Lawson

Appendix F

Fourteen Legal Duties of Athletic Personnel

· Duty to Plan

· Have a yearly plan, keep it, and follow it

· Prevent or reduce injury and loss by developing responsive strategies in:

· Coaching competence

· Medical screening

· Appropriate activities that consider age, maturity, and environmental conditions

· Injury response

· Warnings to athletes and their families

· Child advocacy in cases of alcohol and other drug abuse or family neglect or abuse

· Duty to Supervise

· A coach must be:

· Physically present

· Provide competent instruction

· Structure practices that are appropriate for the age and maturity of players

· Prevent foreseeable injuries and respond to injury or trauma in an approved manner

· This duty requires supervisors to ensure that facilities are locked and that students are denied access when a competent staff member cannot be physically present to supervise

· A coach must also supervise the condition, safe usage, maintenance and upkeep of equipment and facilities

· Duty to Assess an Athlete’s Readiness for Practice and Competition

· Coaches are required to access the health and physical or maturational readiness skills and physical condition of athletes

· Athletes must be medically screened in accordance with CIF regulations before participating in tryouts, practice, or competition

· Injured athletes who require the services of a physician may not return to practice or competition without written permission of the physician

· Duty to Maintain Safe Playing Conditions

· Coaches are considered trained professionals who possess a higher level of knowledge and skill that permits them to identify foreseeable causes of injury inherent in defective equipment or hazardous environments

· Weather conditions must be considered and athletes should not be subjected to intense or prolonged conditioning during periods of extreme heat and humidity

· A plan for monitoring and responding to dangerous weather conditions is necessary

· Duty to Provide Proper Equipment

· Coaches must ensure that athletes are properly equipped with clean, durable and safe equipment

· Protective equipment must carry a NOCSAE (National Operating Commission on Safety in Athletic Equipment) certification and must be checked for proper fit and wearing

· Athletes must wear protective equipment any time they are exposed to the full rigors of contact in practice or competition

· Duty to Instruct Properly

· Athletic practices must be characterized by instruction that accounts for a logical sequence of fundamentals that lead to an enhanced progression of player knowledge, skill and capability

· Instruction must demonstrate appropriate and safe technique and must include warning about unsafe technique and prohibited practices

· Duty to Match Athletes During Practice

· Athletes in practices should be matched with consideration for:

· Maturity

· Skill

· Age

· Size

· Speed

· Duty to Condition Properly

· Practices must account for a progression of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal conditioning regiments that prepare athletes sequentially for more challenging practices and competitive activities

· Consideration must be given to weather, maturational and readiness factors

· Duty to Warn

· Coaches are required to warn parents and athletes of unsafe practices specific to a sport and the potential for injury or death

· A generic warning, signed by both athletes and parents is included in the physical packet but sport specific warnings should be included at the parent meetings for specific sports

· Duty to Ensure Athletes are Covered by Injury Insurance

· Athletes must be cleared through the athletic office prior to participation and should not be allowed to participate without this clearance

· Duty to Provide Emergency Care

· Coaches are expected to be able to administer approved, prioritized, standard first aid procedures in response to a range of traumatic injuries

· Duty to Develop/Follow an Emergency Response Plan

· Plans must be in place to:

· Manage uninjured team members while emergency care is being administered to an injured athlete

· Ensure access to a stocked first aid kit, spine board and other emergency response equipment

· Access to a telephone and ensure a timely call to EMS

· Expedite rapid access by EMS to the injured athlete by stationing coaches or team members at driveways, parking lots, entry doors and remote hallways

· Duty to Provide Proper Transportation

· District transportation should be utilized as much as possible for travel to athletic events

· Ensure that all athletes are on the bus before it departs from an away contest

· Coaches and/or parent drivers must have district volunteer driver forms to drive athletes

· Duty to Select, Train, and Supervise Coaches

· Athletic administrators will be expected to ensure coaches are capable of providing safe conditions and activities as outlined in the preceding list of 13 duties