HANOVER, Va. -- On the field they get to see the fruits of their labor. Coaches dedicate hours of their time, to push student athletes to success.
Whether it's winning football games or watching their track athletes sign for college scholarships coaches know their impact on youngsters is huge.
Donna Haynesworth, who organized and coaches, for the Richmond Heat track team, and who also coaches for Hanover, has undergone extensive background checks.
She knows how important the process is.
"I do think that I would prefer to see the checks done on the sex offender registry and the regular criminal history," Haynesworth said.
One Hanover school board member says he will propose changing their policy for volunteer coaches in December.
Norman Sulser would like to require a full criminal background check in addition to the sex offender registry check that's done now. Parents and grandparents agree.
"I think that a full-blown background check should be done," Francine Keys explained. "Our children are too important."
"I think with all that's going on in the world today that should be done and I think it should be done whether the person is paid or not," she added.
Sulser said it's only fair to subject volunteer coaches to the same scrutiny they give paid coaches.
Some school board members disagree. Now Sulser says the board will research more and figure out what criminal offenses they would zero in on that might disqualify some coaches from working with their children.
If Sulser proposes the change and it is approved, about 50 volunteer coaches will be affected.
