Protecting Your Players Against Heat-Related Illness: 10 Tips

Most soccer matches occur outdoors in any weather condition, and soccer players often have limited breaks during a game. Your players may experience anything from heat cramps to a heat stroke if you’re not careful. It’s crucial to educate your players on the seriousness of heat-related illnesses or injury to help preserve their safety.

Protecting your players against heat-related illness is the best thing you can do as a coach. Here are 10 tips to remember this spring and summer.

1. Hydrate Before Playing

Before your players even hit the field for practice or a game, make sure they’re hydrated. It’s best to hydrate well before playing, but even right before is better than nothing.

Encourage your players to drink water — sugary drinks will only dehydrate them more. Water makes up a majority of a person’s body, so losing that water or not having enough will result in severe consequences.

2. Make Water Available Throughout Practice or the Game

In addition to hydrating before a game or practice, your players should continue to drink throughout playing. During training, allow your players to stop for a drink every so often, especially if it’s more strenuous practice.

It’s a bit more challenging to pause during a game to hydrate, but encourage your players to pause if they feel any exhaustion. Players can also rehydrate during halftime.

3. Wear Sunscreen

Always ensure the team wears sunscreen. Even on cloudy days, the sun’s rays can still cause sunburn. The players should reapply sunscreen, especially on days where you hold longer practices.

Their sweat can quickly remove the sunscreen unless they wear a water-resistant sunscreen. Sunburn is one of the most common heat-related injuries that people can easily prevent.

4. Check the Weather Conditions

Monitor the weather conditions to make a well-informed decision about where and when to hold a practice or game.

If temperatures are incredibly high and humid, consider moving to an indoor facility or postponing practice or the game. It’s better to postpone a session rather than have your players experience a heat-related illness.

5. Encourage Players to Wear Light Clothing

Dark and heavy materials attract sunlight, making your players feel hotter than the outdoor temperature. Encourage your players to switch to light-colored and lightweight clothing. It should be breathable and allow a breeze to pass through.

 Additionally, know that your goalie doesn’t have to wear a long-sleeve shirt — as long as it’s a different color, it can be short-sleeved.

6. Acclimatize the Team to the High Heat

Many soccer teams will begin training well before the hotter months arrive. Before switching immediately to outdoor practices in the hot sun, acclimatize your players to prepare them for the heat.

Start by holding practices of low to moderate activity and giving the players plenty of breaks. It can take up to 10 days for someone to get used to the heat.

7. Know Which Players Are Prone to Heat-Related Illness

Identify your players that may be more susceptible to a heat-related illness or injury than others. This will allow you to better monitor them throughout practices and games.

Those prone to heat illnesses are those who are out of shape, often overwork themselves, are muscular or are overweight. Additionally, keep an eye on those who have had a heat-related illness in the past.

8. Allow Plenty of Breaks

During practices or long training sessions, give your players plenty of breaks. Even when the outside temperature isn’t hot, longer sessions can wear out players who aren’t used to the strain on their bodies. Some coaches may have the mindset to push their players to get through it, but on extreme days, allow for breaks and lighter practices.

9. Offer a Cool, Shaded Environment

Soccer fields are open without any coverage. Some fields may have benches to the sides for players to sit during halftime, but in extreme heat or days where the sun is blazing, offer a cool, shaded area. You can purchase a popup tent to block the sun or send players to a designated shaded area for breaks.

10. Become Educated About the Symptoms of Heat Illnesses

When you know the symptoms of the various heat-related illnesses and injuries, as well as how to treat or manage them, you can better determine if and when your players need a break or need to hydrate.

The severity of heat-related illnesses varies, and knowing whether you need to call an emergency service or not could make the difference between life and death.

Put Your Players’ Health First

As a coach, you’re responsible for the team’s safety during practices and games. Becoming knowledgeable about heat-related illnesses is one of the best things you can do for a healthy team.

Author Bio:

Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded. He writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors and more. Follow @TModded on Twitter for more articles from the Modded team.