Everyone knows that sports— just about any sport— come with the risk of injury. Whether the injuries will be severe or mild is just about impossible to predict, and the fact that they exist in general is reason enough for coaches and sports officials to protect themselves and their athletes with liability insurance.
And it’s not just professionals in the sports industry who need insurance coverage. If you work in an amateur league or setting, you may actually have a greater need for a liability insurance policy.
Here’s what you need to know:
General Liability Insurance Keeps You Covered
What is general liability insurance exactly? Well, this is a broad form of coverage that comes into use whenever an incident occurs-- whether during practice or during an actual sporting event. Your policy protects both you and your athletes by paying any successful claims against you as a result of an incident, many times also being used for paying medical bills and other costs that come up. Liability insurance prevents you from having to pay out of your own pocket for these expenses, therefore making it a very worthwhile investment. In fact, some amateur organizations may not even let you be active until you have a liability insurance policy.
Claims of Negligence Are Common
Ever hear of a negligence claim in a lawsuit?
Essentially, this is where someone alleges that another person failed in their duty to provide safe and/or appropriate care, often leading to physical injury or emotional harm. In the sports world, people are very quick to cry negligence when someone-- especially a child or other loved one-- gets injured as a result of participating. When it comes to amateur sports leagues, injuries can be even more common simply as a result of players not being that experienced in preventing them. What you need to remember though is this simple equation: sports = injuries = negligence claims. Just think of that every time you wonder if you really need insurance.
If You Run a Youth Team, You Definitely Need Insurance 
The sad truth is that there are a lot of parents out there who jump at any opportunity to blame someone for any harm that comes to their child. It often doesn't matter if another player is at fault or the hurt child did something by his or herself to cause the incident, as the coach or leading official, you're the first one a lot of people will blame. Having general liability insurance makes it so you don't have to worry about facing the staggering costs of a lawsuit against you. When it comes down to it, it's really all just about having peace of mind.
Accidents Do Happen
Even if you're the best at what you do, accidents will probably still happen. Hey, it's sports! But just like the above information, it's important to not brush this fact aside and instead keep it in mind when it comes to deciding whether or not you should invest in an insurance policy. After all, it is far better to have amateur
coach and official association general liability insurance and not end up using it than to be caught all of a sudden facing a serious lawsuit without a policy there to protect you.