Disappointment as soccer season side-lined by insurance concerns

Jeff Green | Aug 05, 2020

After working diligently all summer, trying to salvage a soccer season for local youngsters who have been isolated for almost 5 months, the board of directors of the Frontenac Soccer Association (FSA) had sorted everything out, and with stage 3 now well in place, Centennial Park in Harrowsmith was to be filled with kids playing soccer through the month of August. The season was set to start this week, (on Tuesday, August 4th).

It rained heavily on Tuesday morning, but that was not what has brought the blues to the Frontenac Soccer board members, coaches, kids and family members.

The season has been suspended, not due to weather, not due to the pandemic (at least not directly) but because of insurance and liability.

As their final board meeting before the season was set to get underway, the board was faced with the reality that their insurance policy does not provide personal protection for board members in the eventuality that a child contacts COVID-19 while participating in the league and then decides to take court action.

“We looked at this every way we could, but the liability is still there, and we cannot expose our board members to the risk,” said Kelly Reade of the FSA board, in a phone call with the News on August 4th.

In an email to the families of children registered to play, the board outlined the dilemma they are facing and the one potential solution that could allow an even more truncated soccer season to take place.

“Even though Ontario Soccer has provided us with 3 COVID-19 waivers, Frontenac Soccer Association is still struggling with the potential burden of liability due to COVID-related insurance exclusions. This also increases the level of risk for their volunteer boards of directors.

“Ontario Soccer, along with the Ontario Non-profit Network (ONN), are calling on the Government of Ontario to take immediate action to pass an emergency order that provides “Good Samaritan” protection to the amateur sport sector. This would ensure that non-profits, their directors, officers, employees, and volunteers would not be held liable for COVID-related defense costs, provided they continue to operate in accordance with all applicable emergency and public health guidance.”

“The ONN has been advocating on behalf of non-profits with a variety of Government of Ontario ministries on this issue. However, if the Government of Ontario waits until the fall legislative session to review this again, it may be too late for many organizations across Ontario.”

For the Frontenac Soccer Association to be able to operate in 2020, the “Good Samaritan” protection would need to be in place within the next 10 days, by August 15th., an unlikely scenario.

If that does not happen, “we will unfortunately have to cancel the season. Our volunteers have spent many hours trying to make this season happen for our community, but we are volunteers, and we can’t take on that personal liability. I hope you understand and we will keep you posted on any new developments,” the email to parents concludes.

“To go any further out than Mid-August, we end up getting in to the coming school year, and we also have to deal with light levels making our window to play each evening shorter and shorter,” said Reade.