Page 14 - AASBO EDGE Spring 2025

Navigating the Complexities of School Activity

and Sports Planning

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

Finally, all supervisory personnel should be provided Club Sports vs. District-Sponsored Sports
with the following information/materials before the Some school districts may have student-athletes
trip begins: involved in both district-sponsored sports teams and
• purpose of the activity trip; in club sports. Baseball players, for example, may
• appropriate supervision practices; play for both their school and for club-sponsored
• information on how to manage behavior teams. When involved in the latter, the athletes
problems; may wear their school uniforms, travel in district
• the names of students to be supervised; vehicles, use district facilities, and be accompanied
• assigned students’ medical, dietary, or other by their regular coaches. This overlap in activities,
special needs; participating individuals, and even activity logistics
• any times/locations where heightened attention tends to blur the lines between club events and district
and/or closer supervision will be required; events. This in turn can create confusion about
• snack and meal plans; liability coverage and proper planning procedures.
• appropriate dress and gear for the trip; and These issues are addressed below.
• the cell phone numbers of other supervisory
personnel and trip leaders. Liability Coverage
District-sponsored sports are covered under standard
Record-keeping. Finally, maintaining comprehensive Trust liability policies, providing a safety net for
trip-related documentation is vital for accountability both the district and participants. By contrast, club
and future planning. This includes permission slips, sports—even if they involve school uniforms and
risk analysis checklists, and transportation logs. coaches—require separate liability coverage. This
These records should be kept for a minimum of distinction is crucial for protecting the district from
three years, with transportation forms retained for potential legal issues. Organizers of club sports
five years. Proper documentation not only serves events must secure their own liability coverage and
as a record of the trip but also provides valuable be prepared to provide evidence of this coverage in
information for planning future excursions. the event of an incident.

Event-Related Communication
To assist district personnel and parents in understanding
the distinction between and implications of district-
sponsored vs. club-sponsored athletic events, the
Trust offers three recommendations.

First, the club event organizer—typically an athletic
coach—should provide the district and parents
with a schedule that clearly identifies all scheduled
activities/games/trips and clearly indicates which are
district-sponsored and which are club-sponsored.

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14 THE EDGE SPRING 2025