Develop a Safe Sport Environment
How well do you develop an environment that is emotionally safe and reduce risk of injury within your program?
Read each question and then click on the question to evaluate your coaching. Based on your current coaching practice, consider whether this is an area that needs improvement, is acceptable, or is exceptional. If you are not sure, feel free to ask others (i.e., assistant coaches, athletes, administrators, community members, fans, etc.) or have another observe your practice to help you decide.
If you discover a need for improvement, refer to the resources available for ways to improve your coaching practice.
- 01
Needs Improvement - While I am respectful in my encounters with athletes and program personnel, I have not considered my role in creating a harassment free environment for all of my athletes.
Acceptable - In most cases, I am respectful and I do address disrepsect and harassment as it occurs within my sport program.
Exceptional - All athletes and personnel are treated with respect in every situation. Incidences of disrespect and harassment are handled immediately. Additionally, I actively work to build a harassment free environment.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
- 02
Description: Bullying is defined as a stronger or powerful person mistreating another less powerful or strong. Examples include: 1) persistent use of abusive, insulting, or offensive language, 2) inappropriate teasing, 3) giving feedback in an insincere or disrespectful manner. Hazing is defined as engaging in rituals or group activities that unnecessarily harass others that result in physical or psychological harm. Examples include asking athletes to engage in risky and inappropriate behavior, or embarrassing athletes in front of their peers, or abusive behavior.
Needs Improvement - I know that there are instances of hazing and bullying but I currently have no procedures in place to appropriately deal with them.
Acceptable - I comply with all laws associated with bullying and hazing and any instances of hazing and bullying are dealt with swiftly with appropriate consequences.
Exceptional - I comply with all laws associated with bullying and hazing and any instances of hazing and bullying are dealt with swiftly with appropriate consequences. Additionally, my team has collaborated on developing rules regarding hazing and bullying early in the season and discussed them with the team. As a result, we rarely have instances of hazing or bullying.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
Bullying, Hazing, & Inappropriate Behaviors
- 03
Description: Legal responsibilities in coaching include being aware of the responsibility to supervise practices at all times, plan practices based on sound conditioning principles and developmentally appropriate skill progressions, give proper instruction, provide appropriate equipment and a safe practice environment, and deliver emergency care.
Needs Improvement – I was not aware nor been made aware by my program administrators of all my legal responsibilities as it relates to my position.
Acceptable – I am mostly of my legal responsibilities as it relates to my position and understand how to adequately meet these legal responsibilities.
Exceptional - I fully understand my legal responsibilities as a coach and can implement them effectively on the job.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
- 04
Needs Improvement – I am not aware of how health status, body structure, physical conditions, and periods of growth can predispose athletes to common injuries and therefore, I rarely make modifications to practice plans to prevent common injuries.
Acceptable – I understand that health status, body structure, physical conditions, and periods of growth can predispose athletes to common injuries and I make an effort to adapt practice plans with this knowledge in mind but this is not always executed well.
Exceptional – I understand that health status, body structure, physical conditions, and periods of growth can predispose athletes to common injuries and I regularly modify practice plans to reduce the likelihood of injury when needed.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
- 05
Needs Improvement - I sometimes follow the guidelines and recommendations of sports medicine professionals, when applicable, to monitor environmental conditions and err on the side of caution when I have not connected them.
Acceptable - I always follow the guidelines and recommendations of sports medicine professionals, when applicable, to monitor environmental conditions.
Exceptional - I always follow the guidelines and recommendations of sports medicine professionals, when applicable, to monitor environmental conditions. Additionally, I am familiar with the general guidelines to share with athletes and their families.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Exertional Heat Illnesses
National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Environmental Cold Injuries
- 06
Needs Improvement – I do not regularly check the facilities or equipment to determine safety. Additionally, I sometimes leave my athletes unattended to complete other coaching tasks.
Acceptable– I check that facilities and the equipment is safe by conducting regular facility and equipment checks, implementing safe practice procedures, and supervise athletes at all times.
Exceptional - I check that facilities and the equipment is safe by conducting regular facility and equipment checks, implement safe practice procedures, and supervise athletes at all times. Additionally, I stay up to date on the latest safety procedures for my sport to make necessary updates to my practices.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
Sports Safety Checklist for Coaches
National Athletic Training Association Sports Safety Checklist
- 07
Description: Proper physiological training principles are overload, specificity, reversibility, and variance. Overload means putting athletes under more stress than normal in order for adaptive changes to be made. Specificity relates to ensuring that the training done is specific to the sport or activity. Reversibility means if athletes do not keep up training they will lose it. Variance relates to varying the training activities.
https://www.teachpe.com/training-fitness/principles-of-training
Needs Improvement - I rarely monitor athlete training to watch for overtraining or injury and rather rely on previous practice plans to give an indication of appropriate training levels
Acceptable - I understand proper physiological training principles and apply them in practice to avoid overtraining or injury. I sometimes monitor athlete training to determine overtraining and injury.
Exceptional - I understand proper physiological training principles and apply them in practice to avoid overtraining or injury. I monitor athlete training on a regular basis to determine training levels so as to avoid overtraining and injury.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
Heart Rate Variability & Overtraining
Overtraining and the Complexities of Coaches' Decision Making
- 08
Needs Improvement - I have been trained in CPR/first aid as well as concussion awareness and prevention, but my certifications are not up to date.
Acceptable - I am trained in CPR/first aid as well as concussion awareness and prevention and my certification are up to date.
Exceptional - I am trained in CPR/first aid as well as concussion awareness and prevention, my certifications are up to date, and have a clear plan for how to respond to an emergency aligned with my score of practice.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
- 09
Needs Improvement - I am aware that there is an emergency action plan, but am not well versed with it.
Acceptable - I have an emergency action plan to respond to an injury and know how to implement it.
Exceptional - I have an emergency action plan to respond to an injury and can implement it in case of an emergency and has effectively communicated that plan to the team.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
- 10
Needs Improvement - I do not encourage injured athletes to participate in team events, nor do I invite them to practice.
Acceptable – Even though an athlete is injured, I help the athlete to interact with the team and encourage adherence to rehabilitation. Additionally, I support the decisions of sports medicine professionals and do not push the athlete to participate before they are ready.
Exceptional - I maintain communication with the athlete and include the athlete in team events as they are able to participate. I follow the suggestions and support the decisions of sports medicine professionals to ensure that the athlete has a healthy return to participation. Additionally, I help the athlete slowly transition back to practice to build confidence, motivation, and fear of re-injury.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
Returning Athletes to their Sport
Psychological Issues Related to Injury in Athletes and the Team Physician: A Consensus Statement
- 11
Needs Improvement - I do not model healthy dietary habits and sometimes focus on athletes’ weight as an issue in their performance.
Acceptable - I model quality healthy dietary habits and encourage a healthy body image recognizing that quality athletes come in many shapes and sizes.
Exceptional- I practice healthy dietary habits, I encourage a healthy body image, and I provide athletes nutritional information for performance and recovery based on guidelines from sport dieticians.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
- 12
Needs Improvement - I do not know how to identify potential eating disorders nor am aware of how to refer athletes for appropriate professional assistance when needed.
Acceptable – I am knowledgeable about eating disorders, can efficiently communicate my concern to the athlete's parent(s)/guardian(s) and can swiftly refer athletes to appropriate professional assistance when needed.
Exceptional - I know the signs and symptoms of eating disorders, how to appropriately discuss the issue with an athlete and their parent/guardian, and know places to swiftly refer athletes for appropriate professional assistance when needed.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
- 13
Needs Improvement - I rarely intervene and/or refer athletes to appropriate experts when significant changes in body composition, physical appearance, personality and uncharacteristic behaviors that may be drug-related are observed.
Acceptable – I sometimes intervene and/or refer athletes to appropriate experts when significant changes in body composition, physical appearance, personality and uncharacteristic behaviors that may be drug-related are observed.
Exceptional - I most often intervene and/or refer athletes to appropriate experts when significant changes in body composition, physical appearance, personality and uncharacteristic behaviors that may be drug-related are observed.
Check out these resources if you are interested in improving coaching practice:
NFHS Appearance and Performance Enhancing Drugs and Substances