Risk Management

As a coach one of the most important duties you have is to provide each student with the up-most safety as possible, protecting them and everyone, including other coaches, from any risks, accidents, or injuries that may occur. By having an efficient management and organization to your program it allows for more time and energy to be placed on the players.

The following is a detailed plan on how to minimize liability risks and avoid careless coaching:

Meetings:

Coach needs to have a meeting with students, parents/guardians, and other coaches defining team rules and regulations, procedures, and go over some of the Policy Handbook, providing copies of each so they all have a something to refer back to.

Coaches also are to go over the possible dangers and risks involved in participating in activity having players and parents/guardians sign waivers agreeing they have received information accepting the warning, in which all will also get a copy of to refer back to.

Also, for students who have not done so already are to have a physician complete a physical waiver form, or if the school can provide one, to ensure the student is physically capable to participate in athletics to avoid any injuries.

Conditioning:

Students should begin conditioning in pre-season, and possibly even continue year-round to ensure their capability of the physical challenges they could experience during their activity. If the student fails to be in a decent amount of shape when the season begins accidents and injuries are quite possible.

Matching of Athletes:

Athletes should be matched properly by factors such as height, weight, ability and physical maturity of the athlete as well as skill levels.

Facilities:

Many injuries, accidents and risks are resulted from unsafe/inappropriate facilities. Before the season starts, coaches should go over the facilities, indoor and outdoor, checking for any hazards that need to be addressed to ensure everyone’s safety.

Regular maintenance should be conducted.

Equipment:

Coaches need to perform accurate equipment inventory of all equipment that is to be used prior to seasons start. If any equipment needs to be fixed or is un-repairable, new equipment should be provided to replace the old to avoid any accidents and/or injury.

Students should also be taught on how to use the equipment properly to avoid injury.

Injury Reports/First Aid & CPR:

It’s important that all coaches are certified and up-to-date in First Aid/CPR. Coaches act as first responders to incidents, especially if there is no trainer present. The goal is to ultimately save the students life, prevent any further aggravating to injury and administer first aid until help arrives.

Notification of an injury to a parent/guardian is important. A coach must carry a list of all the players Emergency Contacts with them at all times.

When an injury/accident occurs it should be recorded and reported to parent/guardian and placed in the students file.

Keeping track of injuries of all students can determine if there are any areas of concern in the coaches program that should be changed.