Club Sports are required to have one Executive Board Member who is named as their Risk Management Officer that is CPR/AED/First Aid certified.

All paid head coaches are also required to have current certifications. Recreation and Wellness will provide head coaches certification opportuities at no cost.  Please refer to the Coaches Manual for additional information. 

All CPR/AED/FA certificates must be submitted to Club Sports via the re-registration form.

Students should use the link below to view and sign up for classes offered through Recreation & Wellness. 

CPR/First Aid/AED Class Schedule

Every Club should have an Emergency Action Plan in place for incidents that may occur when traveling, at off-campus facilities for practices/events, and other away competitions. Plans should range from following the policies and procedures of the host organization/facility to the club's plan to address the same items listed in the GVSU Emergency Procedure Manual below while traveling.

Action plans should be outlined in the club constitution and submitted during the annual registration process. 

GVSU Emergency Procedure General Plan

• GVSU Emergency Web Page
• Reference for campus-wide alerts and updates

GVSU Emergency Procedure Manual

• Reference for information concerning: 
  • Calling 911
  • Weather emergency
  • Medical emergency
  • Automobile injury/accident
  • Utility emergency
  • Fire
  • Assault/sexual assault
  • Psychological emergency
  • Suspicious letters and packages
  • Bomb threat
  • Active shooter/hostile intruder

Recreation & Wellness Severe Weather Policy

All GVSU students have free access to the Trinity Health Injury Care Clinic on campus.

A full-time athletic trainer is available to club sports athletes at the Injury Care Clinic during office hours as well as official on-campus practices and competitions. Club Sport participants receive supplies and equipment during these services at no additional cost. 

If not directly on site at your club's practice or event when an incident occurs, the athletic trainer can be reached at 616-295-5743. 

Before departing for approved travel, contact the host institution or site to determine arrangements have been made to assist in dealing with injuries. If there are no established arrangements, clubs should determine their own procedures (i.e. location of nearest hospital or medical center). 

If an injury is beyond the care or certification of any individual(s) on site, have the individual transported to the nearest emergency room or urgent care available. It is recommended that a qualified service (i.e. ambulance service) be used to transport the injured participant. All expenses incurred for treatment, transportation to hospital and hospital bill are the responsibility of the injured participant. Clubs should rely upon the recommendation of the attending physician as to whether the injured participant can be transported back to campus, and what accommodations to use (i.e. university vehicles). 

All injuries requiring medical treatment or a 911 call should be reported to Club Sports Administration ([email protected]) within 24 hours of the event.

All Risk Management Officers must have current CPR, First Aid, and AED certifications on file and report all club injuries to Club Sports Administration. Risk Management Officers also oversee checking the safety of equipment and maintaining the clubs Emergency Action Plan. 

Risk Management Officer responsibilities may be determined by each club based on their needs, but must include the following:

• Maintain current certification in adult CPR, First Aid, AED, and Concussion training from an approved provider and keep on file with Club Sports Administration.
• Assess and monitor the safety of the environment in which the club participates, trains, competes, and/or practices. This includes but is not limited to, monitoring weather, cancelling or postponing activities, and notifying facility staff to have an injury report completed in any on-campus facility. 
• Not allow the organization to participate in any activity without a Risk Management Officer present. 
• Ensure all members of the club complete a liability waiver and are on registered on the club's roster.
• Understand and comply with Travel Policies set forth by Club Sports Administration.

Facility Inspections Checklist

Outdoor and indoor facilities should be inspected for hidden hazards, debris (glass, rocks, cans, or pieces of metal), and cleanliness. If making a request for repair of an on-campus or leased facility, please contact Club Sports.

• Debris or unused equipment shouldn't be left in the gymnasium or on the field. It should be eliminated or stored.
• Dangerous conditions must be remedied. A few examples include:
  • Freestanding water or high flood areas
  • Utility or manhole covers or obstructions on playing field/surface
  • Unstable bleachers
  • Sharp door edges
  • Areas that create unsafe traffic conditions
• Swimming pools should meet local health standards and pool bottoms should always be clearly visible.

Injuries/Accidents

Role with injuries/accidents:

• Minimize the occurrence of accidents and injuries through sound risk management practices
• All auto accidents and major sport injuries should be documented and reported to Recreation & Wellness within 24 hours. Whether on-campus or off-campus.
• If on-campus, be sure to follow the protocol for the activity space and notify the facilities supervisor immediately. All outdoor field and Kelly Family Sports Center injuries must be notified to the Kelly Family Sports Center staff. All Recreation Center and Field House Arena injuries must be notified to Recreation Center staff. 

Here are more detailed procedures:

For minor injuries:

• A certified first responder may render first aid as required on the spot
• DO NOT diagnose the injury to the victim, a bystander or staff
• Contact any staff available nearby to fill out an Injury Report
• Recommend the injured participant seeks assistance from the Injury Care Clinic or local hospital 

For injuries requiring additional medical attention:

• Do not allow the injured party to go to a medical facility unescorted
• DO NOT diagnose the injury to the victim, a bystander or staff 
• Contact any staff available nearby to fill out an injury report

For emergencies requiring EMS response or ambulance transport (911 call):

• Call 911
• Explain the nature of the emergency and inform them that no EMT is on the scene
• Give them clear and specific directions to the site
• Provide the name, age, condition, and brief description of the injury
• Designate someone to meet emergency personnel at the entrance to the building or field and guide them to the injured party. Designate someone to stay with the victim
• Emergency personnel will be responsible for determining if and how the injured party shall be transported
• Contact Recreation & Wellness at (616) 331-1732, once 911 has been called and leave a message if no one is available. 
• DO NOT diagnose the injury to the victim, a bystander or staff
• Contact staff available nearby to fill out an injury report