Your 6-Point Summer Sports Camp Insurance Checklist

Summer is coming. And if you run a youth sports camp, you already know the drill: reserve the fields, line up the coaches, order the equipment, send out the registration forms.

But here is the one thing too many camp directors forget until the last minute: insurance.

We get it. Insurance is not the exciting part. But after more than 50 years of protecting youth sports programs at Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance, we have seen what happens when a camp opens its doors without the right coverage in place. A kid rolls an ankle during a drill. A parent trips on a loose cable near the bleachers. A facility manager asks for proof of insurance the morning of your first session, and you do not have it.

None of that has to happen to you. This checklist will walk you through exactly what to look for so you can focus on coaching, teaching, and giving kids the best week of their summer.

1. General liability coverage

This is your foundation. General liability insurance protects your camp against claims for bodily injury to third parties, property damage, and personal injury. If a spectator gets hurt at your event, or a ball goes through a car windshield in the parking lot, this is the coverage that responds.

Most facilities, parks departments, and municipalities will require proof of general liability before they let you use their space. Without it, you may not even be able to open your doors.

2. Excess accident medical coverage

Here is where a lot of camp directors breathe a sigh of relief. Excess accident medical coverage helps pay for a participant’s medical bills if they are injured during camp activities. It fills the gap beyond what a family’s personal health insurance covers. And if a participant does not have health insurance at all, this coverage can step in as the primary payer.

When a 10-year-old breaks a wrist during a basketball drill, you want to know that their medical expenses are covered, and that the family is taken care of. That is what this coverage does.

3. Sexual abuse and molestation coverage

This is not a comfortable topic. But it is one of the most important coverages any youth-serving organization can carry. Sexual abuse and molestation coverage protects your organization in the event of allegations or claims. For any program working with children, this coverage is not optional. It is essential.

At Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance, we strongly encourage every camp operator to pair this coverage with thorough background checks and child safety prevention training for all staff and volunteers.

4. Certificates of insurance

A certificate of insurance (COI) is the document that proves you have coverage. Facilities, venue owners, and municipalities almost always require one before they will let you use their fields or gyms.

One of the most common calls we get at Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance is from camp directors who need a COI fast because their venue is asking for it days before the camp starts. The good news? We are known for fast turnaround. As client Douglas Murphy put it, “When we had an emergency and needed a new certificate in literally like 10 minutes, they came through.”

5. Equipment coverage

Bats, balls, goals, nets, cones, timing systems, sound equipment. Camp gear adds up quickly. Equipment coverage protects your organization if gear is stolen, damaged, or destroyed. If you have invested in your program’s equipment, this coverage makes sure that investment is protected.

6. Don’t wait until the last minute

Let’s say you are a first-time camp director. You have coached for years, but this is your first time running your own summer basketball camp. You have the gym booked, the coaches lined up, and 60 kids registered. Two days before camp starts, the recreation department calls and says they need a certificate of insurance naming them as an additional insured. You do not have one.

That is a real scenario we hear about regularly. At Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance, we have helped camp operators in that exact situation get covered quickly so they do not have to cancel. As client Michael Lanahan shared, “Bene-Marc President Lisa Hall personally intervened when I had a problem with my recreation department. Without her patience, persistence and diplomatic skills, I would have lost my business.”

You do not have to wait until the last minute. The earlier you start, the more options you have.

How to get started

Getting camp insurance does not have to be complicated. At Bene-Marc Youth Sports Insurance, our licensed agents have over 150 years of combined experience. We work with “A+” rated A.M. Best companies and cover over 75 sports and recreational activities across all 50 states.

Whether you are running a one-day skills clinic or a month-long residential camp, we can customize a plan that fits your program.

Give us a call at 800-247-1734 or click here to get a quote. A real person will answer the phone.

Play hard, rest easy, knowing you are covered.

For more camp safety resources, visit the Aspen Institute’s Project Play for research and best practices on youth sports programming.