Club Insurance Considerations

Clubs must take great care in researching and securing policies to protect their organization and their directors/owners. The following are samples of insurance coverage that your club may want to secure:

• General liability: provides protection from claims of bodily injury, property damage and personal injury.
• Excess liability: provides liability protection in excess of the general liability limit.
• Excess accident medical: coverage for medical bills for accidental injuries. It is excess over any other available insurance.
• Accidental death and dismemberment: a benefit paid in the event of death or dismemberment resulting from an accidental injury.
• Directors and officers insurance: provides coverage for suits and other legal proceedings brought against a member club’s board of directors, officers or the member club itself for allegations of wrongful acts, errors and omissions.
• Automobile insurance: coverage for losses resulting from the use of an owned or non-owned automobile.
• Property coverage: coverage for damage to property owned, rented or borrowed by a club such as buildings, furniture, computers, gates, timing equipment, etc.
• Child molestation coverage
• Specialty event/high risk activities coverage: snowsports, rock climbing, skate facilities, rafting, paint ball, etc. It is important that your insurance provider understand all the activities you do with the athletes, to coordinate proper coverage.

​Disclaimer Note: This summary provides a general overview of insurance coverage that applies to USSA clubs. It is not a complete explanation of policy provisions or specifics of the policy benefits. No coverage is extended, and no representations are made, other than what is stated in the actual insurance policies.

For USSA insurance information please refer to //www.amerspec.com/ussa_cov/  for the most current information on the coverage USSA offers clubs.

Insurance and Individual USSA Membership

USSA membership provides some additional insurance coverage to its individual members. All clubs are encouraged to register all members and participants with USSA.

The USSA requires members to have valid and sufficient primary medical/accident insurance coverage and to accept full responsibility for understanding the provisions of such coverage as a condition of becoming a USSA member and participating in official USSA training and competition. Such primary coverage must be in effect for the entire term of the membership year in order for the member to have coverage under the USSA’s excess accident medical policy. Members must carry proof of primary insurance and such proof must be available at each event so that prompt medical/hospital care can be authorized, if needed.

For more information regarding the coverage associated with individual USSA membership please refer to //www.amerspec.com/ussa_cov/.

USSA CLIP Insurance Program

While many different clubs may arrange for their own insurance needs, the USSA offers a review of insurance for certified member clubs to help ensure they are adequately and appropriately covered. However, the USSA is not an insurance provider. As a service to certified member clubs, the USSA offers a Club Liability Insurance Program (CLIP) through a partnership with American Specialty Insurance. Clubs must be certified at the basic level to be eligible for this service, and additional fees apply. 

More information on this program can be found at www.amerspec.com/ussa_cov

Other USSA Risk Management Resources / Items for Consideration

Risk Management Contacts

USSA has partnered with American Specialty Insurance and Risk Management Services, Inc. to assist USSA with its risk management needs. Members of the USSA may contact Shauna Vanderlinden at 435 647 2003 or a member of American Specialty’s USSA service team at 800 245 2744 for additional insurance/risk management information.

Coaches’ Clinics

Coaches’ clinics are available for USSA club coaches to secure up-to-date information on the most accepted and current coaching methods. Certification of coaches at different levels is also available. For more information on these clinics, contact Haley Smith from the USSA Education Department at 435 647 2050. Coaches without current USSA cetificaitons could be a significant liability to the club. 

Contracts

Your club may be required to execute an agreement with another entity (for example, to use a facility for ski practice) and it is important that you fully understand the terms and conditions of the proposed agreement. Most agreements include hold harmless and indemnification language, and we encourage you to take the following best practices into consideration when reviewing the indemnity and hold harmless provisions of any agreement. CLIP affiliate clubs agree to submit their contracts/agreements with resorts to American Specialty and the USSA for review from an insurance perspective prior to executing the agreement.

• Ideal Wording – One-sided indemnification in USSA club's favor. The other party indemnifies and holds USSA/USSA CLIP affiliate club harmless for losses; and USSA club does not indemnify or hold the other party harmless.
• Acceptable Wording – Mutual indemnification and hold harmless. Each party is responsible for its own negligent acts
• Acceptable Wording, but not as good as above – One sided, but only for USSA club's own negligence. USSA club indemnifies and holds the other party harmless, but only for losses arising out of the USSA club's sole or gross negligence.
• Worst Case Scenario – One-sided indemnification in other party’s favor. USSA club indemnifies the other party and holds them harmless for losses, and the other party does not indemnify or hold USSA club harmless.
• Not Acceptable – One sided in other party’s favor and/or assuming responsibility for the negligent acts of the other party.