Felons found coaching amateur youth sports

The National Amateur Athletic Union is taking steps toward conducting criminal background checks on its 65,000 coaches and volunteers after discovering some of them have committed crimes including murder, incest, delivering drugs and theft.

The AAU, one of the largest nonprofit, volunteer sports organizations in the country, currently doesn't conduct such checks nationally. The association recently completed a pilot program in Washington and Idaho after The Seattle Times found several AAU coaches had felony convictions.

The Times series "Coaches who prey," published Dec. 14-17, found that coaches in clubs and organizations such as the AAU are unregulated and can coach despite having a history of sexual misconduct or a criminal record.

The AAU and Times recently checked the roster of 4,236 coaches and volunteers in both states and found 38 felons.

"This is the biggest issue in youth sports without question," said Sally Cunningham, executive director of the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS). "Something must be done to promote safety and protect children. It's so critical."

The NCYS is a nonprofit networking and lobbying group whose members include the AAU, Boys & Girls Club of America, Little League Baseball and dozens of other youth sports programs.

While organizations such as Little League and the Boys & Girls Club of America conduct criminal background checks, the AAU and hundreds of other athletic organizations do not, citing cost and difficulty in tracking convictions.

"My number-one fear is that a sexual predator is going to get one of our kids," Cunningham said. "Anything we can do to protect our kids is what this is all about."

The AAU currently relies on prospective coaches to voluntarily report if they've been convicted of a sex crime or felony.

Because of concerns raised by the Times series, the AAU recently hired a private company to run criminal background checks on coaches and volunteers in Washington and Idaho. The Times also obtained the names of AAU coaches and searched public records for criminal convictions.

Of the 38 coaches with felony convictions, four were recently told they could no longer coach and their memberships were revoked by the AAU. None of the four had reported his felony convictions to the AAU. National AAU President and CEO Bobby Dodd expects more coaches will be kicked out after he gathers more documentation.

Yesterday at AAU's headquarters in Orlando, Fla., the 33-member Executive Committee examined ways to conduct criminal background checks nationwide.

"It's an attempt to give another layer of assurance to the consumer that we are doing everything we can do," Dodd said. "Those 38 (felons) are a concern to us, and we are going to try to ensure more integrity in the process."

Though the vast majority of AAU coaches are dedicated volunteers, the numbers in Washington and Idaho indicate there could be dozens more coaches in other states who have felony convictions.

Just how many more coaches across the nation are felons and for what crimes is a concern for Henry Forrest, the AAU compliance-committee chairman and an active member for more than 20 years.

"We are trying to protect the kids," he said. "We can't guarantee 100 percent but if we can weed those out then that's what we're after."

The NCYS will meet April 21 in Jacksonville, Fla., to develop a national standard on criminal background checks for volunteers and coaches.

"We will be addressing the crisis of abuse and molestation by coaches and mentors," Cunningham said. "We believe the issue is becoming a threat to our youth programs in our country and it should be managed as a top priority for every youth organization."

The Times, after identifying the felons who were coaching, investigated the details in some of the cases to show the range of crimes committed. The investigation found some coaches purposely hid their crimes and others said they didn't know AAU's disclosure rule.

Allen Tom Isadore, a custodian with the Yakama Nation who was convicted of murder, said he didn't intentionally withhold his past on the AAU form.

"I didn't even read the paper, I just put my name and address and signed it," he said. "I would have told them."

Yet it's hard to miss the AAU's policy.

It's stated plainly on both the application form — which coaches fill out every year — and the membership card that many coaches carry in their wallets: "I certify that I have never been convicted of any sex offense nor felony; or, if so, I must apply for membership (and receive approval) through the AAU National Office."

In 1975, Isadore grabbed his .22 semi-automatic firearm from the trunk of his car and loaded it with 15 rounds. He drove down the hill near Parker Dam on the Yakama Indian Reservation and met a group of people he'd been drinking and fighting with that night. Within seconds he fired multiple rounds, killing one man and injuring five others.

After serving more than 18 years in prison for second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, Isadore was released in 1993.

"That's all in the past, water under the bridge," Isadore said in an interview last week. "I made a promise to myself that prison wouldn't make me harsh."

But three years after his release — in 1996 — he got intoxicated and angry with several neighbors, and threatened them and then the police with a rifle, according to court records. He served five years for second-degree assault and remains on parole until 2012.

Isadore has been an AAU basketball coach for the Toppenish Wildcats since 2002, helping his sister Dianna Aleck coach several teams. Two of Isadore's sons play on the teams.

"I make them stretch, make them warm up ... make them dribble," he said. "If they're not listening I say, 'Everyone give me a lap.' "

But Isadore's coaching duties recently ended.

When AAU recently received its report on Washington coaches with criminal histories, Isadore's conviction — second-degree murder — stood out. AAU notified Isadore his membership was revoked in a letter dated Feb. 26.

Isadore said he understands why he can't be a coach and said he will continue to be an active parent.

"The sad part is that the man didn't think it was necessary to disclose the severity of the crime, which speaks for itself," AAU's Dodd said.

Cunningham of the NCYS said the fact that a convicted murderer has been coaching youth "is absolutely disgusting."

"Ten years ago you would take anyone to coach and still today you look in the stands and pull someone out of the bleachers to coach third base — that has to stop for a number of reasons," she said. "There must be guidelines, procedures and minimum qualifications in order to coach."

Another coach who failed to disclose his crime to AAU said he intentionally hid his past in order to continue coaching.

Joel Walker was unemployed and desperate to pay rent when, in 2000, he stole more than $9,000 from the Conway Community Sports Association in Skagit County. Treasurer of the sports program, Walker wrote checks from the association to himself and cashed them to pay his living expenses.

The 45-year-old postal worker was convicted of second-degree theft and recently completed his 160 hours of community service. He is still paying restitution.

But stealing from the sports organization didn't prevent him from coaching. He moved to Lacey and has been coaching several AAU girls' basketball teams including the Lacey Lynx.

He has never disclosed his crime to the AAU.

"It was something in my past that I've already paid for," Walker said. "I voluntarily disclosed all information to the prosecutors and basically admitted everything. I accepted the sentence and paid my dues for the mistakes I made."

The AAU is investigating Walker's crime and gathering information before it decides if it will revoke his license. Walker is one of the 38 coaches who the AAU and The Times discovered had felony convictions.

Walker thinks he should be able to keep coaching.

"People make mistakes in their lives and everyone deserves a second chance," he said. "It doesn't affect the person I am. The parents appreciate that I'm giving their kids an opportunity."

After being interviewed by The Times, Walker said, he quit coaching and resigned as a board member of the South Sound Amateur Athletics AAU-sanctioned girls basketball league.

Coaches aren't the only volunteers who have failed to disclose their pasts. The Times found one AAU volunteer administrator who was convicted of incest in 1988.

Loren Doolittle, 54, has been helping run the Evergreen Volleyball Club in Thurston County as an administrator for the past three years.

The club, which has at least five teams with girls from fifth-graders to high-school seniors, is registered with the AAU. Doolittle is listed as an AAU volunteer.

When asked about the incest, Doolittle, a grants manager for the Washington State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, didn't deny the conviction and his deception.

"It's private," he said.

The club's director, Bill Lash, has known about Doolittle's sex offense for years and said he has mixed emotions about Doolittle's participation in the club. Lash said Doolittle doesn't coach; his responsibilities include managing the club's finances and organizing tournaments and games. Lash has told the club's coaches about Doolittle's past but has never told the parents.

"One of my great fears is that this would come out about Loren," Lash said. "In the overall picture, no, he shouldn't be a volunteer, but ... he's been a model citizen. Molesters are predators and maybe because I watch him like a hawk it makes me feel (like I have) a false sense of security. If something ever happened I'd never forgive myself."

The AAU is researching Doolittle's criminal history.

Dodd said the AAU recently revoked the membership of three coaches — Anthony Ashley, Benjamin Darrett and Curtis Roy Price — because of their failure to disclose their criminal history.

Ashley is a freshman girls basketball coach at North Central High School in Spokane. The 36-year-old was convicted of unlawful imprisonment in 1991 and second-degree theft in 1998, according to court documents. North Central High School girls basketball coach Dave Hall said he and school officials knew only about the theft conviction.

"He's a good role model," Hall said.

Ashley said he will reapply for AAU membership to continue to coach because he didn't see the policy that required him to report his felony convictions.

"I've made mistakes, but I've gone on to clean myself up," he said.

Darrett was convicted of a felony violation of a no-contact order in 1995; possession of cocaine in 1994 and 1989; and indecent liberties with a child while he was a juvenile in 1984. The Times was unable to locate Darrett, 34, for comment. The AAU wouldn't disclose where Darrett last coached.

Price, 35, was convicted of delivery of cocaine and marijuana in 1991 and served 30 months in prison. Price, who has been coaching AAU for two years in Spokane, said he plans to reapply for membership.

Dodd considers the 38 felons out of 4,236 AAU coaches in Washington and Idaho — nearly 1 percent of the coaches — as relatively low. Yet, he hopes the organization will start doing criminal background checks soon.

Cunningham of the NCYS says one felon coaching sports is one too many.

"If we do not take a responsible role, then the chances are good that in time our youth sports organizations will be out of business either through lawsuits or insurance being dropped," she said.

Seattle Times staff reporter Justin Mayo contributed to this report.

Christine Willmsen: 206-464-3261 or cwillmsen@seattletimes.com