Caroline Goss Portfolio

Course Description

This course is designed to introduce students to principles of law as they apply to sports and recreation environments. Course content will include an examination of the liability of sports and recreation personnel, agencies, and government entities, and procedures for managing risk exposure and liability litigation.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe and discuss the concepts of law as they apply to sport and recreation environments.
2. Describe and discuss the concepts of law as they apply to personnel and employment.
3. Describe the basic components of tort law with emphasis on negligence law.
4. Describe and discuss the components of contract law.
5. Describe and discuss selected components of constitutional law.

Reflections and Summary

The Risk Management course taught by Dr. Kanters was one of the most important classes I took during the PRTSM Masters program because it highlighted areas of risk and liability that I hadn’t given much thought to prior. Throughout the class discussions, video modules, and readings, I became more aware of protocols that can be taken to reduce risk and learned additional steps that can be added to my 4-H program to make it even safer for youth, volunteers, and employees involved. 

As a result of this course I became more aware of risk areas within my organization and began to mitigate those risks using protocols like event/facility audits, certifications, volunteer evaluations, and Emergency Action Plans. Through this course, my knowledge of the liability in context of the law was deepened and I became more equipped to make my 4-H program safer. These principles of risk management were incorporated into my final project in which I created a Risk Management Plan for one of our 4-H Clubs.

Overall, this course enabled me to learn how to increase safety for participants and volunteers and reduce risk for my organization. While we may not always be able to prevent injury, a thorough knowledge of the law and an understanding for what an organization’s risks are and how to mitigate them will lead to better outcomes for all involved. 

Primary Artifact: Ashe 4-H Shooting Sports Club Risk Management Plan