Sports Coaching Work Injuries in Florida

When most of us think about coaching and injuries, we think about injuries among athletes and the important role of coaches in preventing sports-related injuries. Yet coaches, just like employees in other jobs, can also suffer work-related injuries. Whether coaches are out on the field with athletes or working behind the scenes, they can get hurt on the job. Florida law requires most employers outside the construction industry with four or more employees to carry workers’ compensation coverage, which means that most coaches will work for covered employers. How do coaching injuries happen, what types of injuries are most common, and what do coaches need to do in order to seek financial compensation through the Florida workers’ compensation system? Consider the following information from our Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation lawyers.

What Do Coaches Do? 

In order to understand how coaches tend to get hurt on the job, it is important to have a clear understanding of the wide range of job duties involved in being an athletics coach. Whether coaches are employed by K-12 schools or universities or private sports leagues, they perform many different tasks in their jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the following are common duties for coaches at varying levels and in different coaching environments, both amateur and professional:

• Planning and running sports practices;
• Identifying an athlete’s strengths and weaknesses;
• Selecting athletes for specific team positions;
• Motivating athletes;
• Directing athletes in practice and during games;
• Making decisions about plays during games;
• Providing athletes with instruction about playing techniques and sports rules;
• Maintaining records;
• Identifying athletes for recruiting;
• Traveling with team owners and athletes for games and for recruiting; and
• Decision-making about on-the-field injuries, when to pull athletes, and when to permit a return to play.

Common Types of Injuries Sustained By Coaches 

Given that coaches are not only in close contact with athletes in gyms and during practice and play on the field, but also engaged in office-related work, injuries can vary widely. Coaches could sustain any of the following injuries, for example, in the course of their work:

• Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions;
• Broken bones or fractures;
• Sprains;
• Strains;
• Contusions;
• Cuts and lacerations;
• Repetitive motion injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome;
• Back injuries; and
• Neck injuries.

Contact a Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

 Sports coaching for youth athletes and athletes at the university level and beyond can be rewarding and exciting, but these jobs can also come with significant injury risks. Although coaching does not place workers in the same positions as athletes on the field, coaches are often nonetheless at risk of similar injuries while modeling certain actions or while working closely with athletes. These positions also come with many other injury risks, as we have discussed. If you were injured while coaching a sport, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. One of the experienced Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. can evaluate your case today and can speak with you about moving forward with a workers’ compensation claim.

Sources:

myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/employer/coverage-requirements#:~:text=Employers%20with%20one%20or%20more,must%20have%20workers%27%20compensation%20coverage

bls.gov/ooh/entertainment-and-sports/coaches-and-scouts.htm