The Arkansas Recreation & Parks Association (ARPA) and the Mississippi Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) now partner with Ankored. Member agencies in both states can run background checks, safety training and coach requirements in one place, at partner pricing. [read full release]
Parks and recreation reaches more than 50 million kids each year, according to the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Most directors run those programs with a few staff, a seasonal wave of volunteer coaches and spreadsheets.
"State associations know their communities, budgets and state laws best. Our state partnerships are designed to protect kids and municipalities — they are two sides of the same coin. Four states have made that commitment, and many more are working toward it."
— Matt Stone, Director of Partnerships at Ankored
Arkansas and Mississippi join Utah and Massachusetts. Over a dozen Utah Recreation and Parks Association (URPA) member agencies now run their programs on Ankored, including Pleasant Grove, South Jordan and Cottonwood Heights. Together they have cleared nearly 1,000 coaches, staff and volunteers. The Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association (Mass RPA) followed with a package built around CORI and SORI authorizations alongside other state requirements.
"We appreciate Ankored's proactive approach to understanding Utah's new legislative requirements and, more importantly, the challenges those requirements create for our parks and recreation professionals. Rather than simply offering a product, Ankored took the time to understand the needs of our members and developed a partnership program designed to help agencies navigate these new responsibilities. With this kind of thoughtful collaboration, we were excited to jump on this opportunity!"
— LeeAnn Powell, Executive Director of URPA
Arkansas builds its package around the Arkansas Coach Safely Act. ARPA members get training that meets the requirement at a bundled cost.
"Our parks and recreation professionals already have a lot on their plates, and meeting the requirements of the Coach Safely Act adds another layer of responsibility. Our partnership with Ankored makes that process easier for our members. By bringing compliance requirements into one platform, we're helping agencies save time and money so that they can focus more of their energy on serving communities."
— Jacob Nilz, Executive Director of ARPA
Mississippi currently has no law requiring background checks or safety training for youth sports coaches. MRPA set a statewide standard anyway, priced for every city and county department. It sets the tone for youth safety across the South.
"MRPA's board members aren't waiting for a law. This partnership gives every MRPA agency an affordable system to help screen, train and document the people working with our kids."
— Dr. Kim Beason, Interim Executive Director of MRPA
Every partnership serves one goal: make sure every adult, coach and volunteer has done everything required before they step onto the field. Ankored puts it all in one place for the directors who run those programs.
Executive directors who want a package for their members can contact Matt Stone at mstone@ankored.com or visit ankored.com/become-a-partner.