Sport, Recreation and Playground Safety Expert

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

I am an expert in sport and recreation safety, and a seasoned litigation expert witness. My opinions as a sport and recreation expert are based on well established risk management and safety practices and models relevant to the field, and drawn from my background, training, experience, and skill-set developed over a distinguished, 28-year career of teaching, research, and practice in sport and recreation safety. In practice, I've conducted facility safety assessments of parks, athletic facilities and play areas, and provided safety advice on issues such as supervision, instruction, equipment, environmental safety, and emergency action planning to well-respected public and private entities responsible for safety and loss prevention among their member schools, municipalities, and private organizations. Additionally, I've assessed the safety of athletic and recreational facilities on matters of litigation at sites across the United States. Further, I have been active in sport throughout my life, in both management and coaching roles, as well as playing sports competitively and recreationally. As a university professor in the field of sport and recreation management specializing in sport and recreation safety, I've taught and mentored thousands of students training to become the next generation of sport managers, municipal park and recreation management and staff, and event managers and planners. As an author and professor, I've extended my teaching and outreach to students, practitioners and colleagues through the publication of leading textbooks in sport and recreation safety, and issues relevant to legal issues and loss prevention. In addition to teaching, training and mentoring students in the field of sport and recreation management, I've shared my knowledge of sport and recreation safety and loss prevention to practitioners through presentations to city managers, operations staff, school administrators, coaches, physical education teachers, park staff, educators, fitness staff, risk managers, and others responsible for the safety of students, patrons, and participants. Topics included in my teaching and textbooks include the following: risk management process and assessment; professional responsibility; playground safety; parks and outdoor recreation; safety in supervision, instruction, facilities, and equipment; emergency action planning, sudden cardiac arrest and heat illness; safety in participatory sport, collegiate sport and professional sport; health and fitness; spectator safety; adventure and challenge activities, safety in hospitality settings; aquatics safety; lightning safety; and event safety, among others. Please see my attached CV for additional, detailed information.