Youth sports is a $19 billion industry - yes, that is larger than the NFL! The NFL has an entire organization specifically designed to protect all parties including the players, coaches, fans and of course the brand of the NFL. It’s time we make sure our youth sports clubs across the United States have measures in place to protect themselves also.
Parents all over the country are paying a small fortune for their kids to play at youth sports clubs. They rightfully expect that the club is following all the latest industry standards and is a safe place for their child. The challenge is that the majority of these organizations have a Board of Directors that are strictly volunteers without any formal training or knowledge on how to protect an organization from the litany of risks the kids are exposed to. They volunteer selflessly, but most likely even the club’s designated Risk Manager has no background in risk management or child safety. I’m willing to bet they are not aware of what’s at stake if something goes sideways.
As a board member or coach, you can be sued, along with the organization, if something unfortunate happens. As an organization, you need to make sure you are providing a safe environment by keeping your players, volunteers and coaches protected from these risks. You want to have the tools needed in place to provide as safe an environment as possible for all your membership.
So how do you do this? At the minimum:
* Make sure you have thorough and accurate policies, maintain child abuse clearances, provide trainings to your members and follow all industry standards of care.
* Revisit those efforts, at least annually, so you are always out in front of any new measures that need to be put into place.
Why leave it to chance? A risk consultant works in the background to address these issues. They will help your organization create clear guidelines and expectations for coaches, volunteers, players and board members. They will evaluate your club for risks and put preventative measures into place so you are fully buttoned-up.
Having a partner who is solely focused on helping protect the organization ensures that you are providing the safest possible environment for your players and have the ability to adequately respond to problems that occur. You can’t prevent accidents and incidents, but you can make sure you are prepared. Having a dedicated risk consultant enables you to focus on what’s most important - the kids! You can focus on coaching and building your club’s teams without worry of preventable situations and legal action.
