Sports Law • Risk Management

angela's blog

Slippery on Deck

I have vivid memories from my childhood of taking swim lessons in indoor pools in the wintertime and of playing with friends in outdoor pools in the summertime. Although when I was young I was nearly oblivious to the dangers of the pool. While I was having fun playing in the pool, the staff was continuously trying to mitigate risk.

New to Crew, Part II

In my previous blog, New to Crew, Part I, I mentioned some of the risks associated with crewing. However, there are some additional risks that are important to mention.

For instance, when rowing, you should never go out alone. Even if you are navigating a single person boat, you should always have someone follow in a functioning launch boat. That way if something happens, a person in another boat should be available to assist. It is also a good idea to purchase insurance in case of an accident to a person or to property.

New to Crew, Part I

This year I took up the sport of crewing. Each morning, my eight-person crew hoisted an old, heavy, wooden boat onto our shoulders, carried it across a narrow wooden floating dock and launched into the water as daylight was breaking. It is pretty magical to skim through the water as the sun emerges behind the trees along the shore. However, despite my enjoyment from the activity and from the view, I always reflect on the risks and how to avoid incidents.

Sports Are Just Like the Movies

Growing up going to the movies was always a special experience. I would get a tub of greasy buttered popcorn as I settled in to allow my mind to be whisked away on a magical adventure. One particular time at the theater I went to the theater to watch Forrest Gump and my magical experience was disrupted. During the course of the movie I watched Forrest overcome great adversity with his disability, the military, as a shrimping boat captain and in his relationships with others.

Nude Golfers and Their Clubs

As the saying goes, “boys will be boys.” This phrase supports a level of predictability that young people, especially those in college, will experiment and test boundaries. Unfortunately, some college age students do not think about, or at least think they are immune to, potential consequences to their actions. Needless to say, the Bethany College men’s golf team must have been shocked at the consequences following a Facebook posting of their nude photo shoot posing with their sports equipment.

NYC Triathlon and Open Water Swims: A Sport of Extreme Sorts

Today as I was swimming laps, I experienced fluid buildup in my lungs. The fluid made it hard to catch my breath, but my stubbornness made it even more difficult to stop swimming before I was done with my set. Not being able to breathe, however, induced a bit of panic, which increased when I had a flash that the lifeguard, who had early been distracted flirting with a guy on the pool deck, might not be paying enough attention to me should I need rescued. At that moment, I recognized that I was responsible for my well-being and that I should not fully trust that someone else would save me, even if it was that person’s job to do so. With that acknowledgement, I stopped swimming until my throat cleared enough to finish my set. This experience left me contemplating about the recent deaths that occurred during the swim segment of the New York City (NYC) Triathlon and what the athletes may have experienced during the race.