Year 12 BTEC Sport Unit 3: Assessing Risk in Sport Knowing how to maintain the safety of participants and colleagues in a sports environment. Learning outcome: Pupils will be able to plan a safe sporting activity.

BRIEF As a School Sports Coordinator for the Hayesbrook School you must organise a tournament for year 7 students. The tournament will take place during a school lesson, using the school facilities. Approximately 25 participants aged 10 to 11 are expected to take part. You are in sole charge of organising the safe running of the tournament; however you will have a fellow BTEC classmate to assist you in the planning and running of the tournament.

Task 1- (P5) Produce a plan for the safe delivery of a selected sports activity and review the plan. You may wish to consider the following. How will you organise participants (arrival/departure/during the event) How will you organise the facilities (playing area/changing/toilets/fire safety)

What equipment will be needed How will you organise your helpers / what roles, responsibilities will they have. Suitability of participants to activity Insurance.

Task 2 (M4) During the presentation to your classmates you will be able to explain the plan for the safe delivery of a selected sports activity and review the plan.

4.1- Plan It is imperative that you always plan sporting activities in order for them to be safe and effective. Planning should always be completed well before the activity begins. There are several factors that need to be considered prior to planning;

FACTORS; Roles and responsibilities Equipment The suitability of the site The suitability of the participants to the activity Guidelines and insurance.

1- Roles and responsibilities While coaching you are expected to take on various roles e.g. leader, coach first aid. Each role has specific responsibilities that need to be adhered to. E.g. Leader- Assists in developing pupils skills. Also teaches, organises, plans, communicates and motivates others.

Coaches- required to dress appropriately for the activity as well as making sure your sessions caters for all the needs of the pupils. Sessions need to be planned so that hey are structured e.g. warm-up, main activity, cool down. Coaches need to comply with the code of practice (www.sportscoachuk.org)

First-aid- As a coach you are responsible for ensuring that there is adequate first aid provision. It is important to make sure that first aiders are available in advance of your session. First aid qualifications must be up-to-date. All first aid boxes should contain the correct equipment e.g. scissors, bandages, ice-pack

Equipment- All sporting equipment have recommended guideline relating to the equipment that can be used for sport E.g. The TYPE of equipment and the APPROPRIATE USE of that equipment. Almost every sport has a dress code e.g. safety equipment to prevent illness. Specific running shoes and breathable tops and heat-preserving wet suits are some examples.

This will depend of the type of sport and the environmental conditions of course. Equipment for protection is also very important e.g. shin guards, helmets and these should be worn at all times, even while training. Equipment should also be fit for purpose e.g. size 4 footballs for u14s, smaller pitches and goalposts.

The following questions need to be asked prior to planning a session; What is the age of the equipment? What is its quality and condition? Is the equipment maintained correctly (services, inspections?) How suitable is it for the age of the participants?

Suitability of the site Health and safety- Is your site suitable for the activity? This depends on: Available space The facility and its design purpose for this sport Accessibility of emergency exits Noise (acoustics) Are there echo's? Is it accessible for people in wheelchairs?

Suitability of participants to activity Are the participants in your session suitable for your activity? When planning, it is vital that you plan around the “needs” of your pupils. It is important to consider the following factors when planning; 1- The age and experience of the participants

2- The number of participants 2- The number of participants. 3- How well you know the group and how well they know you. 4- Specific learning needs? 5- Behavioural issues 6- How these factors may affect the level of risk within your lessons.

Guidelines Sessions have guidelines that both participants and leaders need to follow. They should be specific to the type of session that you will be organising but must ensure all participants; Do a warm-up and cool-down Play to the rules Wear the appropriate protective equipment Are physically fit to participate.

Insurance All coaches must be insured. Some governing bodies offer insurance as part of their membership. However, as coaches we are responsible that our insurance covers; Public liability, products, professional indemnity, officers and officials, libel and slander.

REVIEW How can you improve the overall quality of your lesson? It is imperative that you review your lessons identifying ways you could improve. You must also review the health and safety of your sessions.

Effectiveness of risk assessment Sports organisers must consider action that is preventative for maximum effectiveness. Risk assessments are a pre-requisite and should be put in place for each activity as well as continuously reviewed for effectiveness.

Injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences Health and safety is paramount! It is important that you allow time for the effectiveness of your risk assessment strategies. Data must also be collected e.g. type, frequency and nature of injuries as this allows you to evaluate how appropriate and safe your activities are. Any “near misses” must be addressed and preventative measures put in place.

Reviewing your risk assessment Did you? Yes/no Comments Avoid risks altogether? Evaluate unavoidable risks? Combat risks at source? Adapt your work to an individual? Adapt equipment as necessary? Provide/receive adequate health and safety training? Provide appropriate PPE for workers and participants?

Suitability of group for activity and effectiveness of briefings Were your session goals achieved? Was your session effective? Was your activity suitable for the participants? A good coach always reviews his/her sessions. Key safety factors e.g. emergency protocols should be outlined. A recap should be included at the end of each session.

Suitability of equipment Appropriate equipment should be selected before the start of the activity e.g. correct size basketball, height of the ring for the age group. A coach should also continuously review, through observations, the suitability of equipment to ensure the pupils are using the equipment safely.

Support of agencies Support is made available from sporting agencies e.g. Governing bodies- RFU, FA, ECB. Local authorities- Kent school games, Tunbridge sports association.

Strengths and areas for improvement It is imperative that, as a coach, you review your strengths and areas for development. This will ensure that all your future lessons will be of a better quality. Here are a list of questions that will help you review and improve as a coach;

Did you assess the facility prior to the session?

2- Did you observe the session for health and safety issues as well as monitoring performance?

3- Was your plan detailed enough?

4- Did you brief participants at the start on the health and safety arrangements?

5- Was all of your equipment appropriate for the lesson?

6- Did all of your participants understand the instructions for the lesson?

7- Did any injuries/accident/emergencies/near misses occur during the session? If so, how did you deal with them?

8- Were your risk management strategies effective 8- Were your risk management strategies effective? Do they need adapting for future sessions of this type?

Grading Tips To achieve a pass (P5) you must plan your session based around roles and responsibilities, equipment, suitability of the site, suitability of the participants to the activity, guidelines and insurance. To achieve a merit (M4) explain how your session plan will ensure the health and safety of your participants. You must review each of your strengths and areas for improvement stating how this will benefit your participants.