Milestone 4

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Research Summary

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Research Summary

Milestone 3

Will Hoekwater Southern New Hampshire University SPT-610 Sport Law Dr. Brad Winton

The problem of athlete safety and the avoidance of injuries is an important one that needs to be addressed by leagues and coaches. Athletes are entrusted to the care of their respective leagues and coaches, who have a responsibility to act in their best interests and take all precautions necessary to protect them during competition and training (Cascella et al, 2020). Inadequate adherence to this duty of care might result in major injuries, which may lead to significant legal repercussions for the concerned coach or league.

The lawsuit that was filed against the Dover Co-Recreational Softball League shed light on how important it is for coaches and leagues to take responsibility for the safety of their players. The plaintiff in this case was a softball player who was seriously hurt when a fellow teammate ran into her as they were both going for a fly ball (Cutuk, A., & Groff, 2021). The other player was trying to grab the ball. The plaintiff asserted that the league was accountable for her injuries because it failed to provide proper warnings or instructions on how to prevent accidents on the field. She claimed that this failure made the league responsible for her injury. In the end, the court concluded that the league had violated its duty of care owed to the plaintiff and was, as a result, responsible for the damages she sustained as a result.

In a similar vein, the case Home v. North Kitsap School District highlights how essential it is to have enough supervision while sports activities are taking place. A high school football player in this case sustained a significant head injury while practicing, and he subsequently filed a lawsuit against the school district, claiming that the district had failed to take necessary measures to prevent him from suffering the damage (Emery, 2021). The judge ruled that the school system had violated its duty of care owed to the plaintiff because it did not offer sufficient supervision or appropriate safety equipment when the student was participating in practice.

The duty of care that coaches and leagues owe to players is illuminated by several crucial aspects that are brought to light by these cases. The first and most important action that must be taken is for coaches and leagues to take adequate precautions in order to detect and reduce the potential risks that their athletes face (Roberts, Briskin & Marshall, 2021). This may involve providing suitable safety equipment, enacting rules, and regulations to prevent accidents or other potentially harmful behaviors and ensuring that athletes receive appropriate training and education on how to keep safe while playing and practicing their sport.

Second, leagues and coaches have a responsibility to ensure that proper supervision is provided for all sporting events. This may entail having enough coaches or other supervisory staff on hand to keep an eye on the athletes and react expeditiously to any possible threats to their safety.

In conclusion, leagues and coaches are obligated to respond appropriately to any possible threats to player safety by taking the necessary steps. This may include providing medical assistance to wounded athletes, temporarily pausing play or practice if conditions are unsafe, and taking efforts to avoid such situations from occurring in the future (Roberts, Briskin & Marshall, 2021). Important reminders of the legal and moral obligations that coaches and leagues have towards their athletes and the potential repercussions of failing to satisfy those obligations are provided by the cases of Allen v. Dover Co-Recreational Softball League and Home v. North Kitsap School District.

References

Cascella, M., Rajnik, M., Cuomo, A., Dulebohn, S. C., & Di Napoli, R. (2020). Features, evaluation, and treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19). In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554776/

Cutuk, A., & Groff, D. (2021). Sports injury prevention. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430767/

Emery, C. A., Roy, T. O., Whittaker, J. L., & Nettel-Aguirre, A. (2021). A systematic review of prevention strategies to reduce the incidence of injuries in adolescent sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(2), 92-99. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102026

Roberts, W. O., Briskin, S. M., & Marshall, S. W. (2021). Preventing catastrophic injury and death in collegiate athletes: Interassociation recommendations endorsed by 13 medical and sports medicine organizations. Journal of Athletic Training, 56(5), 461-475. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-230-20