Safe Sport Act

Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017

 
 

On February 14, 2018, S. 534 was signed into law and became effective immediately.

The bill amends two federal statutes: (1) the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 and (2) the Amateur Sports Act of 1978.

(1) Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990

(a) Extended reporting duties

The bill amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to extend the duty to report suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, within 24 hours to certain adults who are authorized to interact with minor or amateur athletes at a facility under the jurisdiction of a national governing body. A “national governing body” means an amateur sports organization that is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee.

An individual who is required, but fails, to report suspected child sexual abuse is subject to criminal Penalties.

(b) Civil remedies
Additionally, the bill amends the federal criminal code to revise civil remedy provisions. Among other things, it changes the civil statute of limitation to 10 years from the date the victim discovers the violation or injury (currently, 10 years from the date the cause of action arose). The bill also extends the statute of limitations for a minor victim of a federal sex offense to file a civil action to 10 years (currently, 3 years) from the date such individual reaches age 18.

(2) Amateur Sports Act of 1978

The bill also amends the Amateur Sports Act of 1978.

(a) Designation of United States Center for SafeSport

It designates the United States Center for SafeSport to serve as the independent national safe sport organization, with the responsibility for developing policies and procedures to prevent the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of amateur athletes. These policies and procedures developed by the Center must include:

  • A requirement that (a) all adult members of a national governing body or a facility under the jurisdiction of a national governing body or at any event sanctioned by a national governing body, and (b) all adults authorized by such members to interact with an amateur athlete, immediately report an allegation of child abuse of an amateur athlete who is a minor to: (i) the Center, and (ii) to law enforcement

  • A mechanism that allows a complainant to easily report child abuse

  • Reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions between a minor and an adult

  • Procedures to prohibit retaliation

  • Oversight procedures, including:

  • Audits, to ensure the policies and procedures are followed correctly

  • Consistent training is offered

  • A mechanism for national governing bodies to share reports of suspected child abuse

(b) General requirements for youth-serving amateur athletic organizations

The bill also modifies the obligations of amateur athletic organizations – a not-for-profit corporation, association, or other group organized in the United States that sponsors or arranges an amateur athletic Competition.

  • Amateur sports organizations seeking a sanction for amateur athletic competitions must implement and abide by the policies and procedures to prevent emotional, physical, and child abuse of amateur athletes.

  • Amateur sports organizations, which participate in an interstate or international amateur athletic competition and whose membership includes any adult who is in regular contact with an amateur athlete who is a minor, must:

    • Comply with the reporting requirements of the Victims of Child Abuse Act

    • Establish reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions between an amateur athlete who is a minor and an adult

    • Offer and provide consistent training to adult members who are in contact with amateur athletes who are minors

    • Prohibit retaliation

 
 

Sports Risk Management Awareness Training Program And Best Practices

Appoint Risk Management Officer (RMO) 

The Risk Management Officer (RMO) is a local role within our organization, fulfilled by chapter directors. The name and contact information of each chapter’s RMO should be prominently displayed on chapter website.

Our RMO is responsible for implementing, monitoring, and taking corrective action on all issues related to our risk management program. Our RMO answers to our board of directors but is empowered to make all day to day decisions on issues related to hazards including the modification, suspension, or halting of practice or play, if necessary.

Our staff including administrators, coaches, assistant coaches, managers, etc. are an extension of the RMO through their presence at every practice, game, and other events and should be in close contact with the RMO should any problems arise.

Any staff member who observes unsafe physical hazards, conditions, acts, or violation of the risk management best practices, should take the following action:

  1. Take immediate corrective action, if feasible, and

  2. Immediately notify RMO by text or email.

Abuse / Molestation Risk Management

Criminal Background Checks

Criminal background checks should be run with a third-party vendor, such as our partner People Trail, on all paid and volunteer staff with access to youth. At a minimum, the criminal background check should pull records from all 50 states, including the National Criminal Database and the National Sex Offender Registry. Any background check that indicates that a potential staff member is unfit to work with youth should result in disqualification of such staff member. Prior to running background checks, the following steps should be taken:

• All prospective staff should complete a written application to include a question about whether the applicant has ever had any prior criminal convictions or is pending any current investigations and a consent provision to run a background check.

• Disqualification criteria should be adopted and published. DQ criteria may be provided by the background check vendor.

• The confidentiality of records should be protected and access should be limited to those on a “need to know” basis.

• Before an adverse action is taken against an applicant, our organization should comply with all federal and state laws governing background checks such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act and assistance should be requested from our background check vendor as regards required applicant notifications.

Identifying Signs Of Child Abuse

With physical abuse, there may be signs of bruises, welts, or broken bones. With sexual abuse, there may be signs of genital soreness, difficulty sitting or walking, stomach aches, pain/itching when urinating or defecating, and pain/itching in genital area. But most often the effects of sexual abuse are less obvious.   

Please note that no indicators or symptoms are absolute.  Many of these could be indicators of problems other than child abuse.  However, if some of these things are going on, consider them to be a red flag.  One difficulty is that some signs are ambiguous.  Children may respond in different ways and some may show no sign at all.  Some indicators include:

  • Disclosure by child.  Most children won’t just come out and say they have been abused, but instead, may hint at it.

  • Unexplained/unlikely explanation of injuries.

  • Sudden shifts in behavior or attitudes when an outgoing child suddenly builds a protected, closed wall or a generally happy child becomes aggressive and angry or a trusting child becomes fearful.

  • Extreme fear of a sports organization volunteer.

  • Extreme low self-esteem, self worth.

  • A child’s attachment to a coach/staff to the point of isolation from others.

  • A child’s desire to drop out without a clear explanation, or without one that makes sense.

  • A child that misses a lot of practices or games with suspicious explanations or excuses.

Recognizing Grooming

Grooming is the process by which sexual predators pave the way for sexual abuse by gradually gaining the trust of and conditioning of minors, parents, and administrators. The steps in the grooming process are as follows:

• Identify a vulnerable child whose needs are not being met such as lack of attention by parents, lack of spending money, etc.

• Fill the missing needs of the child by providing attention, transportation, help with homework, special favors, confiding in secrets, spending money, gifts, etc. to create a “special bond”.

• Gain trust of family by spending a disproportionate amount of time with them.

• Isolate the victim to create one on one opportunities.

• Gradually use boundary invasions that start off with inappropriate electronic communications and photo sharing, tickling, wrestling, massages, alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. that lead to  nudity and sexual activity.

• Maintain control and silence with threats of fear and shame.

Policies To Protect Against Misconduct

• All forms of abuse including sexual, physical, emotional, harassment, bullying, and hazing are prohibited.

• Prohibited sexual abuse physical acts include genital contact whether or not either party is clothed; fondling of a participant’s breast or buttocks; sexual penetration; sexual assault, exchange of a reward in sport for sexual favors; lingering or repeated embrace that goes beyond acceptable physical touch; tickling, wrestling, or massage; and continued physical contact that makes a participant uncomfortable.

• Prohibited sexual abuse verbal acts include making sexually oriented comments, jokes and innuendo; staff member discussing his or her sex life with participant; asking about a participant’s sex life; requesting or sending a nude or partial dress photo; exposing participants to pornographic material; voyeurism; and sexting with a participant.

• Any type of grooming behavior is prohibited.

• Prohibited forms of physical abuse include punching, beating, biting, striking, choking, slapping, or intentionally hitting a participant with objects or sports equipment; providing alcohol to a participant under legal drinking age; providing illegal drugs or non prescribed medications to any participant; encouraging or permitting a participant to return to play after injury or sickness prematurely without clearance of a medical professional; prescribing dieting or other weight control methods for humiliation purposes; isolating a participant in a confined space; forcing participant to assume a painful stance or position for no athletic purpose; withholding, or denying adequate hydration, nutrition medical attention, or sleep.

• Prohibited emotional abuse includes a pattern of verbally attacking a participant personally such as calling them worthless, fat or disgusting; physically aggressive behaviors such as throwing or hitting objects; and ignoring a participant for extended periods of time or excluding them from practice.

• Bullying includes an intentional, persistent, or repeated pattern of committing or willfully tolerating (e.g., staff not preventing) physical, nonphysical, or cyber bullying behaviors that are intended to cause fear, humiliation, physical harm in an attempt to socially exclude, diminish, or isolate another person emotionally, physically, or sexually. It is often not the staff, but instead, other participants who are the perpetrators of bullying. However, it is a violation if the staff member knows or should have known of the bullying behavior but takes no action to intervene on behalf of the targeted participants.

• Prohibited hazing includes any contact which is intimidating, humiliating, offensive or physically harmful. Hazing typically is an activity that serves as a condition for joining a team of being socially accepted by team members.

• Two deep leadership is required where two adults (e.g., any combination of staff or parents) should be present at all times so that a minor participant can’t be isolated with a single unrelated adult, except in the case of an emergency.

• In special situations involving an adult such as car travel, overnight travel, locker rooms/changing areas, individual coach meetings, and individual training sessions, minors should always have another child buddy with them or a second adult within an observable and interruptible distance.

• All electronic communications including email, texting, instant message, etc. between the staff member and a minor participant should be limited strictly to the legitimate activities of the organization.  A parent/guardian of a minor or another staff member should be copied on all such communications.

• Staff and minor participants should not connect on social media outside of the organization’s official social media accounts.

• Any overnight travel exposure should prohibit adults spending the night in the same room as an unrelated minor participant; require grouping of participants of the same sex and age group in rooms; and provide adequate oversight with a same-sex chaperone for each group.

• Take off/pick up of athletes by staff should be strongly discouraged because of the difficulty in limiting one-on-one contact.

Reporting Suspicions of Child Sexual or Physical Abuse and Other Forms of Abuse

Federal or state law may require any adult staff member who has a suspicion of child sexual or physical abuse to independently report such suspicion directly to law enforcement within 24 hours. Failure to report may be a punishable offense.

In addition, the adult staff member should report the suspicion within 24 hours to the appropriate organization official and the official should also report to law enforcement within 24 hours if there is suspicion that child sexual or physical abuse has been committed.

The organization should allow law enforcement to handle the investigation and the suspected staff member should be immediately suspended or reassigned to alternative duties that don’t involve access to youth pending the outcome of the investigation. Organization officials should not comment on the allegation or police investigation until it has been concluded.

Staff members should also report prohibited misconduct other than child sexual and physical abuse to the appropriate organization official and the organization can investigate and decide what types of sanctions, if any, are appropriate.

The organization is prohibited from retaliating in any way against a staff member who makes a good faith report of a suspicion of any form of misconduct.

Child Abuse Training For Minors

The Safe Sport Act requires sports organizations to provide minor training on preventing and reporting of child abuse. Our organization should distribute the following documents: Minor Training (Ages 4-12) and/or Minor Training (Ages 13-17) or a similar document from another source to each parent with a strong recommendation that each parent should review this document with their minor child.

For More Detailed Information

This section on abuse / molestation risk management is a summary of a more detailed risk management program entitled Safe Sport Child Abuse and Other Misconduct Risk Management Plan for Non-NGB Organizations.  Please refer the more detailed program if you need more information on the following issues: Safe Sport Act Requirements; abuse and misconduct definitions; social media; email; text, and instant messaging; locker rooms and changing areas; travel; reporting misconduct; what to do after reporting to law enforcement; responding to misconduct and policy violations; whistleblower protection; dealing with the media; screening volunteers; and administration of criminal background checks.

Supervision

Liability risk can be reduced if the following guidelines are followed:

  • Stop Rowdiness: Participant rowdiness and roughhousing results in a great number of senseless injuries in youth sports. Staff should recognize these activities and should put a stop to them through appropriate means.

  • Location of Supervisor: The staff supervisor should be close enough to an activity to personally observe, instruct, correct, and supervise. This applies to both sports activities and non-sports extracurricular activities such as team outings or backyard cookouts.

  • Supervisors to Participants Ratio: The appropriate number of staff supervisors should be present at all times to adequately observe, instruct, correct, and supervise. Make sure that arrangements are made up front so that team staff is not shorthanded at any practice or game.

  • Selection of Size, Age, and Skill of Participants: Participants of various sizes, ages, and skill levels should not be mixed. This is accomplished at the sports organization level by restricting age range categories and by prohibiting play against outside competition where participants fall outside of such categories. On the team level, staff should not match up players of different skill levels or sizes in dangerous drills and staff should be careful not to personally injure participants during practice instruction.

Instruction

Liability risk can be reduced if the following guidelines are followed:

Basic coach education through the designated coach training course is required for all coaches. Mandatory attendance at the NJB Pre-Season Coaches Clinic is required to ensure coaches are prepared and fully trained before the season begins.

Sport-specific techniques:

  • Coaches should follow accepted practices for teaching sport related techniques.

  • Coaches should receive education on latest techniques as follows:

    • Pre-season coaches workshop

    • Sports specific coach training course (insert name of course if applicable)

    • Special emphasis should be made on the following more hazardous areas of the sports: (insert more hazardous areas if applicable.)

  • Review of safety rules and procedures:

    • Required by governing/sanctioning body or sports organization specific

    • Review all rule changes during pre-season with administrators and staff

Avoiding Heat Illness

  • Educate all staff on aspects of heat illness (Note: “Heat Illness: Avoidance and Prevention” can satisfy this requirement)

  • Educate players on the importance of pre-activity hydration.

  • Practices or games may need to be postponed and rescheduled to avoid peak temperatures. 

  • Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is the new standard for decision making.  Be sure to either have a WGBT meter of use weather FX app.  

  • Practices may be modified to shorten their duration, intensity, and equipment usage.

  • Mandatory fluid breaks should be scheduled during practice and games.

  • Water and/or sports drinks should be readily available.

  • Game rules can be modified to allow unlimited substitutions.

  • Follow governing body regulations on heat illness prevention.

  • Have a cold water immersion tub available along with water source and ice.

  • The early signs and symptoms of heat stroke are headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting with a rectal thermometer temperature of 104 F or lower. Treatment includes immediately moving the athlete from a hot environment to an air-conditioned room or shade, lying the athlete on the ground and raising legs by 12 inches, re-hydration and cooling with ice towels, misting fan, or cold water immersion. 

  • More serious signs and symptoms of heat stroke include central nervous system dysfunction such as clumsiness, stumbling, collapse, loss of consciousness, exhaustion, confusion, mood changes, aggressiveness, disorientation, seizure, coma or a rectal temperature of greater than 104° F. Athletes exhibiting these signs and symptoms should be considered to be suffering from exertional heat stroke and must be treated immediately to prevent major organ damage or death.

  • If a player is suffering from symptoms of heat stroke, immediately call EMS and start cold-water immersion before EMS arrives. 

  • Any athlete suffering from heat stroke should not return to activity without a medical clearance form signed by an MD or DO.

Identify Suspected Cases of Concussions

The highest medical authority at a practice or game is the person who is in the best position to diagnose a suspected concussion and to make the call. The presence of (or immediate access to) a medical doctor (MD), doctor of osteopathy (DO), athletic trainer (AT), physician’s assistant (PA), nurse practitioner (NP), or paramedic (PM) trained in concussion recognition is ideal. However, in cases where medical professionals are not present or immediately available, a person should be present who is at least EMT certified or is currently certified in Red Cross Community First Aid or the equivalent.

Signs observed by parents, guardians, or sports staff: appears dazed or stunned; is confused about the assignment or position; forgets instructions; is unsure of game, score, or opponent; moves clumsily; answers questions slowly; loses consciousness (even briefly); shows behavior or personality changes; can’t recall events prior to hit or fall; and can’t recall events after hit or fall.

Symptoms reported by player: headache or pressure in the head; nausea or vomiting; balance problems or dizziness; double or blurry vision; sensitivity to light; sensitivity to noise; feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy; concentration or memory problems; confusion; or does not “feel right”.

What to do: If athletes report or exhibit one or more of the signs listed above or say they “just don’t feel right” after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, they may have a concussion.

Danger signs which require immediate medical attention: one pupil larger than the other; drowsiness or inability to wake up; headache that gets worse and does not go away; weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination; repeated vomiting or nausea; slurred speech; convulsions or seizures; inability to recognize people or places; increasing confusion, restlessness, or agitation; unusual behavior, loss of consciousness (even brief). If one or more of these danger signs occur after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body: call 9-1-1 or transport the athlete immediately to the emergency room.

Athlete Removal by Sports Official and Re-Entry into Contest

When an athlete has been removed from a contest by a sports official due to signs or symptoms of a concussion, the only persons who should clear an athlete’s reentry are a medical doctor (MD), doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), physician’s assistant (PA), registered nurse practitioner (NP), paramedic (PM), or athletic trainer (AT).  If none of these are present on-site at the contest, the athlete shall not return to that contest or any subsequent contest until cleared.

If a Concussion is Suspected, the Following Actions Should Be Taken

  • Remove the athlete from play – if any of the signs and symptoms are observed, remove the athlete from play. When in doubt, sit them out!

  • Make sure the athlete is evaluated by an MD or DO who is experienced in evaluating concussions. Let the professionals judge the severity.

  • Inform the athlete’s parents / guardians and provide them with the CDC fact sheet on “Concussions for parents” to help them monitor the athlete for signs and symptoms: http://www.cdc.gov/headsup/pdfs/custom/headsupconcussion_fact_sheet_for_parents.pdf

  • Keep the athlete out of play the day of the injury AND until an MD or DO experienced in evaluating concussion says it’s OK for the athlete to return.  The MD or DO must provide written medical clearance and the athlete should be asystematic at rest and with exertion.  The MD or DO should require the athlete to follow a progressive return to play protocol.  Here is a link to the CDC’s progressive return to play protocol: https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/return_to_sports.html

  • A Medical Clearance Form should be completed, signed by an MD or DO, and returned before a player suspected of having a concussion will be allowed to return to play.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)

What Is A Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?

A SCA occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating causing the victim to collapse. This cuts off blood supply to the brain and other organs. SCA is not a heart attack. Persons suffering a SCA, if not treated immediately, will die. SCA is the #2 cause of death for persons under age 25 and the #1 killer of student athletes during exercise.

Cardiac Conditions And Their Potential Consequences

  • Structural Heart Disease – whether present from birth or develops later

  • Electrical Heart Disease – problem with heart’s electrical system which controls heartbeat

  • Situational Causes – persons with normal hearts and electrical systems but which are hit in the chest (i.e. commotio cordis) or develop a heart infection

Increased Risk Factors Of SCA

  • If a biological parent, sibling, or child suddenly and unexpectedly died before age 50.

  • Specific family history of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Long QT Syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Brugada Syndrome, Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD), or other rhythm problems of the heart.

  • Family members with unexplained fainting, seizures, drownings or near drownings, or car accidents.

  • Athletes with these risk factors should discuss with their family physician to see if additional testing is needed and should await feedback before proceeding with any athletic activity.

Signs And Symptoms Of SCA

  • Chest pain and discomfort

  • Unexplained fainting, near fainting, or seizure

  • Repeated dizziness or lightheadedness 

  • Unexplained tiredness, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing

  • Unusual fast or racing heartbeat

  • Fluttering heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat

  • Athletes with any of these symptoms should immediately alert an adult and discuss with their family physician to see if additional testing is needed and should await feedback before returning to activity. The coach, athletic trainer, and/or other administrators should be alerted of any diagnosed conditions.

Best Practices For Removal Of An Athlete As A Result Of Certain Events

Any youth athlete who faints, passes out, or has any other SCA symptoms before, during, or after an athletic activity MUST be removed from the activity.

Steps For Returning An Athlete To Athletic Activity

Before returning to activity, the athlete must be seen by a health care professional and a written clearance must be provided to the sports organization. 

What To Do In The Event Of A Cardiac Emergency – The Chain Of Survival

Link 1: Early recognition 

  • Collapsed and unresponsive, gasping, gurgling, snorting, labored breathing noises, or seizure-like activity.

  • Access child for responsiveness. Does the child answer when you call his/her name?

  • If no, attempt to find a pulse. If no pulse is felt or if you are unsure, call any on site emergency responders for help and ask someone to dial 911 and follow dispatcher’s instructions.

Link 2: Early CPR

  • Begin CPR immediately.

  • Since on average it takes EMS 12 minutes to arrive, every minute of delay decreases the chance of survival by 10%.

  • Hands on CPR involves fast and continual two inch chest compressions, about 100 a minute.

Link 3: Early defibrillation by use of an AED

  • If an AED is available, send someone to get it immediately. Turn it on, attach it to the child, and follow the simple instructions.

  • If an AED is not available, continue CPR until EMS arrives.

Link 4: Early advanced life support and cardiovascular care

  • Continue CPR until EMS arrives

Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs)

AEDs are portable, user-friendly devices that automatically diagnose potentially life threatening heart rhythms and deliver an electric shock to restore normal rhythm.  Anyone can operate an AED, regardless of training. Simple instructions direct the process and AEDs are designed to only deliver a shock to victims whose hearts need to be restored to a healthy rhythm. A rescuer cannot accidentally hurt a victim with an AED.

Depending on the facility type, an AED may or may not be nearby. Many but not all schools have AEDs and some private facilities have them. Be aware of the location of any AED at your facility or at other facilities when visiting.

All administrators and staff should read Sudden Cardiac Arrest Risk Management Program for more information on SCA and watch the required videoSCA Prevention Training - Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation (epsavealife.org)

Sports Injury Care

Injury Prevention: Liability risk can be reduced by implementing the following guidelines:

  • Serious Injuries: Head, neck, and back injuries; fractures; and injuries that caused the player to lose consciousness are among a class of injuries that you cannot and should not try to treat yourself. You should alert EMS immediately if the player has lost consciousness or has impaired memory, dizziness, ringing in the ears, blood or fluid draining from the nose or ears, or blurry vision. If you suspect that a player has a spine injury, joint dislocation, or bone fracture, do not remove any of the player’s equipment unless you have to do so to provide life-saving CPR.

  • Flexibility: All coaches should require the team to engage in standard flexibility and stretching exercises prior to all practices and games.

  • Conditioning: Coaches should be encouraged to instruct on and implement a reasonable and age appropriate conditioning program.

Emergency Action Plan

Pre-injury planning

Emergency Phone List:

  • EMS 911

  • Police 911

  • Fire 911

Site Map: See attached in Appendix. (Note: should include a detailed map of all fields parking areas, buildings, streets, as well as symbols for emergency access points for EMS, first aid stations, AED's, fire extinguishers, and utility disconnect or shut off points. The exact name and address of the facility should be listed as well as the names of the closest roads and intersections. The site map should be kept with all first aid kits.)

First Aid Kit:  A first aid kit should be available at all practice and game locations.  Each coach should keep a fully stocked first aid kit in his or her vehicle at all times.  Access to ice or cold packs should be available at all practice and game locations.

Emergency Information and Medical Consent Forms:  Each coach should keep either a hard copy or electronic copy with them at all times in the event emergency treatment is required.

Post Injury:

Assess Injury And Treat Accordingly: Staff members should assess each injury and treat accordingly.

  • First Aid: When administering first aid, the staff member should not exceed the scope of his or her training. The purpose of first aid is to merely stabilize the situation by preventing it from becoming worse. Once the situation has been stabilized, all other treatment should be provided by a medical professional.

  • Medical Emergency: 911 should be called if immediate attention is necessary. The site map should be referenced when speaking to EMS so that clear instructions can be provided about the location of the facility and the best access point.

  • Notification of Parents: Parents should be notified immediately is there is a treatable injury.

  • Notification of Risk Management Officer: The RMO should be notified of all injuries so that he/she can document the injury and provide Accident insurance claim form to parent or guardian.

  • Return to Play: Once a player has suffered an injury that requires medical treatment by a doctor, the decision regarding the appropriate time to return to play should be made by an approved healthcare professional (ex: definition varies per state law but could be MD, DO, or Physician’s Assistant.) The coach should not put pressure on the player to return too early and the instructions of the healthcare professional should be honored. 

Autos And Transportation Of Participants

  • Group Transportation of Participants: 

    All group transportation of participants whether in a single vehicle or multiple vehicles should be prohibited.

  • Individual Staff Provided Transportation of Participants:

    Staff provided local transportation of participants is not authorized by the sports    organization and is a matter between the staff member and the parent / guardian. This policy should be communicated to all parents / guardians via written memo prior to the start of the season. It is recommended that the staff member should get written permission from the parent / guardian before providing transportation.

DISCLAIMER AND HOLD HARMLESS/INDEMNIFICATION

THIS SAMPLE RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL POLICIES AND EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS TRAINING AND IS NOT AN ALL ENCOMPASSING PROGRAM.  THIS PROGRAM PLAN MAY CONTAIN INCORRECT INFORMATION OR MAY OMIT CRITICAL INFORMATION.  EACH SPORTS ORGANIZATION SHOULD CONSULT OTHER SOURCES AND EXPERTS IN ORDER TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR OWN PROGRAMS.  NO LEGAL ADVICE IS BEING PROVIDED.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF LIABILITY.  THIS PROGRAM IS NOT A SAFETY PROGRAM AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE SAFETY OF SPECTATORS, PARTICIPANTS, OR THIRD PARTIES.  SADLER INSURANCE, DIV. OF SPECIALTY PROGRAM GROUP, LLC DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY RESULTING FROM THE DISSEMINATION OF THIS PROGRAM.  IN EXCHANGE FOR RECEIPT OF THIS INFORMATION, SPORTS ORGANIZATION AND THEIR ADMINISTRATORS AND STAFF AGREE TO HOLD HARMLESS AND INDEMNIFY SADLER INSURANCE, DIV. OF SPECIALTY PROGRAM GROUP, LLC AND RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES FOR ANY CLAIMS, OF BODILY INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEY’S FEES) TO THEMSELVES OR THIRD PARTIES.

 

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