Good Day Parents, Players, Coaches & Community Executive,

I am writing this letter to advise why youth and adult soccer players need to be registered within community / LDSA / ASA / CSA / CONCACAF / FIFA. It is solely for insurance issues and LEGAL ramifications that could appear from incidents.

Part of the player registration fees that each player in Lakeland must pay go to ASA to provide insurance coverage for all registered members, including coaches and players:

“Alberta Soccer covers its Members with Commercial General Liability, Sport Accident and Excess Travel (out-of-country is now a mandatory purchase) Insurance protection.

The ASA Insurance policies apply specifically to registered players, coaches, referees, ASA and member Directors, and Staff. Volunteers listed in member's records, and parent volunteers while supervising registered players at sanctioned games, practices, or events. Both indoor and outdoor seasons are covered.” 

(http://www.albertasoccer.com/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=Insurance&category=Main)

 In addition, most communities require a player waiver form with a liability release as part of their registration package.  In today’s society of “litigation thinking”, associations are faced with having to go to extreme measures to protect themselves and their volunteers from being sued.

Specifically, in the past there have been incidents of an unregistered player participating in community / LDSA / ASA / CSA / CONCACAF / FIFA games or practices. Though this may not seem to be of critical importance, this is taken very seriously by LDSA and ASA. 

The following is a hypothetical situation to help explain:

An exhibition game is organized between two teams with a long competitive history.  In order to give his team an “edge”, one coach adds a visiting out of town “Tier I-level” player to his team for this game.  This player is not registered with ASA or with the community.  Qualified and experienced FIFA referees are elected to ref this game.  LDSA Game Sheets are filled out and given to the center referee.  Game now commences.  In the second half of game, play becomes very physical and competitive. There is an incident where a player is attacking the ball by a mere slide tackle and hits the ball first, but takes the unregistered player at the ankle and the player goes down.  Play is stopped, and the injured player is removed from the pitch and sent to hospital. Game continues. Referee controls the game until it finishes. At the end of the game, the player who slid and tackled the unregistered player is seen laughing and joking with his teammates and family about the injured player. The unregistered player and his family have inadequate insurance to cover hotel rooms and unanticipated expenses incurred while enduring multiple surgical procedures to rebuild an ankle, some of which are not covered by his Provincial Health Care.  The parents of the unregistered player ask the hosting community and district for financial assistance. As the investigation continues, the above stated associations recover information that the injured player is not registered with the team, community, or the District. The associations contact the family to inform them that nothing can be done to assist them, as this player is not registered with the associations, therefore is not covered by the association’s insurance policies. The family then seeks legal counsel to initiate litigation against said associations, and the coach, for financial assistance and damages, claiming that the coach negligently concealed the fact that he was allowing an ineligible player to play on his team.

This is why it is important for coaches or associations not to step outside this ruling. The coach in this hypothetical situation could be deemed responsible for his decision to allow an unregistered player to participate on the team, and could be held LEGALLY responsible for his decision, without support or assistance from the hosting associations.

This is one example of an unfortunate circumstance that could happen in the game of soccer. LDSA would like to educate everyone, parents, coaches, players and community members, that having players registered with ASA  will allow them to play the game at ease, with adequate insurance coverage and lessen the possibility of most LEGAL actions.   

As  your LDSA President, I feel very strongly that it is my responsibility to ensure that all involved in this sport in Lakeland follow the  community / LDSA / ASA / CSA / CONCACAF / FIFA rules and guidelines.

Any questions, queries, or comments, feel free to contact your community representatives.

Thanks,

LDSA Board of Directors
 

Here are words of advice from very wise man: