Poor Supervision Leads to Devastating Gym Class Basketball Injury

Case Overview

This athletic management case involves an injury to a student, which she sustained during gym class. The plaintiff, a 13-year old female, was engaged in a school gym basketball match. She was playing on a girls’ team against boys larger than her. No instruction, safety measures, or gear (mouth or head guards was provided and the plaintiff was struck by a hard ball in the face and injured severely.

Questions to the Occupational Health and Safety expert and their responses

Was it appropriate to have girls playing against boys?

The concept of mismatching sexes is well known and utilized by coaches and instructors. The allowance for this usually involves considerations of age, size, experience level, and other factors to ensure that any mix is played safely.

Should the plaintiff have been allowed to play without any safety measures or gear?

As an adjunct professor and former administrator at a university, I have over thirty years experience as a professor, coach, and coordinator of recreational professions. I have frequently focused on safety and risk management. Also, my experiences coaching and teaching at the grade school level, as well as my certification as a Certified Recreation Administrator by New Jersey, make me very familiar with all relevant standards and rules for recreational safety in the academic environment.

About the expert

This expert is an adjunct professor and former professor and administrator at Montclair State University who has been involved with recreation and sport for the past thirty years as a university professor, coach, and coordinator of recreation professions. His teaching and research responsibilities at the University have focused on Safety and Risk Management. He also has been an elementary and high school teacher and dean of students responsible for safety and security. He has been a high school athletic director, coach and club adviser. He has experience as a recreation leader, manager, administrator and supervisor in public recreation. He has been a recreation sport commissioner facility manager and supervisor. He is a Certified Recreation Administrator by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.