NCSS Safe Sport City Award
Safety awareness in sports has caught the attention of everyone recently with the cardiac arrest of Damar Hamlin on the field in front of a national audience. However, it can happen anywhere to anyone and we want to be prepared as well as possible for these unusual and infrequent catastrophic events. It could be your child.
The NCSS Safe Sport City Award recognizes cities that encourage a city-wide culture to promote the overall health and safety of athletic participants within their city. To ensure that health and safety are a vital priority, the initiative will require each city to meet specific guidelines in collaboration with local coaches, secondary schools, athletic trainers, EMS, and additional safety personnel. The overall goal of the initiative is to promote a city-wide culture of well-being through the utilization of proactive precautions and mindfulness of potential perils.
Each city applying for the Safe Sport City Award will be required to meet certain standards for approval. These requirements are broken down into 4 categories: venue, coaches and venue personnel, secondary schools, and medical coverage.
- Each city must have a Safe Sport City Coordinator to help maintain and promote safe sports throughout their city
- Each athletic venue must have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) posted at each athletic venue with the following criteria:
- Specific for each venue and reviewed annually with all venue and medical personnel
- Map of each site with AED locations listed
- Established method of communication for emergencies and weather-related events
- Safe and appropriate weather protocol
- Ensure proper placement and signage for AEDs at each venue
- Ensuring each venue has someone on site who has been educated in emergent care during athletic events.
- Provide education for coaches, venue personnel, and EMS that promotes awareness and responsiveness to athletic emergencies
- Secondary schools within the city have received the NATA Safe Sports School Award
How does your city get started?
Use the NCSS Safe Sport City Assessment Tool to see what items your city may need to address in order to promote sports safety. For questions or information on resources, contact us at contact@aspirebhm.com.
Application
The application for the Safe Sport City Award outlines the requirements needed to have your city showcased as a Safe Sport City promoting a city-wide culture of health and safety for athletic participants.
There is a $75 application fee for each city with a renewal every 2 years. Once awarded your city will receive a plaque and digital artwork in order to display your city’s accomplishment. Digital artwork is a great method to use to display on billboards, and signage at each venue, and to recruit athletic event holders to participate within your city.