Planning a Holiday Tournament? How to Get Covered in Time

A holiday tournament can be the highlight of a young athlete’s season. Teams travel to play new opponents, families fill the stands, and kids get to compete while school is out. For directors, though, the holidays add pressure. Gyms book up early. Offices close for days at a time. Travel teams need hotel rooms, and parents need clear plans. In the middle of all that, your insurance has to be ready before the first whistle. If it is not, a facility can turn you away at the door. The good news is that getting covered in time is simple when you start early and follow a plan. This guide shows you how to plan your coverage around Thanksgiving weekend, winter break, and New Year’s events, step by step. Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance has helped tournament directors protect their events for more than 53 years, and these are the steps we share with every director who calls us this time of year.

Key Takeaways

• Start planning your holiday tournament insurance at least four to six weeks before the event.
• Get the venue’s insurance requirements in writing before you sign the rental agreement.
• Most tournaments need General Liability and Excess Accident Medical, and many add Sexual Abuse & Molestation and Hired and Non-owned Auto.
• Tournament coverage applies to one to four consecutive days, so a two-weekend event may need extra planning.
• Holidays shorten the work week for everyone, so build in time for certificates and questions.
• You can buy coverage online at bene-marc.com or call a licensed agent at 800-247-1734.

Why a holiday tournament needs an earlier start

Most tournaments follow a familiar rhythm. You book a venue, open registration, build brackets, and line up officials. A holiday tournament follows the same rhythm, but the calendar works against you.

First, venues fill up fast. Schools and rec centers often have fewer open dates over the holidays, because staff take time off and buildings close for cleaning. When a gym does open, many directors compete for the same weekend. As a result, the best courts and fields are often booked by early fall.

Second, the people you depend on are harder to reach. School offices close over winter break. City staff take vacation. Your officials, volunteers, and concession helpers have family plans of their own. If a facility manager needs one more form from you on December 22, there may be no one there to receive it.

Third, holiday events tend to draw bigger crowds. Families are off work, grandparents come to watch, and teams travel from farther away. More people in the building means more chances for a slip, a fall, or an injury in the stands. That is why your coverage needs to match the size of your event, not the size of a normal weekend game.

Finally, the holidays themselves are short. Thanksgiving weekend tournaments are only a few weeks away when November starts. Winter break events begin right after the last school bell in December. New Year’s tournaments start while many offices are still closed. So the earlier you begin, the more room you have to fix small problems before they turn into big ones. If you are already short on time, our guide on how to insure a youth tournament in under 24 hours can help in a pinch. For everyone else, the steps below keep you well ahead of the rush.

Book your venue and get its insurance rules in writing

Your venue shapes your insurance more than any other decision. So once you pick a facility, ask for its insurance requirements in writing before you sign the rental agreement.

Look for a few key details. First, find the minimum liability limit the venue requires. Many facilities ask for a set amount per occurrence and a larger amount in total. Second, check whether the venue wants to be named as an additional insured on your certificate. This means your policy also protects the facility owner if a claim involves your event. Third, look for special wording, like a waiver of subrogation, which some cities and school districts require.

Next, ask about the holiday schedule. When will the office close? Who signs off on certificates while staff are on break? What is the last day they can accept your paperwork? Write these dates down and plan backward from them. In addition, ask whether the building has its own rules for the holidays, such as earlier closing times, limited parking, or no concessions.

Then, send the requirements to your insurance agent right away. If the venue needs to be named as an additional insured, a licensed agent at Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance can set that up by phone. Share the facility’s exact legal name and the wording it wants. That way, your certificate meets the venue’s standard on the first try. Our team is known for fast certificate turnaround, but holiday closures on the facility’s side can still slow things down. So do not leave this step for the last week.

Choose the right coverage for your holiday tournament

Once you know the venue’s rules, choose coverage that protects your event, your players, and your organization. Tournament coverage at Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance is built for events that last one to four consecutive days. All of the dates must run back to back. So if your event runs on two separate weekends, such as December 27 and 28 and then January 2 and 3, talk with a licensed agent about how to cover both.

Start with two core coverages. General Liability protects your organization if a spectator, parent, or visitor is hurt, or if property is damaged during your holiday tournament. For example, a grandparent might slip on wet bleachers, or a ball might damage a scoreboard. General Liability helps pay for claims like these, including legal costs. It is also the coverage your venue will want to see on your certificate.

Next comes Excess Accident Medical. This coverage helps pay medical bills when a youth athlete is injured during play. It works on top of the family’s own health plan, which helps with deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. Tournament play is intense. Players run more games in fewer days, and tired legs lead to sprains and falls. So Excess Accident Medical is an important part of any youth event.

Then, think about the extra risks that come with a busy holiday weekend. Sexual Abuse & Molestation coverage helps protect your organization if an allegation is ever made against a coach, volunteer, or staff member. Tournaments bring many adults you may not know well into close contact with kids, so this coverage matters. If your teams or staff drive rented vans or personal cars for tournament business, Hired and Non-owned Auto coverage can help after an accident. If your venue asks for higher limits, Excess Liability can raise your protection above your base policy.

Also keep the age rules in mind. 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 your bracket includes older divisions, confirm them with an agent before you open registration.

Plan for traveling teams, families, and crowds

Holiday events often draw teams from other cities and even other states. That brings energy and bigger brackets. It also brings new details to manage.

Start with your team list. Ask each visiting team for its roster, its coach’s contact information, and the name of the adult in charge while the team is in town. Keep these records in one place. If a player is hurt, you will need them quickly.

Next, plan for crowds. Holiday games draw more fans than a regular weekend. So think about where spectators will sit, where they will walk, and where they will park. Mark exits clearly. Keep walkways free of bags and coolers. If you expect snow or rain, place mats at every entrance and assign someone to dry wet floors between games.

Then, plan for winter weather. A storm can delay a team on the highway or close roads near your venue. Decide ahead of time how you will handle late arrivals, schedule changes, and cancellations. Share that plan with every coach before the event. A clear message the night before saves a lot of confusion on game day.

Safety for players comes first, of course. Tournament schedules can be packed, and young athletes play several games in a short time. Build in rest and water breaks between games. Make sure every coach knows your concussion plan. The free CDC HEADS UP training is a good place to start.

Finally, remember why families travel during the holidays in the first place. Research from the Aspen Institute’s Project Play shows how much kids gain from sports, from better health to stronger friendships. A well-run holiday tournament gives them a memory they keep for years.

Work around holiday schedules and closures

Holidays shorten the work week for everyone, including your venue, your officials, and your insurance agent. So plan your paperwork around the calendar, not around the event date alone.

Licensed agents at Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance answer the phone Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm CST. A real person picks up, and they bring more than 150 combined years of experience to your questions. However, a holiday tournament usually starts on a weekend. If you find a problem with your certificate on Saturday morning, it may have to wait until Monday. That is why it pays to finish your coverage during a regular work week.

The good news is that you can also buy coverage online, any time of day. Click Purchase Now at bene-marc.com, choose Tournaments on the purchase page, and pick your sport. Then the form walks you through a few short steps. You enter your organization’s details, your sport and age groups, and your number of teams and participants. You answer a few safety questions about concussions, waivers, and the facilities you use. After that, you choose your coverage, add any optional protections, and see your total before you pay. As our purchase page puts it, you can purchase coverage online in minutes and receive your Certificate of Insurance instantly. For a full walkthrough, read our guide on how to buy youth sports insurance online.

Online is fast, but some requests need a person. For example, call a licensed agent if your venue must be named as an additional insured, if your sport is not in the online list, or if your event runs on dates that are not back to back. Those calls are easiest to make before the holiday week begins.

A simple holiday tournament countdown

A countdown turns a long to-do list into small steps. Here is a timeline that works for most events.

Six weeks out:

• Confirm your holiday tournament dates, sports, age divisions, and expected number of teams.
• Book your venue and get its insurance requirements in writing.
• Ask the venue for its holiday office hours and paperwork deadlines.

Four weeks out:

• Buy your tournament coverage online or by phone.
• Call a licensed agent for any additional insured request.
• Open team registration and collect rosters and coach contacts.

Two weeks out:

• Send your certificate of insurance to the venue and confirm they received it.
• Collect signed waivers and emergency contact forms from every team.
• Share your weather plan, concussion plan, and schedule with all coaches.

The week of the event:

• Keep a digital and a printed copy of your certificate at the venue.
• Stock your first aid kit and assign a staff member to handle injuries.
• Walk the building for wet floors, blocked exits, and parking problems.

If you are planning a Thanksgiving weekend event and it is already mid-November, do not panic. Start with the four-week list today and call us. Our team works quickly when time is short. For more ideas, see our earlier guide to holiday tournament insurance.

How one director got an event ready to go

Fast, personal help matters most when the clock is running. Jim Wice learned this while getting coverage for a sporting event. Jim also has a disability that made signing the paperwork harder. Aisha Swain, an agent at Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance, moved fast and found a way to make the process work. Here is part of Jim’s review:

“I had a fantastic experience working with Aisha Swain at BMI… Her turnaround times were excellent and beyond what her company posted. I also have a disability and had some trouble with signatures, and she was able to accommodate.”

In the end, the event went forward as planned. That is the kind of care every holiday tournament director deserves. When you call us, you reach people who listen, adjust, and move quickly.

Get your holiday tournament covered in time

A holiday tournament brings teams, families, and communities together at the best time of year. With a little planning, it can also be safe, smooth, and fully protected. Start four to six weeks out. Get your venue’s rules in writing. Choose General Liability and Excess Accident Medical as your base, then add Sexual Abuse & Molestation, Hired and Non-owned Auto, or Excess Liability as your event needs. Plan for traveling teams, crowds, and winter weather. Finally, finish your paperwork before holiday closures slow everyone down.

Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance has protected tournaments in all 50 states for more than 53 years, with coverage placed through A+ rated carriers by A.M. Best. Get your holiday tournament covered today at bene-marc.com, or call a licensed agent at 800-247-1734, Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm CST. We would love to help you host a safe and joyful event this season.