Youth Sport Web Sites & Child Safety

To non computer literate..the internet is a place where Porn and criminals run amuck.....

My local board just voted to not have any kids names nor pictures on the net.... Yet they have pictures, phone numbers and full schedules in their program.... that anyone can get..... Plus the local newspapers you give as an example....

Their rationale...anyone in the world can get information..... Well to tell you the truth... No one in the world..except the local families cares about a Little league site... Unless you're looking at how others do the things you're trying to do...

If you are worried about a STALKER... well all anyone has to do is travel down to the local league fields and walk around and they can find out a whole lot more than what a picture and name on a site will ever do... If someone wants to harm a kid... it will happen whether or not the internet has pictures... with very little effort, anyone who want to... can find more info than they care about on almost anyone.

My policy was to never identify a picture and a name together ... but IMHO the only thing that not posting pictures and/or names does is.... it does not provide PROMOTION for the kids....

Wouldn't most kids and parents clamour to get on a television spot and have their kids names announced!

I beleive the happiness you provide by promoting a kid and allowing him/her to see his/her name and perhaps picture by far out weigh and possible harm (if any) it may cause....

But you can only Promote..... (don't list everyone stats...because you will alienate the bottom 90% listed...)

Child molesters don't surf the net looking for victims... they sit at a school corner... or a site much less populated.... or read the local paper....