Lesson Overview

Protecting your club with the right insurance is essential for long-term success. This module covers the core types of coverage and explains how they apply to wrestling clubs. We also compare options from USA Wrestling, WrestlingIQ’s Insurance, and private brokers, giving you the tools to make informed decisions that balance cost, compliance, and risk management.

Please Note

Note, we are not insurance brokers, experts, or in the insurance industry. As a club owner/director it is your responsibility to know local and state laws pertaining to insurance as well as club compliance for USA Wrestling. We recommend you connect with your local attorney and insurance agent to verify your planned coverage and liability and with USA Wrestling to verify compliance.

Best Insurance Practices.

So now you have your LLC or 501(c)(3) established, you have found a potential facility and it is time to get your club moving (pun intended). Insurance requirements will vary depending on your level of comfort with risk, as well as your landlord or building owner/operator’s requests. For example, if you are licensing space from a school some districts may require General Liability Coverage at $1,000,000 each occurrence / $5,000,000 aggregate or $2,000,000 each occurrence / $5,000,000 aggregate. The schools administration and board set these policies so there is little flex.

Make Sure You Have:

  • Commercial General Liability Coverage: $1,000,000 each occurrence / $5,000,000 aggregate
  • Abuse and Molestation Coverage: $1,000,000 each occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate
  • Umbrella or Excess Liability Coverage: $5,000,000 each occurrence / $5,000,000 aggregate

D&O Insurance for 501(c)(3)s

For a 501(c)(3) you will also want to carry Directors and Officers Insurance. This insures and protects the directors of your board and your officers of being personally liable to claims, you should discuss with your board the level of coverage they feel comfortable with. Higher net worth board members will desire higher levels of coverage. View the linked resource to learn more about how D&O insurance works.

Insurance Options.

OPTION

1

WrestlingIQ Insurance Provided by Authentic Insure.

Benefits: Tailored specifically for wrestling clubs, this insurance option provides Commercial General Liability Coverage including Sexual Abuse & Molestation. Optional add-ons are available for Property Damage, Income Replacement, Umbrella/Excess Liability, and more. WrestlingIQ partner Authentic understands the unique risks of running a wrestling club and provides full documentation—not just a certificate of insurance.

Coverage may include:

  • General Liability: $1,000,000 each occurrence / $5,000,000 aggregate
  • Abuse & Molestation: $1,000,000 each occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate
  • Optional Umbrella/Excess Liability: $5,000,000 each occurrence / $5,000,000 aggregate

Authentic offers a 5% discount to teams that use WrestlingIQ. Based on location, team size, and selected coverage, we’ve seen quotes between $300/year and $3,000/year.

Constraints: While easy to set up online with transparent policies and live support, Authentic is still private insurance. You’ll need to understand and manage your own compliance, submit applications, and have standard policies in place (waivers, safety protocols, etc.). This may take more up-front effort than charter-based insurance options like USA Wrestling.

To get started or request a quote online by clicking the button below (no commitment required).

OPTION

2

USA Wrestling Insurance via Club Charter.

Benefits: Easy to set up by chartering your club, strong associated brand, all coach compliance is hands off with integrated background checks, SafeSport Training, concussion training, coaching “licenses” and continued coaches education modules, easy event coverage with sanctioning for camps and tournaments, full time wrestling expert staff for support / questions available Monday-Friday 9-5pm CT, best practice resources, includes coverage for grappling.

Constraints:

  • Cumbersome for new members or trials (especially individuals that are 17+).
  • Wrestlers must pay for a membership and register online before trying wrestling, this limits how quickly you can grow your program.
  • It is harder to track who is active and who is not as you must login to your club account and verify each individual membership.
  • Can be beneficial early to place insurance costs on individuals, but as you grow it becomes cost prohibitive for a club of around 30 students if the club is paying for athlete memberships themselves (at this point private insurance is more cost efficient as well as easier to administer).
  • Potential gaps in coverage due to accidental non-compliance to USAW ever changing club and insurance guidelines.
  • It excludes non-grappling sports so only really works for wrestling and jiu jitsu schools.

OPTION

3

Other Private Insurance For Your Wrestling Club.

Benefits: Very easy to administer once you have a policy in place as you simply renew coverage annually with your broker. The cost is usually dependent on the number of students you have, and will require you to submit certain policies and procedures in the application and due diligence process.

Constraints: Expensive for a startup at around $1,200-2500 per year depending on number of wrestlers and coverage levels (We have seen large 800-1000+ student programs have private insurance costs annually in excess of $17,000).

Remember, no matter what coverage you have, making sure you have a rock solid, legally vetted waiver, is the best thing you can do for your organization’s protection.

How to get private insurance? Find a local commercial insurance broker who understands youth sports risks, they will have you fill out an application with your organization’s information, help you understand risks, and then they will shop your insurance to the agencies. Most private brokers shop to the same group of agencies, so make sure to find a broker that understands gyms, martial arts, and youth sports liability.

Conclusion

The right insurance safeguards your club’s future and shields all members from risk. Options vary in cost, convenience, and coverage, so choose the approach that fits your needs and growth stage. Combined with solid waivers and safety practices, proper insurance lets you focus on building a safe, thriving wrestling community.

Next Lesson.

Lesson 4. Setting Up a Business Bank Account

Learn what to look for in a business bank account to keep your club’s finances organized and accessible.