Update post 24. S/o fractured elbow: help me have a discussion with camp director

[PZMommy]

I'm sure the rink has a capacity level that they stay within, but the capacity level is still usually pretty high. Even staying within their capacity level, it can be super crowded. Also, I would clarify with the camp about how many injuries. I thought the five fractures information came from them, but if it is from your DD, thy could be sprains or other things, maybe not even related to the skating.

I'd be asking for a list of the rest of the field trips. They should have posted one at the start of camp so you can pick and choose which ones to do. I really think your best angle is they need to notify parents ahead of time about each of the trips and have a counselor stay back with kids that do not attend the trips. Like I mentioned up thread, my son's camp goes roller skating weekly, and I do not let him attend. He stays back with a counselor. I also did not let him attend beach or pool trips.

[essnce629]

I've been to a number of roller skating birthday parties and it's very rare for any kids to even wear helmets, never mind elbow pads.
ETA: I do think roller skating was an odd choice given how few kids learn to roller skate these days. That's definitely the kind of trip I would want parents present to oversee their kids at.

I don't think you will have any recourse with the rink. They have numerous signs that say skate at your own risk.

My kids' camp goes roller skating and ice skating every week and the older kids can also take their roller skates, scooters, and skateboards to the beach days as well to skate on the boardwalk. There's a sign up every morning at camp that says what the choices are that day and the kids can choose to go on the field trips or stay back at camp. DS1 didn't know how to roller skate when he first went to camp at 7 years old, but he learned from going weekly at camp and now loves it. I've never seen helmets or knee pads at the roller skating rink, but we did go ice skating at a rink once that required helmets for the youngest kids (not sure if our local rink does though). Both the roller skating and ice skating rinks do have those walker type devices that you can take out on the rink and hold on to if you don't know how to skate. DS2 went to a roller skating party a few months ago and he used the walker thing with our help since it was his first time roller skating.

[squimp]

I would think about what you want to come out of the meeting. Right now it is not clear to me what you want the outcome to be, and I think it's important to have that in mind with this kind of meeting.

[ShanaMama]

I would think about what you want to come out of the meeting. Right now it is not clear to me what you want the outcome to be, and I think it's important to have that in mind with this kind of meeting.

This was helpful as I thought about the tone I wanted to convey. The purpose of my call was to get more information, verify details and try to see if they made changes to avoid future injuries. I tried to ask the questions in a way that wouldn't automatically put her on the defensive, and I would say she was only a slight bit defensive. She definitely felt bad that it happened but didn't take any responsibility. She didn't seem to want to confirm a clear number of injuries, but sounded like it was closer to 3 fractures, not 5. She said there definitely was not water on the floor but it was shiny, like fresh for skating. She did say they ended the activity early once there were a few injuries and she "doesn't know if they'd do this trip again". She did say the same thing as DD, that the rink people weren't too fazed by the injuries, but she did not agree that there was overcrowding.
So I basically got my chance to talk to her and got not much more clarity except that there was no gross negligence. She felt bad that it happened to DD, but wasn't overly remorseful. I think she was a little unsure where I was going and was slightly reserved in her answers because of that.
I totally forgot to bring up the fact that I didn't know about the trip. I have never heard about kids staying back in camp. IME the whole camp attends the trips. If you don't want your kid to attend you would keep them home that day. At this point, camp is over and I'm not going to waste any more energy on what could have been. I doubt I will send her back there next year, although she did have a very nice time aside from this injury. I'm just going to focus on DD healing and moving forward.

[TwinFoxes]

I am late to this, and saw your update. If your deductible will be a stretch for you, I think it's perfectly reasonable for you to ask the camp's insurance to pay for it. That is what they have insurance for. They might say no, and you may decide it's not worth it to go to court, but asking makes sense to me.

I think some advice regarding waiving of rights was a bit off the mark. I would encourage people if this sort of thing happens to know your rights. Just because there are signs, doesn't mean a place is never responsible.

I think the rink owner should be made aware that the rink employees let a bunch of minor kids in without permission slips. I'm sure the camp director signed them, but I wonder if allowing that followed the rink's policy.

[JBaxter]

Did you ever find out if you signed a generic field trip/permission slip? My boys only did one week of full day camp and when I signed them up the form said I agreed to give permission for them to go on field trips. I don't see how the rink would be responsible she was brought by the camp and we have been to different rinks and never signed any type of liability waver for rollers skating or wore helmets / pads. Hope she heals up without issue.

[vonfirmath]

I totally forgot to bring up the fact that I didn't know about the trip. I have never heard about kids staying back in camp. IME the whole camp attends the trips. If you don't want your kid to attend you would keep them home that day. At this point, camp is over and I'm not going to waste any more energy on what could have been. I doubt I will send her back there next year, although she did have a very nice time aside from this injury. I'm just going to focus on DD healing and moving forward.

They explicitly say this at DS's camp. No counselors are left behind for kids that cannot attend the trip. If you do not want your child going on the trip, do not send them to camp that day.

[TwinFoxes]

I don't see how the rink would be responsible she was brought by the camp and we have been to different rinks and never signed any type of liability waver for rollers skating or wore helmets / pads. Hope she heals up without issue.

BTW, I don't think the rink is responsible in this situation, but I do not think just having signs posted absolves the rink of liability, say if the floor had been wet, or they allowed too many kids in.

I'm pretty sure I've signed waivers at roller rinks. I've never seen any kids in pads, including mine.