Youth Registrations

[Michael Avery]

From the perspective of participant safety and club liability, I am hoping that clubs can share their approach to managing the preregistration and walk-up registration of youth participants in their events:  how do you assure that you have accurate identification (name and age) and a valid waiver for all starters in an event? 

Scenarios might include youth traveling to an event with a friends or a scoutmaster pre-registering members of a troop before actual participants are known as Name: Scout, Age: ?.

Thanks in advance.

Mike Avery

NEOOC

Sent from my Pixel 8

[maver...@gmail.com]

Coming back around on the question of youth safety and club liablility, I received two private responses, with indications that waivers aren't going to keep anyone safer on the course, and they can still be maneuvered around if the registrant is intent on doing so.  

My take on the limited number of responses is that it is a difficult question with not a lot of best practices to be shared.

While it's true that a paper or ewaiver isn't going to protect anyone from getting hurt, or worse, in a serious accident, demonstrating that all possible has been done to protect event participants can go a long way towards limiting liability on the club/OUSA in an accident scenario.

We all have waivers as part of the registration process.  Would having a stick-in-the-ground type of yard sign placed prominently at the Start and stating something to the effect of "by punching Start, you are affirming that you have properly registered for this event, understand the risks and agree to abide by the terms in the waiver that you accepted during the registration process" be something that could be helpful in limiting liability?  Should adult leaders of participating youth share in the responsibility to assure that their participants have been properly prepared and have waivers in hand?

Mike Avery

NEOOC