Protect Your Football Organization Prior To Start Date

Youth tackle and flag football and cheer is a multi season sport with year round activity for many conferences, associations, teams, tournaments and camps. But the start of any season is not just fun and games – over 225,000 injuries that send youth football and cheer participants to the emergency room each year.

For coaches, administrators, and facility managers, this means potential lawsuits and the related worry that could derail a great season.

Don’t wait until your first practice—review your insurance and risk management plans now.

“In my 35 years helping football organizations, I’ve seen it all— the expected routine spectator and participant injury claims as well as catastrophic claims resulting in deaths.” – John Sadler

 

Top Risks in Youth Football (and How to Mitigate Them)

1. Player Injuries: Due To Lack Of Supervision, Instruction, Facility Problems, Child Abuse, And Concussion

• Be sure to maintain adequate youth supervisor to player ratios and prevent roughhousing.
• Require coaches to be trained or certified by reputable organizations keying in on the needs of youth athletes and proper football instruction including tackling technique.
• Be sure to inspect the playing field for defects and maintenance problems prior to every practice and game.
• Implement child abuse / molestation risk management programs which includes criminal background checks and written policies and procedures to help to prevent an incident.
• Be sure to implement a concussion risk management plan which includes coach training and policies and procedures for concussion identification, removal, treatment, and return to play protocols.

2. Spectator Injuries: Premises Hazards, Sidelines, And Sports Violence

• Be sure to use a checklist to inspect premises and spectator areas for defects prior to every practice and game.
• Be sure to require spectators to sit or stand a safe distance from the sidelines.
• Make sure to adopt and enforce parent codes of conduct to reduce the chances of sports violence.

3. Other Catastrophic Risks:

• Heat illness deaths from failure to adopt heat illness risk management plan
• Drownings at team outings due to lack of hiring lifeguards and improper supervision.
• Falls from parade floats due to lack of proper supervision.
• Bleacher collapse due to failure to routinely inspect.

Check out our blog about Horror Stories On What Can Go Wrong which outlines actual claims paid by Sadler Insurance on behalf of our clients.

 

Sadler Sports Insurance: Your Football / Cheer MVP

For over 35 years, Sadler Sports Insurance has helped football and cheer organizations stay protected with affordable, tailored coverage for conferences, associations, teams, tournaments, and camps.

• One stop shop for General Liability, Accident, D&O Liability, Equipment and Crime.
• We offer instant online quote / pay / printing of proof of coverage docs and certificates for facility owners.
• Our portal allows self issuance of COIs 24/7.
• Custom coverage enhancements including sex abuse and non owned and hired auto liability.
• Access our best in industry free risk management content which addresses waiver/release, sex abuse, concussion protocols, sudden cardiac arrest, heat illness, lightning safety, bleacher collapse, etc