What is the purpose of incident reporting and near-miss reporting in athletic programs?

• A. Evaluate coaches performance
• B. Document events that could cause injury, identify contributing factors, implement corrective actions, and reduce risk of recurrence
• C. Track attendance
• D. Assign blame

Answer: (B)

Incident and near-miss reporting focuses on capturing events that could cause injury and using what’s learned to prevent harm in the future. By documenting what happened, where and when it occurred, who was involved, and the factors that contributed, the program can identify root causes and implement corrective actions to reduce the chance of recurrence. This proactive approach helps uncover hazards in training practices, facilities, equipment, and supervision, leading to safer policies and procedures. It also builds a safety culture that prioritizes learning and improvement rather than blame, encouraging timely reporting of near-misses so problems can be fixed before injuries occur. This purpose is distinct from evaluating coaches, tracking attendance, or assigning blame, which do not directly drive injury prevention.