A Florida man who had worked extensively as a youth football coach in Tampa, Florida was revealed to have a lengthy rap sheet after his arrest for gunning down an individual during an altercation in a bar parking lot.

Jimmy Cruz stands accused of gunning down J.J. Revear the week of May 16^th, 2011, capping a long history of criminal entanglement for a man who, for some reason, was still able to coach youth league football players.

Due to an overlooked background check, Cruz had been coaching for over five years with the Mid-Florida Football and Cheerleading Conference.

Up until recently, Cruz had been working as a coach with the Tampa Bay Panthers. Known for his dedication, he could be found posing in group photos with a number of teams, players unaware of their coach’s checkered past.

His past convictions included distributing cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, soliciting prostitution, aggravated assault, battery on a law enforcement officer among 19 other charges and various convictions going back to 1996.

This man, on the field, coaching youth football? How?

With its ranks composed upwards of 4,000 kids, the Tampa Bay Youth Football league requires its 1,500 volunteers to undergo a $20 background check prior to working within the league.

League President, Scott Levinson, explained specific offenses are not tolerated regardless of a volunteer’s earnestness or commitment to helping out.

“If you were arrested for DUI eight years ago, I don’t think that’s going to hurt you coaching a child,” said Levinson. “But if you were arrested for drugs or distribution … that’s a different story. Anything dealing with domestic violence, anything dealing with a child, anything sexual, you’re done.”

According to those type of standards, Cruz would have never set foot on the field had a check been conducted. Drugs, prostitution and shooting charges don’t exactly make for the type of moral character a young player can look to for inspiration.

Parks and Recreation Department spokesperson, Linda Carlo, said an investigation is presently underway concerning Cruz’s role within the league and the circumstances behind the missing background check.

The negligence behind the criminal history oversight could possibly result in sanctions for the team and the league. Both entities are likely kicking themselves pretty good at this point for being asleep at the switch.

Even if an individual on the field has your trust and a good reputation to carry them onward in good graces, you just can’t risk the chance there might be more than meets the eye.

Run a background check; know for sure who you’re dealing with and field qualified individuals.

Fenimore is being held on $420,000 bail.

It’s common for coaches to look for ways to bond with their players and establish a unique camaraderie between two separate generations. However, as one volunteer coach has found out, providing marijuana to young players isn’t as smart as say, taking the team out for pizza.

St. Helens Oregon volunteer baseball coach Randy Fenimore has been charged with 6 counts each of unlawful delivery of marijuana and endangering the welfare of a minor.

The charges stem from an overnight team excursion on April 9^th in which Fenimore allegedly distributed pot to his players. The team had taken the outing to cope with the loss of head coach Tim Lokken, 51, who had died the day before.

St. Helens Police Sgt. Phil Edwards stated, “It seemed to be a spur-of-the-moment idea brought up by one individual. Fenimore was present during the conversation and did nothing to discourage (the use of marijuana).”

Authorities are also mulling whether criminal charges will be brought against six other players who brought supplementary amount of “green” party favors of their own to the event.

The St. Helens School district policy is to run a background check on all volunteers, faculty and employees. However, the district had no comment to offer up when it was disclosed Fenimore had a 2009 citation for marijuana possession in which he had pled guilty and paid out hundreds of dollars in fines.

Look, you want to connect with your players, deliver a motivating talk, surprise them with a case of ice cold Coca-Cola or surprise them with an unexpected detour to the McDonalds drive-thru. I don’t think hooking them up with drugs is going to have any kind of a positive ending.

Exactly why he thought he this was a cool thing to do is anyone’s guess, but with bail set at $420,000, Mr. Fenimore can mull it over while he sits in a St. Helens jail awaiting trial.