HOW TO KEEP SHORE YOUTH HOOPS SAFE FOR OUR KIDS
by Jason Stout, Hoop Atlas
A few months ago, a Monmouth County girls' basketball coach and high school teacher was sentenced to five and a half years in state prison. He had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a student under 18. He was arrested in January 2025, and prosecutors said the conduct began in late 2024. He will register under Megan's Law and be on parole supervision for life. He was also a coach with a Shore-area AAU club, and the club fired him after the arrest.
He was, by the accounts you can find online, a celebrated coach. Eight years running the program. A teacher. Someone a lot of families trusted.
I'm a parent too, and I'll be honest: stories like this make my stomach turn. Then they make me want to do something about it. I run Hoop Atlas NJ because I love Shore basketball and I want families to find the right people for their kids. Part of "the right people" is "safe people," and I don't think we talk about that enough in our gyms, our group chats, or on the sidelines.
So let's talk about it, parent to parent.
First, the part that matters most
The vast majority of coaches in our area are good people. They coach because they love the game and they love seeing a kid figure something out. They give up weeknights, weekends, and a lot of money they'll never get back, and they do it for other people's children. Almost every program I've talked to takes this seriously, and a lot of them are tired of being lumped in with the few who ruin it.
This article isn't about distrusting coaches. It's about building a system where good coaches are protected, good programs are easy to spot, and the rare bad actor has nowhere to hide. Families who ask good questions make that happen. Honest programs welcome those questions.
It's not just a Shore problem
The Shore isn't unique in this regard, and I don't want to pretend it is. Some of what's happened nationally:
Iowa: A co-director of a well-known club in Cedar Rapids was accused of sexually exploiting more than 400 of his young players. He was sentenced to 180 years in prison.
Connecticut: A coach in an AAU girls' program was found guilty of sexual assault after three players came forward. One of them said he assaulted her while she was staying at his home to play for his team.
New Jersey: Several AAU and travel coaches around the state have been arrested over the years, including cases where more than one player ended up coming forward.
The one that stuck with me most is a recent ProPublica and Washington Post investigation into the AAU itself. Among its findings: the AAU does not actually offer child abuse prevention training even though it told the public it did, and after reporters asked about it, the website was changed to say training is "encouraged." The reporting also found that, because the AAU isn't a federally recognized national governing body, it isn't overseen by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and doesn't have to follow its rules. The AAU has said it takes misconduct allegations seriously and requires background screening of its non-athlete members, but the takeaway for me as a parent is simple:
Don't assume an AAU logo means a coach has been trained. Ask.
Why a good record and a nice personality aren't enough
The coach in our local case was well liked and successful. That's the uncomfortable truth. Wins, charisma, and a great reputation don't tell you anything about safety. People who harm kids usually work hard to be the coach everybody trusts, and that trust is exactly what they use.
So the answer isn't a gut feeling. It's structure: training, written rules, and a program culture where nothing happens in the dark. That structure also protects the great coaches, because clear rules mean nobody's ever in a spot where something could be misunderstood.
What to look for in a coach and a program
Here's what I look for now, and what I'd encourage you to look for.
1. A current background check, and a program that can tell you how it works. Ask who runs the check, how recent it is, and whether it's repeated every year. A background check isn't a guarantee, since it only catches people who've already been caught, but a program that skips it is a hard no.
2. SafeSport training that's current. The U.S. Center for SafeSport offers abuse-prevention training for coaches, and its model policies are the closest thing to a national standard we have. Ask whether every coach has completed it, and when. Since the AAU doesn't require it, the program has to choose to require it on its own, and that choice tells you a lot.
3. A USA Basketball coach license, where a coach has one. USA Basketball's licensing is tied to background screening and safety training. It's not required for AAU coaches, so it's a bonus, but it's a good sign when a coach has taken that extra step. Ask what their license covers.
4. CPR/AED, first aid, and concussion training. Safety isn't only about misconduct. Someone at every practice and game should know what to do if a kid goes down.
5. A written code of conduct and communication policy. SafeSport's model policies say one-on-one interactions between a coach and a minor should be observable and interruptible, meaning in view of others, not behind a closed door. They also say electronic communication should be open, for example group chats or messages that include parents, rather than private texts and DMs between an adult and a kid.
6. Clear rules on travel, hotels, rides, and locker rooms. No coach alone with a player overnight. No coach alone with a kid in a car as a routine thing. Defined rules for who supervises changing areas. Tournament travel is where a lot of risk lives, so this matters.
7. A real reporting process, and someone other than the head coach to report to. If the only person a kid or parent can go to is the person they're worried about, the system doesn't work. Ask who the program's safety contact is and what happens when someone raises a concern.
Questions to ask any AAU program
You're allowed to ask these. A good program will be glad you did. Some will have the answers ready, and some will say "good question, let me find out." Both are fine. Dodging, getting defensive, or making you feel rude for asking is the real warning sign.
About the people
Has every coach, assistant, and volunteer who'll be around my child passed a background check? Who runs it, and how often is it renewed?
Has every coach completed SafeSport or similar abuse-prevention training? When was the last time?
Do any of your coaches hold a USA Basketball coach license?
Is anyone certified in CPR/AED and first aid at every practice and game?
How long has this coach been with the program, and what's the process for bringing on new coaches?
About the rules
Do you have a written code of conduct and communication policy? Can I read it?
How do coaches communicate with players? Are parents included in group messages? Are private texts or DMs with players allowed?
What's your policy on one-on-one time between a coach and a player, like private training, rides, or extra gym time?
What are the rules for tournament travel, hotel rooms, and overnight stays? Will my child ever be alone with a coach?
Are parents welcome at practices? Are there any closed practices, and why?
About accountability
Who do I contact if I have a concern, and is it someone other than the coach?
What happens when a complaint is made? Is there a written process?
Has the program ever removed a coach for a conduct issue, and how was that handled?
Does the program follow SafeSport suspensions or bans, and does it check the Center for SafeSport's public disciplinary list before bringing on a coach?
What does the program expect of parents when it comes to reporting something they see or hear?
Some things you can check yourself
Center for SafeSport's public disciplinary database. You can search a coach's name to see if they've been sanctioned.
New Jersey's sex offender registry (Megan's Law). It's public and searchable.
Your own eyes and ears. Watch how a coach talks to kids, how they handle boundaries, and whether kids seem comfortable around them. Ask your child how practice felt, and listen to the answer.
Talk to your kids
Our kids need to know that no coach, trainer, or adult gets to tell them to keep a secret from us, and that they'll never be in trouble for telling us something that made them uncomfortable, even if the person is someone we all like and respect. Say it out loud, more than once. Kids often stay quiet because they're afraid of getting someone they like in trouble or of not being believed.
If you see something that worries you, don't wait. In New Jersey, anyone who has reason to believe a child is being abused is required to report it. You can call the NJ Department of Children and Families hotline at 1-877-NJ-ABUSE (1-877-652-2873), contact your local police, or report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport at 833-5US-SAFE (833-587-7233). If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
Where this leaves us
I love this community. I love watching a kid hit their first real jumper at a Friday night run, and I love the coaches who make that happen. Those coaches don't have anything to fear from these questions. In fact, they're the ones who benefit most when families expect the bar to be high.
If we ask the questions, expect real answers, and keep the lights on, the good coaches get the trust they deserve and the bad ones run out of places to hide.
One more thing, because I think it's only fair: being listed in the Hoop Atlas NJ directory isn't a safety vetting or an endorsement of any program's safety practices. Ask these questions of everyone, including the programs I'm proud to work with.
Have a question about a program or a story to share? Reach out. I'm happy to help any family figure out what to ask.