November 26th, 2008 will be last day that Background Check Verification forms will be emailed to Professional members that are pending for the background check requirement.

Professional members will NOT be released from pending, and therefore no membership benefits will be released until the final result of the background check screening has been received by USA Gymnastics from the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI).

Mandatory background check screening went into effect on December 1st, 2007. The verification forms were implemented to allow Professional members to become acclimated with the new membership requirement. The verification forms were only issued to those Professional members who had started the background check process, but the final result had not yet been received by USA Gymnastics.

It is vitally important for those Professional members who have not yet begun the background check process to start immediately. In addition any new/expired/or lapsed Professional member should begin the process of paying for membership and attaining membership requirements (background check and safety/risk management certification) as soon as possible so that they will not be prevented from participation at USA Gymnastics sanctioned events.

If a current Professional member has not completed the background check requirement by December 1st, 2008, meet directors are directed to not allow these individuals onto the floor at USA Gymnastics sanctioned events.

Any new Professional member will remain in a pending status and therefore, be ineligible for participation in USA Gymnastics sanctioned events until the background check has been fully completed.

Please note the normal processing time required for the background check is 3 to 4 weeks. Rush processing is not available.

For more information regarding the background check requirement please visit the USA Gymnastics website at: http://www.usagymnastics.org/Story.aspx?tabid=496

To check the status of your background check screening please use the NCSI Search Tool located on the NCSI website. For instructions on using the new look up tool please click the following link: http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/Story.aspx?tabid=836&prog=Member%20Services

For any other questions regarding the background check screening please contact NCSI at 866-833-7100.