February 16, 2017
Jared Ginter
Director of Athletic Facilities
Trinity Western University
We now have risk management Best Practices data for over 100 schools across N. America.
In each Newsletter we’ll report a selection of our more interesting findings.
This issue: Concussions
In the Best Practices surveys, we asked if concussion protocols were in place for Intramurals and Sport Clubs Participating universities told us: Read more
February 25, 2014
Jack Butler, Director of Intramural Sports, Northeastern University
Ryan Garcia Townzen, Intramural Coordinator, University of Minnesota
In the pages of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Quidditch is a sport played by wizards and witches whizzing about on magical flying brooms. “Muggles” quidditch is a version of the game played without the aforementioned and impossible magical equipment. Since its invention, the sport has grown in popularity across the globe. The sport’s governing body, the International Quidditch Association (IQA), boasts that the sport is now played at “over 300 universities and high schools throughout North America, Australia, and Europe” (IQA, 2013). However, the majority of these schools only offer it as a club sport. This article examines the rule and policy changes that need to be made in order to offer a safe, yet fun version of intramural quidditch.
What makes club quidditch potentially too unsafe to offer as an intramural sport? To begin with the rules allow for players to tackle one another as a means of playing defense. There can also be full speed collisions between “chasers” and “keepers.” Another problem is that the “snitch” and the “seekers” area of play is technically unlimited and can be well out of the officials range of vision. But just as the traditional rules of football, hockey and soccer can be modified to create a safer playing environment, so can “club” quidditch be tamed enough to make it an intramural sport.
Read more
July 04, 2011
Judith Sperling
Assistant Director – Risk Management, Training & Development
UCLA Recreation
The ‘Participant Expectations’ was a project of UCLA Recreation’s Risk Management Team. Team members were often confronted by participants who could not be reasonably coached in complying with facility use and safety policies. Some participants did not have a relationship with the campus where they knew about or shared our community values and commitment to safety. We realized that we had not been successful in conveying what being a part of UCLA Recreation meant. Use of facilities and participating in programs was a privilege worth having and we needed to communicate our campus’ vision of a cooperative and tolerant community.
Read more
June 02, 2011
Developing Learning Outcomes in Intramural Sports
to Address Unsporting Behavior
Kurt D. Klier, CRSS
Intramural Sports Director
Campus Recreation Services
University of Maryland
How many times have we, as intramural professionals, had to deal with unsporting behavior? Is the time we spend training our students on how to deal with comments such as “hey ref you suck” effective? How do we know? Developing Learning Outcomes for Intramural Sports may seem superfluous but they will be an invaluable tool in understanding and documenting what your student employees are learning. As Student Affairs employees, we believe that the scope of learning is not limited to the classroom; rather, it involves all aspects of a student’s experience, including Intramural Sports.
First, it is important to determine the relevance of your Outcomes as they relate to the mission statement and/or strategic plan of the University or Program. We determined that effectively managing unsporting behavior supports the core values of Campus Recreation Services, to ‘develop students and professional staff’ and to ‘promote safety and minimize risk.’ The goal also contributes to one aspect of the Mission of the Division of Student Affairs to ‘…promote student development.’
Secondly, after you develop your Learning Outcomes have someone else review them. Choose a fellow recreational colleague, a colleague outside recreation who has knowledge and understanding of Learning Outcomes, or choose a student. Have them review what you developed and determine if they can understand and reproduce your outcomes. The process of having someone review what you developed will help you determine if the Learning Outcomes are clear.
May 12, 2011
RISK MANAGEMENT IN INTRAMURAL SPORTS
Matt Campbell
J.D. Candidate ‘08
DePaul University College of Law
‘No school ID, no play.’ ‘No jewelry.’ ‘Sign the waiver.’
‘Fill out an incident report for any injuries or altercations.’
Every campus recreation professional recites these intramural mantras at student staff training, but is there an understanding as to why these rules are in place?
This article seeks to help intramural professionals provide their student staff with answers as to why recreational programs must maintain rigorous policies. It will also identify risk management concerns in intramural sports in order to eliminate unnecessary risks and mitigate those which are unavoidable.
April 07, 2011
Accident Insurance for Intramurals, Sport Clubs and Youth Camps
Summit America, the NIRSA Insurance provider, handles Insurance for a large number of NIRSA institutions.
For more details: Summit America Accident Insurance