Our/Your Son's Privacy!!!

Were Social Security numbers on the students transcripts? Major mistake if they are.

Now I'm going to put my evil mind to work. I get the player's address and high school. I go to a game and find out if his parents attend the game. The next game thinking the parents are at the game I break into the house.

Better, I have the address of the player and he states on his site he'll be at an out of state showcase next month. On Friday night I check to see if the parents are home or away. If they're away I clean out the house Saturday night.

This is a game I saw on the news that dishonest restaurant valets sometimes do. You leave them your car with your car and house keys and your address on the registration. You're dining out on a Saturday night. Chances are with the wait and dining they have at least two hours to rob your house. And you gave them the keys.

It is a tough call. Social Security and Driver License numbers are key bits of information, which need to be safeguarded at every step. We have always omitted Social Security numbers on questionnaires and the like.
Addresses, phone numbers and names as well as DOB are required information to share if you hope to develop communication. All that that info is readily available in public records from a variety of sources.
We do need to be on guard however, so your concerns are clearly not unfounded.

We have the player's name, parents names, email address for parents and player, phone number, cell phone number, home address, school and school address, unofficial school transcript, SAT score results times two and many additional pieces of information, other than drivers license number and SS#.
RJM, I agree with you that it is not just identity theft that is a risk. Unfortunately, I don't feel it is just a theft risk, either.
Floridafan raises a very good point, if this is identify theft. It is more than that, in my opinion.
I would expect any recruiting service will protect my information and my son's information in ways far more secure than what I am reading.
Is exposure through an internet site in pursuit of a college scholarship worth the risk of sharing information that could be taken by someone who is more sinister than what we are talking about.
If this is the balance, I am demanding more security that this. No baseball scholarship is worth telling anyone, this easily, how to find my son.

Hopefully you asked Julie or a moderator to delete the link. Thanks for bringing it up.

Why does anything more than an email address need to be made public? I can understand a kid's name, position, GPA, but transcripts? Home addresses? Telephone numbers? Why does that need to be on an Internet site? Why can't the communication be through an email addy? True, someone could do some digging and find out where you live, etc., but why make it easy for them?

CADad, I have sent a PM but I don't think Julie or a moderator can intervene.
My initial reaction was to ask that it be deleted.
But I don't think it is my call or the call of the site moderators.
The parent posted the link.
The site to which you are taken, in my view, is not secure.
Maybe the parent has a very different view than I do on this issue.
I don't think it is a risk worth taking and would want far more security from the internet site than this.
Others may disagree with me.
It sure would not be the first time on this site.
Since the parent posted the link and invited others to it, I think it is the parents choice to delete it, or not.
Unlike the site that came on advertising their product and linking to the information, this one is the parent. Deleting that one was easy.
Do you think this one is different? I do!

Besides the SSN, there are other types of "sharing" that goes hand-n-hand on the internet. E-mail, while not being a major identity threat problem, can be a pain in the a$$ means of hassling. Anytime you write your name down there is a chance it will be shared/sold to someone else. Some may roll their eyes and say not in a baseball situations, but, how do you know where the info is going?

The remedy I now use is setting up a generic secondary email (Gmail) with Google. Whenever I sign up for something, get something free, or may end up getting a reply from a unknown source, that is the email address I use. Not only is it the best means of securing your primary email but also taking advantage of deals where an email address is required. I guess its a fight fire with fire mentality.

The big problem is that is they want to get your information they will get it no matter what you do

At our showcases we had two programs , one with all the info for the coaches and another with bare info for the general public

rz1 and TR,
Thanks for sharing those ideas.
TR, yours is a very tough one.
How to do publicize and market on the one hand and recognize there are limits on the other?
I think it is great how you have approached this one. Seems like a very good balance.
rz1, I also use the google email...except when I forget. I will forget less often now.
Maybe this thread can be turned more useful with ideas from others on how to maximize security of information needed in the recruiting process and life in general.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
The big problem is that is they want to get your information they will get it no matter what you do

I you can't win the war, win as many battles as you can. The internet is a fabulous and IMO a necessary tool in todays society. Don't give in to those who abuse it as there are many counter actions at your finger tips.

infielddad - Its a great point you bring up and something I've been concerned about as well.

At my workplace, I can get in some very serious trouble even for accidentally revealing an employees birthday, SSN or even their home phone number. All for the reasons you outlined.

All of us should be aware especially when it comes to our children.

I have always felt too much information was revealed about the player and his family. I also understand sports is a high visibility activity with fans, coaches, etc wanting to know all they can about the player(s). I just kind of went with the flow and hoped for the best. Other than a few letters wanting autographs and emails from unknown people (some criticizing -- some praising) no real harm was done.
Fungo

quote:

Fungo quote:
...I have always felt too much information was revealed about the player and his family.

So true Fungo. I think too many families have the blinders on in regard to risk/reward. We're pushed and baited by the stories of success but we seldom hear of the pitfalls. But to each their own. No one is stealing this initial information, it's handed out by the families and they've opened the door and let the public in.

Well since I opened the door to this debate I feel I should chime in. Yes, there were days when my once 10 -16yr old children were educated and watched while they surfed the net. As parents we worried for their safty. Now that they are older we feel they can monitor the info themselves. But I agree that we also live in a identity theft era. When you have sent out your childs info to schools,scouts,coaches,showcases,camps and advisors/agents you just fall into a pattern. You assume that putting his info on a baseball website would be a way to get him onto a quality team. But, to have a coach want your son you need to give him or her the info so that they may make a quality judgement. Should I or shouldn't I call him or refer him to a team? I guess you're right , that if a person wants to make it their mission to take your identity they will. I guess you have to decide if you are giving out too much info and if the site looks like it could be a likely target. I felt at ease with this site in giving out a profile that is inclusive enough to show him but not enough info alone to do harm. I hope the info is used properly as do we all when we pass it out. Thanks for the concern. Thanks for all the positive and negative input which gives insight to make us all more aware of our surroundings.I hope we all can have a safe year and build some great memories.

I suggest to parents when signing up for a site, only the people having recruiting interest in your player should have access to certain information.

My son just received an e-mail from MLB.com asking mim to fill out a baseball assessment questionaire . He has already filled out 17 questionaires from MLB teams , anybody know the difference between those and this one ? Looking forward to your response .

Any websites that provide this type of info to the public may be breaking the law.

/not a lawyer, I'm a ghost

OK, found the link so now I know what you are talking about. They put the info out to be seen. I don't see a problem as long as they know the risks, which they seem to, although that information let's me know the player in question is older than my 2009 so now I can whine about it. Now that's risky.