Heat Illness - What Every Player, Parent and Coach Should Know
From the Heat-Safety Huddle – A Call to Team Parents Parents, gather in close. When the temperature climbs, you become our most valuable players in the fight against heat illness. Helmets and pads may cover our kids’ bodies, but your eyes, ears, and voices protect their lives. Here’s the game plan: - ***Hydration Heroics: Remind your athlete to drink before, during, and after every practice. If their water bottle comes home full, that’s a red flag! - Symptom Surveillance: Dizziness, cramps, pale or clammy skin, confusion—treat any of these like a fourth-quarter turnover. Get your player to shade, start cooling, and alert a coach or trainer immediately. - ***Speak-Up Policy: If you ever feel the team isn’t giving heat safety the full attention it deserves, raise your hand, blow the whistle, and speak up. No play, drill, or scrimmage is worth risking a child’s health or Life - ***Buddy Back-Up: Encourage your child to watch their teammates, too. A quick “You good?” between reps can spot trouble long before a coach does. When parents, players, and coaches huddle together on heat prevention, we keep every athlete in the game and out of the emergency room. Your voice is the strongest safety equipment we have—use it proudly. Let’s own this season with smart plays, safe practices, and hydrated champions. We’ve got their backs—and each other’s. Now let’s go win, safely! With gratitude and grit, Coach Mikki Inside the Huddle ***Check out the Heat Illness Prevention, Planning and Safety in the Classroom section for more info, and printoutshttps://youtu.be/ozIvb8l8i0I?si=kUEW2uQCbeMhNI8y