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;
1.
2.
3.
4.
Roles and responsibilities
Equipment
The suitability of the site
The suitability of the participants to
the activity
5. 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:
1. Available space
2. The facility and its design purpose for this
sport
3. Accessibility of emergency exits
4. Noise (acoustics) Are there echo's?
5. 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.
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?
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?
Yes/no
Comments
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? 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.