Sports Camp Emergency and Injury Planning

Build an emergency action plan for each site

An emergency action plan tells people what to do when something serious happens.

Use the exact site address, field or room name, entrance, gate code process, ambulance route, and meeting point. “The north field” may mean nothing to a dispatcher.

Name the person who leads the response, the person who calls emergency services, the person who meets responders, and the people who care for the other groups. Give each role a backup.

The same plan may not work for a second site or a trip.

Check access before opening

Walk the route an ambulance would use. Check gates, locks, parked vehicles, stairs, and phone service.

Know where the first-aid supplies and automated external defibrillator, or AED, are located. Confirm access during your actual hours, not just the building's normal opening time.

Check equipment using the maker's instructions and the responsible site's process. Staff trained for the role should know how to get and use it.

Act before doing paperwork

In a serious emergency, call the local emergency number and follow trained first aid, dispatcher instructions, and approved device instructions.

Do not delay urgent treatment to find a waiver, settle payment, call an insurer, or get a parent's reply.

Keep someone responsible for every other participant. An emergency must not leave the rest of the camp unattended.

Do not move a person with a possible serious neck or spine injury unless immediate danger, essential lifesaving care, or trained emergency guidance requires it.

Know the concussion rule

A concussion may follow a hit to the head or a force to the body that jolts the head.

When a concussion is suspected, remove the person from sport immediately. Do not let them return the same day. A healthcare provider must assess the injury and guide clearance and a graduated return. A coach should not decide that someone is fine because they can run or answer a few questions.¹

Possible symptoms include headache, dizziness, confusion, or balance problems. Symptoms can appear later. After a relevant injury, signs such as repeated vomiting, seizures, a worsening headache, new weakness, or trouble waking need emergency medical help.²

Use the current sport and local concussion requirements as well as your medical plan. Do not use this book as a sideline diagnosis tool.

Plan communication in advance

Have a brief emergency message ready for families. Share confirmed facts, the action being taken, and where they should get updates.

Do not name an injured person in a group message. Do not post photos or let staff speak casually to media.

Give emergency responders the necessary health information through the approved route. Keep a record of the handover.

Record facts after urgent care is underway

Record the time, place, activity, conditions, what was observed, first actions, witnesses, and notifications.

Use plain facts. “The participant said their ankle hurt” is better than a diagnosis you are not qualified to make.

Preserve relevant records and equipment. Follow required reporting to authorities, the venue, sport bodies, and insurers. Do not promise a legal outcome or admit liability on behalf of an insurer without advice.

Learn without blaming the reporter

After the immediate response, ask what conditions allowed the event and what should change.

A near miss is an event that could have caused harm but did not. Record useful near misses too.

Do not reward staff for having no reports. Reward them for safe work, honest reporting, and completed fixes.

Your task: Complete and rehearse the site plan. Check that it still works with a dead phone, a locked gate, or an absent director.