Joseph Birch

Research Project

Joseph Birch

Risk Management for Tailgates

Abstract
This paper discusses a technical communication problem that students
and student organizations have when tailgating their favorite sporting
events. A risk management plan will help alleviate the problems
associate with tailgating. This paper identifies the technical
communication problem and elaborates on problems associated with
tailgating and offer possible solutions to eliminating problems at your
tailgate.

Joseph Birch

Risk Management for Tailgates

Introduction
Students and student organizations enjoy tailgating for their favorite
sporting events. Tailgating shows our school spirit and brings our
universities together for the purpose of cheering on their team to
victory. Tailgates occur all over the world for various sporting events
and creating a risk management plan can alleviate some of the
problems associated with large tailgating events. A risk management
plan is a set of guidelines and is set as precedent for when student
organizations have events.

Methodology
The data used for this research report consisted of behavioral
observations and scholarly articles that allowed me to understand
some of the problems and solutions for tailgating events.
Behavioral Observations The largest part of the research, allowed
me to understand how people are acting at tailgates and what causes
the problems at tailgates. My observations were taken place at the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte football tailgates. Here I was
able to see how people interact and identify causes as to why tailgates
get out of hand.
Articles I have relevant information that provides some of the
problems associated with tailgates (Allen, Greg) and also different
universities documents on their tailgating policies.

Tailgate Problems
Problems happen at tailgates for numerous reasons but it all stems
from one problem, the consumption of alcohol. At tailgates, everyone is
out having a great time and interacting with one another. But the
consumption of alcohol alters the mind and allows people to make bad
decisions. Problems ranging from a simple argument over which team
is better to people having a physical altercation. This all stems from
the consumption of alcohol and how your organizations risk
management chair reacts to situations. An article written by Greg Allen
on NPR described an event where a student died from the over

Joseph Birch

consumption at an event. The result from over consumption of alcohol

can lead to all sorts of problems. But people continue to over consume
alcohol while at sporting events.
Over consumption of alcohol at tailgates is an epidemic. Researchers
at the University of Minnesota conducted a research on sports and the
over consumption of alcohol. The study was conducted at MLB and NFL
stadiums across the nation and their findings are interesting. The study
showed the nearly half of the fans drink at sporting events and if you
pregame before the event your are 14 times more likely to leave the
game drunk. With that amount of people drinking at an event it is
important that your student organization isnt the one standing out in a
negative aspect. With a proper risk management plan your tailgate will
not be the one causing
problems.
Risk management is a
term the refers to the
practice of identifying
potential risks in advance,
analyzing them and taking
precautionary steps to
reduce/curb the risk.
Smart student
organizations will have a
risk management
committee to tackle this
objective. Risk
management committees
normally have a seating
chair and a committee
that advises him. It is the risk management chairs duty to make sure
events are successful and that everyone is following the guidelines set
as precedent. This chair is a major part of any business and
organizational hierarch. They set the precedent of how people are
suppose to act whether in the workplace or at social events.
Dealing with officers, ALE agents, or university officials is not how
people want to spend their day but when alcohol is the mixer then it
leads to poor decision making. ALE agents, school officials, and police
officers are always out at tailgates make sure the people tailgating are
following their rules for tailgates. Officials get involved from reasons
such as underage drinking, giving drinks out to minors, altercations,
music volume, etc. that can cause your tailgate to be shutdown or
tickets are handed out. In order to limit such problems, a risk
management team needs to follow to guidelines they set as precedent.

Joseph Birch

Solutions Tailgate Problems

The problems associated with tailgates all stem from how people
interact while consuming alcohol. Monitoring and limiting the amount
that someone drinks is how you alleviate the problems at tailgates. The
risk management team setup by your student organization is the ones
making sure everyone is acting in a civilized manor. The risk
management team is responsible for making sure that no problems
arouse from events.
The solution I came up with is to first construct a risk management
team if your student organization doesnt already have one. In the
committee there needs to be a chair that oversees all operations and
relays important information to student organization leaders. It is
important that the people who are on your risk management
committee stay sober at events so their judgment isnt clouded. Also
have them actively walking around, monitoring behavior and handling
situations appropriately. It is the risk management committees job to
make the executive decisions on how people are suppose to act at
tailgates.
Preventing the consumption of alcohol to a minor is a huge part of
reducing risk at your tailgate. How to prevent underage drinking is to
check drivers license and use a distinguishing marking that
differentiates people above the drinking age and below it. Wristbands,
Xs, and stamps are all viable options in distinguishing the age
difference. Another way to prevent underage drinking is to only hand
out cups to people above age at your tailgate. Especially if you have a
common source of alcohol at your tailgate, having something to
distinguish people will not get you in trouble with authority. When the
risk management team sees someone whom is underage drinking, it is
their job to stop them from drinking and ask them to leave your
tailgate.
Managing consumption is another way to reduce risk at your tailgate.
Dont continue to give a person alcohol when you can see that they are
intoxicated. An easy way to remedy this problem is use a tally system.

Joseph Birch

That way you can track how much someone has drank. Not allowing an
easy access to the alcohol manages consumption. Have the common
source hidden from view or hire a license bartender that serves drinks.
These are great ways to manage consumption.
My last solution is to manage the conduct of the people at your
tailgate. This falls on your risk management team to be aware of how
people are acting and to hold people accountable for their actions.
Make sure no one is handing alcohol to minors and the risk
management team needs to make to final decision of how to deal with
a situation. Whether it be escorting someone away from your tailgate
or stop their consumption of alcohol.

Conclusion
The issue discussed in the paper was designed to identify and propose
solutions for a technical communication problem. The issue of tailgate
conduct is a problem that campuses and stadiums deal with everyday
and by following the guidelines set out by the stadiums and campuses,
along with a proper risk management plan, I think that students could
have a great time at tailgates and not have to worry about getting into
trouble with authority figures.
Summary of Key Methods
To alleviate problems at your tailgate:

Construct a Risk Management Team

Prevent Underage Drinking
Manage Consumption
Manage Conduct

With these solutions I feel that student organizations can create and
manage a successful tailgate where no problems arouse and everyone
has a great time.

Joseph Birch

Work Cited
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/risk-management
http://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/campusrecreation/OWFC/beachmultimedia/football-parking-rules
http://www.charlotte49ers.com/pdf8/1487385.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=23200
Darin J. Erickson, Traci L. Toomey, Kathleen M. Lenk, Gunna R. Killian,
Lindsey E. A. Fabian. 4th ed. Vol. 35. Pg: 689-694
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120551372