules out all cheap teasers
automatically. That’s why a subject line
such as “Attend the Widget World
Convention at a Discount” works better
than “We’ve Got the ABSOLUTELY Best
Widget Seminars! Don’t Miss Out on Our
Big Discounts!”
Questions also work, and they tend to
work even better if they are surrounded
by quotation marks. For example, you
could try something as simple as “Want to
Attend the Widget World Convention at
20% Off?” or “What Can the Widget World
Convention Do for You?”
But avoid anything commonly found in the
subject lines of spam, including
exclamation marks, dollar signs,
uppercase text, and the words free and
you. Take a look at your daily dose of
spam and learn from it what not to do.
Many e-mail users have set up filters-either in their e-mail programs or in their
minds--that deposit anything containing
“$$$” into the trash.
5. CREATE A CLEAR CALL TO ACTION.
Start by defining the desired action in your
mind. Let’s say you want your members to
click through to your site, read about your
meeting, and sign up by clicking through
to your registration form. Recipients need
to know exactly what they should do and
what they can expect in return (for
example, “Click Here for a 20% Discount
on Your Next Seminar”). Keep the body of
your message and call to action short, but
make sure the message is long enough to
present the core benefits.
6. MAKE PURCHASING EASY AT THE
LANDING PAGE. Design a special
landing page for every message you send
(or for every call to action, if a message
contains more than one). You’ve spent a
lot of effort to get the recipient there;
don’t strand her at this point by dumping
her into a page that fails to flow clearly
from your message to your desired action.
Make purchasing easy. For example,
preload the form with the member’s
name, address, and credit card
information.
7. TEST, MEASURE, TEST, MEASURE,
TEST… Continuous testing allows you to
improve your efforts. Measuring clickthrough is a valuable tool, but don’t rely
on it exclusively. Your goal is not to get
clicking customers but rather to generate
satisfied customers who repeatedly sign
up for your conferences and recommend
you to others.
In addition to tracking click-through rates,
measure your conversion rate, which tells
you how many of the recipients actually
took the action you wanted.
Repeat purchases in response to your
campaigns can serve as an indicator of
customer satisfaction. To get a better
understanding of how satisfied your
customers are, conduct independent
surveys or focus groups.
8. BE BRAVE. There are a hundred
things to keep in mind when designing an
e-mail campaign, and every single one has
its value. But if your message goes
through too many filters, it may end up in
the recipient’s trash as yet another boring
and conventional piece of e-mail.
Sometimes it pays to be brave, be
creative, and risk losing some people on
your list if it results in a more effective
campaign overall.
2002 © by Heinz Tschabitscher,
(http://email.about.com/), licensed to
About.com, Inc. Used by permission of
About.com, Inc., which can be found on the
Web at www.about.com. All rights reserved.
President Bush Signs PROTECT Act
Designating NCYS As A Participant In
Pilot Program
With The FBI To Fingerprint Volunteers
J
uly 29th is the start date for
implementation of a pilot program for
volunteer groups to obtain national
and State criminal history background
checks through a 10-fingerprint check to
be conducted utilizing State criminal
record and the Integrated Automated
Fingerprint Identification system of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
President Bush signed into law the
PROTECT Act - Prosecutorial Remedies
and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of
Children Today Act of 2003 on April 30,
2003.Section 108 of the PROTECT Act is a
pilot program for national criminal history
background checks and feasibility study.
The National Council of Youth Sports was
selected as one of three national
organizations to participate in the two
pilot programs along with the Boys and
Girls Clubs of America and National
Mentoring Partnership.
The first pilot program permits the named
organization (including its subordinate
organizations) to request state criminal
background checks and Federal 10fingerprint criminal background checks on
their volunteers.
The second pilot program authorizes the
three designated to receive 100,000
Federal 10-fingerprint criminal background
checks, equally allocated (33,333 each),
to determine whether potential volunteers
are fit to work with children.
Each pilot program will last for eighteen
months. Based on the findings of the pilot
project, the Attorney General will conduct
a feasibility study submitting to Congress
a final report including recommendations.
Background checks will access criminal
history record information held by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
and/or state criminal justice agencies.
Consistent with the privacy protections
delineated in the National Child Protection
Act, a determination of the volunteer’s
fitness will be made by the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children
(NCMEC) or a state agency. The fitness
determination will be communicated to
the organization.
NCYS member organizations Little League
Baseball, Pop Warner Football/Little
Scholars, and American Youth Soccer
Organization are participating in the
PROTECT Act pilot program.
This fingerprint pilot program is one more
step in the NCYS child safety program
initiative. The internet background check
program with IntelliCorp and the National
Child Identification Program are other
NCYS programs providing our children the
protection they deserve while living in
America’s neighborhoods that are safe and
secure from convicted predators.
National Council of Youth Sports
7185 SE Seagate Lane
Stuart, FL 34997-2160
Membership in the National Council of Youth Sports places you on the list of “Who's Who in Youth Sports.”
Join the NCYS Membership team today! Call 772-781-1452 or visit our website at www.ncys.org.
MVP INDIVIDUAL AND
SPORTS GROUP TEAM
TRAVEL PROGRAM
BENEFITS YOUTH SPORTS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“It’s not whether they win or lose, it’s where they stay after the
game!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NCYS is thankful for your support in the recent Washington issues.
As you know it is very costly to be an advocate. One of the ways we as NCYS can sustain our
mission and our endeavors is through corporate partnerships such as with Best Western
International.
This is a program that is being brought to you, the NCYS membership, as an option. There are
savings and services for individuals and teams. We hope you will support it, especially if you do
not have an exclusive hotel partnership. If you do have such a partnership, we hope you will look at
the personal travel option here and think of using it or passing along that option to your family,
friends and constituents.
Questions, call Sally at 772-781-1452. We will follow up to see if you have questions or suggestions
that would make this program successful for you. Thank you for your consideration and continued
support!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wake Up!
An exciting program has awakened within the youth sports industry and The World’s Largest Hotel Chain®. “This is a natural
partnership for the NCYS, its members and Best Western International, Inc. Organizations save money on sports team travel
hotel rooms and families save
money
on personal travel too!,” says NCYS President Wanda L. Rutledge.
We’ve Got You Covered!
Two ways to save and enjoy hotel room lodging discounts:
Team travel for sports group events;
2) Personal travel discounts on individual hotel reservations with the MVP
1)
- Member Value Program - offers savings up to 20% off regular rates.
Travel Discounts!
For Team Travel Reservations Call toll-free 1-866-661-5437(kids) or visit us on the web at bestwestern.com/groupsonline
For Member Value Program’s Personal Travel Reservations Call toll-free 1-800-441-1114 Mention MVP ID#00150780
Step Up to the Plate!
NCYS is asking our member organizations to step up to the plate and help us spread the word on these two cost-savings programs.
Here’s how:
1)
Advertisement. Simply place the enclosed ad slick into your publications;
2)
Filler space. Provide this cost-savings service benefiting your members and their families by adding the sample text box
into your communications filler space – a sample filler space is provided here at the right:
3) Advertorials. Write an editorial that shares the good news of travel savings for youth sports and personal travel too!
Score!
Both programs provide a perfect member
service benefit for you to offer to your affiliates on every level—national,
regional, district, leagues, local teams, individual families. Your affiliates will thank you and appreciate the cost-savings you have
given to them. Chris Cope, Managing Director of BWI Worldwide Sales says, “We are energized by our partnership with NCYS and
its youth sports market. BWI is offering two exciting discount promotional programs for added value and benefits to all travelers
and is proud to be a major supporter of the youth sports industry.” Best Western International, Inc. hotel chain boasts over 4,000
hotels in more than 80 countries. All Best Western hotels are independently owned and operated.
National Council of Youth Sports
7185 SE Seagate Lane; Stuart, FL 34997
phone: 772-781-1452 ★ fax: 772-781-7298 ★ e-mail: [email protected] ★ website: www.ncys.org003