Because you can never be too careful these days, especially when it comes to children and sports, University of Wisconsin Athletic Department officials took important action earlier this year. They adopted a policy, which went into effect April 1, whereby background checks are done on all persons involved with the various sports camps that are held annually on campus. According to Holly Weber, the human resources director for UW Athletics, more than 700 camp-related background checks have been run through her office since April.
UW athletic director Barry Alvarez said recently the background checks had altered the course of more than one hire this year. He declined to get into specifics, but the impact is clear. “They’re very important,” he said of the reviews.