How to Insure Your Winter Break Camp in 5 Steps

A winter break camp is one of the best ways to keep young athletes active while school is out for the holidays. Families need a safe place for their kids during those long weeks in late December and early January. Coaches and camp directors see the chance to teach skills, build their program, and earn extra income before spring. However, a short camp still carries real risk. Kids get hurt in a gym the same way they get hurt on a summer field. Parents slip on icy sidewalks at drop-off. A facility may refuse to open its doors without proof of coverage. So before you open registration, it pays to plan your insurance with the same care you put into your drills. This guide walks you through five clear steps to insure your camp, from setting your dates to building a winter safety plan. Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance has helped Camps & Clinics protect young athletes for more than 53 years, and these are the steps we walk directors through every season.

Key Takeaways

• A winter break camp needs its own coverage plan, even if your program already has a fall or summer policy.
• Set your dates and headcount first, because camp coverage is priced per participant, per day.
• Ask your facility for its insurance requirements in writing before you sign a rental agreement.
• Most camps need General Liability and Excess Accident Medical, plus Sexual Abuse & Molestation coverage.
• Winter brings its own hazards, like icy parking lots, early sunsets, and crowded indoor gyms.
• You can buy camp coverage online at bene-marc.com or call a licensed agent at 800-247-1734.

1. Set your winter break camp dates and headcount

The first step is simple, but it shapes everything that follows. Decide exactly when your winter break camp will run and how many kids you expect. Most school districts break for about two weeks, from just before Christmas until just after New Year’s Day. Some camps run for three or four days in a row. Others offer two short sessions, one before Christmas and one after. A few run single-day clinics on the weekdays when parents still have to work.

Your schedule matters for insurance because of how camp coverage is priced. At Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance, Camps & Clinics coverage is priced per participant, per day. In other words, you pay for your real exposure, not for a full year of activity you will never run. As a result, a short holiday camp can be very affordable. However, the price only works if your numbers are accurate. So count your expected campers and your exact camp days before you ask for a quote.

Next, think about the ages you plan to serve. For youth football, coverage applies to players 15 and under, and it does not include high school football. For all other sports, coverage applies to athletes 18 and under. If you plan to split campers into age groups, such as 9 and under, 10 to 12, and 13 to 15, write that down too. Age groups help you plan staff ratios, and they help your agent understand your risk.

Also, list every sport or activity you will offer. A basketball camp that adds a day of volleyball or futsal is a different camp on paper. For example, Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance covers more than 75 sports, so most winter sports fit easily. Still, each one should be on your application. When your dates, ages, headcount, and sports are clear, every later step in planning your winter break camp moves faster.

2. Meet your facility’s insurance requirements early

Most winter camps run indoors. For a winter break camp, that means you will probably rent a school gym, a rec center court, a church fellowship hall, or a private training facility. Almost every one of these sites will ask for proof of insurance before you can use the space. In fact, many will not hand you the keys until they see a certificate of insurance, often called a COI.

So ask for the facility’s insurance requirements in writing as soon as you start talking about dates. Look for three things. First, check the minimum liability limit they require. Second, see whether they want to be named as an additional insured on your certificate. Third, look for any special language, such as a waiver of subrogation. Facilities write these rules to protect themselves, and they tend to be strict about them.

Holiday timing makes this step even more important. Schools close their offices over winter break, and city staff take vacation too. If you wait until mid-December to ask questions, the person who approves your certificate may already be gone. As a result, a camp that looked ready on paper can stall a week before opening day. Start these conversations in November, while offices are still fully staffed.

If you are a college coach, there is one more detail to know. Many coaches run winter camps at their own university’s gym under their own LLC. Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance can insure the LLC camp. However, we do not insure camps run directly by the university itself. So make sure your contract with the school shows the camp belongs to your business. If the line feels blurry, call a licensed agent before you sign anything.

Finally, if your facility needs to be named as an additional insured, a licensed agent can set that up by phone. Send them the facility’s exact legal name and the wording it wants. With a few details, the team can prepare a certificate that meets the facility’s standard the first time.

3. Choose the core coverage for your winter break camp

Every youth camp, no matter how short, needs a strong base. For a winter break camp, that base is made of two coverages that work side by side.

The first is General Liability. This coverage protects your camp if someone outside your program gets hurt, or if property is damaged during your activities. For example, a parent might trip on a mat while picking up their child. A ball might crack a window in the gym lobby. General Liability helps pay for claims like these, including legal costs if a family sues. It is also the coverage most facilities ask to see on your certificate.

The second is Excess Accident Medical. This coverage helps pay medical bills when a camper is injured during a covered activity. It works on top of a family’s own health plan, so it can help with deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. For instance, a camper might roll an ankle during a layup drill or jam a finger on a volleyball. Even small injuries can lead to an urgent care visit, an X-ray, and a follow-up appointment. Excess Accident Medical coverage eases that cost for parents and protects your relationship with them.

Together, these two coverages handle the most common camp claims. In fact, General Liability and Excess Accident Medical come included when you buy camp coverage online with Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance. Still, the base is only the start. For a closer look at how camp coverage fits together, read our sports camp insurance planning guide. It was written with summer in mind, but the same core rules apply to a winter break camp.

4. Add the protections a youth camp needs

Once your base is in place, look at the risks that are specific to your winter break camp. Some protections are optional on paper but close to essential in practice.

Sexual Abuse & Molestation coverage is the most important one. Any program that serves children carries this risk, and a camp is no exception. Camp staff often include college athletes, seasonal coaches, and volunteers you may not know well. In addition, campers spend long days with those adults. Sexual Abuse & Molestation coverage helps protect your camp if an allegation is ever made, including the legal costs of defending your program. Many general liability policies limit or exclude these claims, so this coverage fills a serious gap. Because of this, we consider it essential for any youth-serving program.

Next, think about transportation. Will staff drive campers to a second gym, a team lunch, or a holiday outing? If so, Hired and Non-owned Auto coverage can help when your camp uses a rented vehicle or a staff member’s personal car for camp business. Without it, an accident on the way to an off-site activity could fall right on your program.

Then, consider your gear. Winter camps often bring out ball carts, portable hoops, video equipment, and training tools. Sports Equipment coverage helps protect the gear your camp owns. If a camp lasts longer or grows larger than you planned, Excess Liability coverage can raise your protection above your base limits. Some facilities also ask for a waiver of subrogation, which you can add as well.

All of these options appear as add-ons when you buy coverage online. Other protections, like D&O (Directors & Officers), crime coverage, or Property coverage for a building or other larger property, are available by phone with a licensed agent. If you are not sure which add-ons fit, an agent can talk through your camp and help you choose.

5. Build a winter safety plan for staff and campers

Insurance protects you after something goes wrong. A good safety plan helps keep things from going wrong in the first place. Winter brings a few risks that summer camps never face, so build your winter break camp plan around them.

Start with the walk in and the walk out. Icy sidewalks and parking lots cause many winter injuries, and spectators and parents face them too. Ask your facility who clears snow and spreads salt, and when. Plan your pickup times with early sunsets in mind, since it may be dark by 5pm. Assign a staff member to the door at drop-off and pickup so no camper wanders outside alone.

Next, look inside the gym. Indoor camps pack many kids into a small space. Wet shoes from snow make hardwood floors slick, so set out mats and towels at every entrance. Keep spare balls and bags off the court. Even in winter, campers sweat hard during drills, so schedule water breaks every 20 to 30 minutes.

Then, prepare your staff. Every coach and volunteer should know your concussion plan, your emergency plan, and your contact list for parents. The CDC HEADS UP program offers free concussion training for coaches. In addition, run background checks on every adult who works with campers. The American Camp Association also shares helpful guidance on staff training and camp safety. If a camper does get hurt, follow a clear process. Our guide on how to handle a sports camp injury walks you through it step by step.

Finally, collect a signed waiver and an emergency contact form from every family before the first day. Also share your weather policy. If a snowstorm closes roads, parents need to know whether camp is canceled and how you will tell them.

How one program added camp coverage the same day

Many directors who run a winter break camp already run a league or team the rest of the year. Adding a camp feels like a big step. However, with the right partner, it can be fast and simple.

Mel Bishara has worked with Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance for more than 15 years. The league Mel runs offers baseball, football, and basketball. Then the organization decided to try summer camps for the first time. Adding a new kind of program can feel like starting over with insurance. Instead, the camp was covered the same day. Here is Mel’s review, in full:

“For over 15 years I have used Bene-Marc Sports Insurance for my baseball, football, and basketball insurance for our league. In the beginning of our relationship with Bene-Marc, Sevi explained the process step by step when I was confused on what I needed to purchase. Every time our league grows or adds a new sport or camp, Bene-Marc is easily able to add the new activities to our policy. This year our organization offered summer sports camps for the first time, and Stephanie helped me get my insurance the same day! I always find the same great service year after year. Thanks Sevi, Stephanie, and Bene-Marc team for taking care of our sports organization for over 15 years!”

Mel’s story is a good model for any league that wants to add a holiday camp. Talk to your agent early, share your plans, and let the team fit the new activity into your coverage.

How to buy winter break camp coverage online or by phone

When your details are ready, getting covered is quick. You have two paths, and both lead to the same experienced team.

To buy online, click Purchase Now at bene-marc.com. On the purchase page, choose Camps and Clinics, pick your sport, and click Continue. Then the form walks you through a few short steps. You will enter your camp’s legal name and contact details, your sport and age groups, and your number of participants. You will also answer a few questions about concussion safety, waivers, and the facilities you use. After that, you review your coverage, add any optional protections, and see your total before you pay. For a full walkthrough, read our guide on how to buy youth sports insurance online.

Sometimes a phone call is the better choice. For example, call a licensed agent if your facility needs to be named as an additional insured. Also call if your sport is not in the online list, as with cheerleading, or if your camp mixes several sports and age groups. Licensed agents at Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance answer Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm CST, and they bring more than 150 combined years of experience to your questions.

Either way, plan to finish before the holidays get busy. A winter break camp that is fully insured by early December gives you time to send certificates, answer parent questions, and focus on your camp plan.

Get your winter break camp covered before the holidays

A winter break camp gives kids a healthy, happy way to spend their time off school. It also gives your program a chance to grow in a season when most fields sit empty. With a little planning, you can run it with confidence. Set your dates and headcount. Meet your facility’s rules early. Choose General Liability and Excess Accident Medical as your base. Add Sexual Abuse & Molestation and any other protections your camp needs. Then build a winter safety plan that covers the gym, the parking lot, and your staff.

Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance has protected Camps & Clinics in all 50 states for more than 53 years, with coverage placed through A+ rated carriers by A.M. Best. Get your winter break camp covered today at bene-marc.com, or call a licensed agent at 800-247-1734, Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm CST. We are glad to help you plan a safe and joyful camp this season.