Legal Responsibilities for Coaches

It's finally happened: your turn has arrived to coach your son's baseball team, and you think it'll be a fun and exciting event, a way to get closer to your son. However, there are a few legal obligations you have toward the quality and safety of the team you are coaching. So be sure to follow your legal responsibilities when it comes to coaching.

Legal Responsibilities for Coaches: Make it Age-Appropriate

As a coach, you would use different tactics for a pee-wee soccer game than for a masters' swim team. Make sure that your coaching methods are age-appropriate, and do not offend any member of the team. Similarly, make sure that your team can handle the rigors of drills and practices. If your training methods are the cause of an injury, you could be held liable.

Legal Responsibilities for Coaches: Get Familiar with the Sport

Even if you have never played a game of lacrosse, you can still coach a lacrosse team. However, you should be familiar enough with the support that your coaching methods improve the team. Also, if you are so ignorant of the sport that your ignorance causes an injury, you could be held liable.

Legal Responsibilities for Coaches: Create a Positive Atmosphere

Obviously, a District 1 high school football team will be more serious than a group of fifth-grade softball players, but in any kind of coaching environment, you should make your team members feel comfortable and appreciative. Reward them for good decisions and only punish when players do something they know is wrong.

Legal Responsibilities for Coaches: Prepare for Practice

Before each practice, have a "lesson plan" that includes goals you want the team to accomplish and skills you want them to learn. Stick to that lesson plan and don't go off-track. This will serve as proof that you are doing the best job possible as Coach.

Legal Responsibilities for Coaches: Leave Your Door Open

Make sure that all of your team members know that they can come to you with problems - whether they be related to the game or not. Coaches are excellent mentors for children and young adults, so set a good example. You'll also need to be prepared to deal with overly zealous parents.

Legal Responsibilities for Coaches: Never Play Favorites

Believe it or not, there are two civil cases of which I am familiar where a parent takes a coach to court and sues for favoritism among teammates. Although you shouldn't be unduly worried about litigation, give every member a chance to pitch, be a goalie, or quarterback a team. This is especially true with younger children whose skills have yet to be defined.

Legal Responsibilities for Coaches: Safety First

Carry a cellular phone as well as a first aid kit to every practice and game in case of an emergency. Coaches should also be trained in CPR and should make sure that medical releases have been signed by all parents and filed in a secure location. Failure to observe these eventualities may result in litigation.

Legal Responsibilities for Coaches: Keep Your Eyes Peeled

You are the coach, which means that your eyes should be on the players at all times. Look for signs of possible injury and make sure to contact parents if an injury occurs. If a child insists he or she is fine after taking a rough tumble, insist that he or she see a doctor, or at least contact the parents so that they can make an informed decision.