New Soccer Insurance Can Provide Financial Relief
When a tournament is cancelled or a youth soccer player is injured, refunds are often non-existent — what can a parent do? Concussions, for example, can happen at any time and can leave a player sidelined for months.
John McGuinness witnessed what happened when a prestigious college showcase in normally sunny San Diego, California was cancelled abruptly due to rain. While no one anticipated the inclement weather — and the majority of soccer tournaments do not usually offer refunds – the Hawaiian GU17 team of aspiring college bound hopefuls did not only lose their chance to be seen buy college scouts, they lost all their money they had saved up for the trip. With no money to come back to the mainland to play in another event, these players were out their money as well as their dreams. McGuinness knew there had to be relief for these players and their families. Reaching out to Jeff Ward, owner of Next Wave Insurance Services, and with the help of AIG, a special insurance for soccer was kicked off that could help players who were in this situation.
When McGuinness is asked if he likes to shop for insurance, he quickly answers, “No, I hate buying insurance. Who likes insurance?” While insurance may not be everyone’s favorite topic, those players who have received their refunds from Next Wave’s Registration Saver love the word insurance.
Registration Saver also protects soccer clubs from dealing with parents who want a refund of season dues when a player gets injured. “If I pay $500 for a soccer season, and it only costs $30 bucks or so to buy Registration Saver to make sure that if my daughter tears her ACL in the beginning of the season, I can get back the club dues — well, sign me up,” said McGuinness. “Our phones are ringing off the hook – Registration Saver is simple and can help a lot of people.” The cost of Registration Saver is approximately from 6% to 7% of the event or club dues.
What is Registration Saver?
Related Article – NEXT WAVE INSURANCE RESCUES YOUTH SOCCER
Diane Scavuzzo: If a soccer parent opts for this insurance and their player suffers an injury which prevents them from playing the remainder of the soccer season, does Registration Saver provide the family with a refund?
John McGuinness: This could be a full or pro rated refund from the day the player could no longer compete. If it happened halfway through the season, they would be entitled to half the registration and team fees.
Diane Scavuzzo: Can this coverage only be added at the time of registration?
John McGuinness: No, they may sign up at anytime up until the start of the season even if they have already registered.
Diane Scavuzzo: Does this cover team fees as well as club fees?
John McGuinness: Yes, but the cost of the fees must be verified when filing a claim, i.e. if club fee is $1,000 and team fees are $400, the parent must show proof that this is in fact what they paid.
Diane Scavuzzo: Tournament Insurance – What is included/covered:
John McGuinness: Registration Saver for Tournaments and Camps includes: Inclement Weather, Sickness/Injury, Traffic Accident, Felonious Assault, Common Carrier Equipment Failure, Government Shutdown of Common Carrier, Extended School Year, Uninhabitable Residence, Job Layoff (Parent/Guardian).
Registration Saver is approved and available across the country; coming soon to Alaska, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York.
Photo Credit: Dziurek and Mitrofanov Alexander – Shutterstock.com