Heat related deaths - School football players

Fred Mueller, a professor of exercise and sports medicine at the University of North Carolina compiles a list of boys who died playing or practicing football.  Most of these deaths are heat related as their body temperatures rose so high and so fast that their bodies could not regulate these extreme temperatures, and the students died.  This is a tragic and sad situation as it does not have to be so.  With caution and prevention, we can prevent more children dying from excessive heat with the necessary guidelines for coaches and schools to ensure that their children are protected from over-exposure.

Shade structures added to the advise listed below, will help to minimize this risk for children.  Shade structures are a sure way of providing an oasis from the heat during breaks.  See our various models at www.shade4schools.com , and although we do not feature an installation for football fields we are receiving more interest daily on the possiblities of protecting boys during their practice breaks on the field.  By attaching various models alongside each other we are able to create a continuous shade shelter where boys can cool down their body temperatures, rest awhile before going back on the field. 

Heat-related deaths can be prevented by;-

*Ensuring all athletes undergo regular physicals, and being aware that your overweight players are more at risk and will require more care;

*Build an acclimatizing schedule into the practice program, by allowing players to practice without their football uniforms for the first week.

*Alter practice schedules and break up workouts, routines could be done under shade structures for the first weeks before going out in full sun.

* Ensure adequate water supplies to keep players hydrated.

* Provide shaded rest areas, where players may remove outer clothing to cool down.

* Understand the symptons to detect early signals of heat illness.  Some early signals include nausea, incoherence, fatigue, weakness, vomiting, muscle cramps, weak rapid pulse, visual disturbance.

* Have an emergency plan in place.

The Annual survey of football injuries is conducted each year, and 2006 recorded a total of 20 deaths, with 13 of these being middle and high schoolers.  Heat related injuries are preventable and can be reduced drastically by providing shade structures on your football fields for players.  Use Shade4Schools program to fundraise to ensure your children are adequately protected during practice and rest breaks.