We are providing this service because as a leading global insurer and one of the largest home and auto insurers in the United States, Liberty Mutual believes in the power of personal responsibility. Along with
Positive Coaching Alliance -- a national non-profit focused on teaching life lessons through sport -- we cannot stress enough the importance of safety.
Driving to and from games and practices, overexposure to sun, dehydration, exhaustion, faulty equipment, overuse injuries and those that result from accidents on the field all present potential hazards. That's why the number one characteristic of a Responsible Coach is ensuring player safety.
Did you know? Safety tips are regularly included in our Weekly Coach Tip emails. 
The major areas of safety a Responsible Coach must address are:
Conditioning
Make sure your players check with their family doctors to assess player fitness before they begin any sport programs.
Hydration
As you may have seen in the news recently, hydration is a big issue in sports. Teach your athletes the importance of hydration – ask parents to send their children to practice with water bottles, and as a coach, remind players they should drink water throughout the day.
Nutrition
We all know nutrition is important. It becomes even more important for our youth athletes who are burning lots of calories during practices and games. Do your best to ensure your players are eating a balanced diet and touch base with parents to make sure they're aware of special nutritional needs before practices and games.
Equipment
Make sure the equipment used in practices and games is safe. Make sure players wear adequate protective gear and examine all training and field equipment.Also, teach players to use equipment only for its intended purpose.
Injury Prevention and Treatment
Partner with your players' parents to ensure greater safety. For example, ask parents to keep a first-aid kit in their cars to supplement your own first-aid kit. Encourage parents to get certified in first aid and CPR. You can never have enough qualified hands in case of an emergency. A first-aid kit and at least one adult trained and certified in first aid and CPR should be present at all practices and games.
Locker Room Conduct
Without proper policies in place, this environment can present some sensitive situations for minor athletes, particularly on a coed team. If your coed team does not have the luxury of separate locker rooms, ensure you have a clear, gender-equitable policy for how the locker room will be shared. It's a good idea to have a properly screened adult of the same gender present to not only enforce policy, but to avoid hazing such as locker room boxing. For more, read USA Hockey's New Locker Room Policy.
Driving
We take driving safety seriously – and we know you do, too! Anyone responsible for driving youth athletes to and from practices or games should be licensed and insured. Consider updating your own insurance policy to reflect carpooling care of passengers.
For a summary of these safety measures, Download: Key Safety Measures for Responsible Coaches
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