Archive for the ‘Equipment Insurance’ Category

Travel Ball: Pros, Cons, Injuries and Insurance

 

 

Travel ball rebounds from COVID

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the youth sports market in the United States was a $19 billion industry, according to a study by WinterGreen Research. Youth travel sports have rebounded from the impact of the pandemic. They now account for a significant segment of the market.

Youth sports travel teams are composed of athletes who play at an elite level in sports that include soccer, softball, baseball and lacrosse, among others. Teams travel long distances for games, tournaments and showcase events.

Along with offering a valuable learning and social experience for young athletes, travel sports provide a higher level of competition than participants might find locally. Children involved in youth travel sports also have more frequent opportunities to compete.

Parents of young athletes should consider the pros and cons of travel sports. Participation involves a significant investment of time, energy and money.

Pros

  • Travel sports events offer social benefits for athletes and their families
  • Opportunity to learn skills and understanding of the sport beyond what school and local recreation leagues provide
  • Increase in athlete’s self-esteem and confidence level, socially and athletically
  • Camaraderie with fellow travel sports participants and bonding time with family

Cons

  • Expense of participation including registration fees, lodging, meals, equipment, camps, private coaching
  • Performance pressure and anxiety – being part of an elite team brings higher expectations for the athlete 
  • Increased risk of injury – concussions, repetitive motion/overuse injuries, torn ligaments, heatstroke and broken bones, as well as accidents while traveling to and from events

Travel ball and injuries

According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 3.5 million injuries requiring medical treatment occur annually in youth sports.  Because participation in youth travel sports can increase the likelihood of overuse injuries, it is important to stay focused on prevention. 

At Sadler Sports Insurance, we track the injuries for many of our sports programs. As a general rule, our injury report statistics indicate a higher number of injuries during games versus practice and a higher incidence of injuries as age and skill levels increase.

The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS) have partnered to help prevent youth sports injuries by creating the STOP (Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention) Sports Injuries program. Learn more about sports specific injuries here. 

Personal experience with travel soccer

As a parent with two daughters who played travel soccer for SC United FC, it was a very positive experience. I found that the organization was well managed and hired excellent coaches with the safety and well being of my daughters at heart. The association had excellent contractual transfer protection through waiver/release, concussion risk management, and child abuse risk management.

Both my wife and I as well as my daughters were able to form lifelong bonds with the other participants. Now that my youngest daughter has aged out and gone to college, I find myself missing the travel soccer experience.

Travel ball insurance

As experts in youth sports association insurance, Sadler Sports & Recreation Insurance recognizes the risks travel sports organizations face. We provide many different insurance programs for travel ball in almost all sports with our instant online quote / pay / print and best in industry risk management resources to prevent the injury or lawsuits from ever becoming an insurance claim.

Almost all travel teams need the following insurance policies to protect the organization, directors, officers, coaches, volunteers, and athletic participants:

Accident

General Liability

Directors & Officers Liability

Crime

Equipment

 

 

Crime and Equipment Policies for Sports Organizations

The difference is important

Some administrators who make the insurance purchasing decisions for sports organizations are confused over the difference between Crime Insurance and Equipment Insurance.  They mistakenly believe that theft of equipment by outsiders or vandalism of equipment is a crime covered by a Crime Policy.  This is not correct.

Here is an easy way to distinguish between the two policies:

Equipment Insurance = Loss of sports equipment due to fire, wind, vandalism, theft, etc.

Crime Insurance = Employee/Volunteer theft of equipment or embezzlement of funds.

Of course, the above explanation is an over simplification, but it is an easy way to understand the main differences between the two policies.

Safety in the Gym

Risk management from top to bottom

Occasional injuries in a gymnasium or sports facility are to be expected, but they’re usually due to the inherent risk of sports participation. However, no one should ever expect an equipment-related injury.

In-depth equipment inspections should be conducted annually, and visual spot checks every month. Documentation of these inspections is an integral part risk management and can be the key to combatting allegations of negligence or noncompliance in the event of an injury claim.

Don’t assume staff is knowledgeable enough to conduct these inspections. If necessary, hire a professional inspection service. Such services usually don’t perform repairs, but can refer you to a company that does. If performing your own in-house inspections, there are areas that can be easily overlooked.

Looking up

As every grocery store manager knows, people focus on what’s at eye level. Sports facilities often have wall-mounted and/or ceiling-mounted systems, such as basketball nets, storage systems, and lighting. Make it a priority to look up for frayed cables or broken pulleys and mounts. Staff, players and fans are susceptible to serious injuries from stretched cables, loose attachments, or improperly stored equipment.

“If you see something that might be a problem, you need to investigate.” – Nick Cusick, Bison Inc.

Are problems afoot?

The gym floor houses equipment that can poses risks as well. Volleyball nets and soccer goals should be inspected for proper anchoring. Unsecured equipment can fall on players or cause players to trip. Safety wall padding should be checked regularly to ensure none is loose and still in good shape, not torn or worn thin.

Proper and sufficient signage can’t be stressed enough. Not only does it draw attention to safety issues and rules, but is a significant part of any risk management program. In other words, signs protect the public from safety hazards and the gym owner/operator. from potential lawsuits

If you have questions or concerns about safety issues, contact Sadler Sports and Recreation Insurance at (800) 622-7370. And don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook!

Source: Emily Attwood, “Inspections, Monitoring Key to Optimal Gym Operation,“ Athletic Business. March, 2014.

 

 

Property And Sports Equipment Insurance

Unique risk exposures require Commercial Property insurance

Most of the major exposures for sports and recreation organizations involve lawsuits and liability. However, sports and recreation organizations do have some unique property and equipment exposures which require the purchase of Commercial Property insurance.

Sports and recreation organizations commonly own the following types of property that Property and equipment insuranceshould be covered under a properly customized and endorsed Commercial Property insurance policy:

  • Buildings, sheds, fences, bleachers, scoreboards, and other structures
  • Personal property such as furniture, fixtures, office equipment, supplies, and inventory
  • Tenant improvements and betterments
  • Computer hardware, software, and data
  • Sports equipment
  • Field maintenance equipment

Commonly covered perils include fire, windstorm, hail, theft, vandalism, auto collision, etc.

Whenever possible, the Special Perils of Loss coverage form should be used and all property should be insured for its full replacement value. Computer hardware and software should be insured under a special Electronic Data Processing (EDP) coverage form that insures against certain common perils that are excluded under the regular Commercial Policy coverage form. In addition, equipment that leaves the premises should be insured under an Inland Marine coverage form that covers equipment to other locations.

An organization should carefully review its Property insurance needs with a property and casualty insurance professional who specializes in business insurance. That agent should use a detailed checklist to make sure that all special coverage needs and exclusion buy-backs have been addressed.

Sports and recreation organizations commonly enter agreements where they lease buildings and personal property. These lease agreements should be carefully reviewed for insurance requirements. The tenant or lessee is commonly required to carry certain types of insurance to protect the interests of the landlord or lessor. An experienced property and casualty insurance agent should review all such agreements to advise the sports organization on contractual requirements pertaining to Property Insurance.

Business income and extra expense

Property Insurance covers direct damage to property from covered perils and pays for  repair or replacement. On the other hand, Business Income insurance pays for indirect damage to an organization’s finances.

For example, if an organization’s headquarters were to burn down, it’s possible the whole operation could be disrupted and the sports organization would suffer from loss of income and ongoing expenses during the period of restoration. Or, if the sports organization were to immediately relocate to a temporary location and immediately resume operations, Business Insurance would cover the cost of lease payments, rush delivery of phones and computers, information technology consulting fees for set up, etc.

Business Income and Extra Expense insurance were designed to reimburse  these types of losses. It’s been statistically proven that these policies significantly lower the possibility of business failure and bankruptcy. Due to the complexities of determining the proper limit of coverage to purchase and the various coverage options, it is imperative to consult with a property and casualty insurance agent who specializes in business insurance for a policy that meets your organization’s unique needs.

Please contact Sadler Sports & Recreation insurance if you are interested in receiving a quote.