Which strategy for managing risk focuses on minimizing risks through policies and procedures?

The strategy that focuses on minimizing risks through established policies and procedures is reduction. Risk reduction involves implementing measures that decrease the likelihood of a risk event occurring or lessen its impact if it does occur. This can include training staff, enforcing safety protocols, and maintaining equipment properly, all aimed at creating a safer environment.

In the context of athletic training, applying risk reduction strategies means creating guidelines and processes to help prevent injuries and manage risks associated with athletic participation. This could involve setting up a comprehensive injury prevention program, ensuring that all athletes are educated about proper techniques, or requiring regular medical evaluations to detect and manage potential issues before they escalate.

While avoidance, transference, and retention are other risk management strategies, they do not specifically focus on minimizing risks through procedural implementations in the same way that reduction does. Avoidance seeks to eliminate any risks by changing plans or activities, transference involves shifting the risk to another party, such as through insurance, and retention means accepting the risk as is without any measures to minimize it. Thus, the emphasis on structured policies and procedures clearly aligns with reduction as the correct strategy for managing risk in this context.