Sports Roll on through the Summer Heat

September 11, 2015

I was at the park today, and it was 100 degrees outside, and a youth soccer team was practicing. These were kids ranging from ages 7 to 8 years old. The coach had them running drills and jogging while he was barking out commands. The coach (Sargent Slaughter) had no water cooler, no shade cover, and was nowhere near a tree. Was this some boot camp for kids that their parents thought would toughen them up?  I wasn't pleased with this type of coaching, but I am not coaching youth soccer. I wonder if these kids will start hating this coach and dreading soccer after this type of behavior.

This has been a brutal summer with heat temperatures staying high for long periods. Is this the new normal?  If so, we will have to make extra efforts to avoid heat exposure and the effects. I saw a neighborhood worker who was doing some lawn maintenance faint in an afternoon heat blast. It is an epidemic that will sneak up on everybody who doesn't accept that the sun is getting harsher.

When it comes to our beloved sports and the effects of the high heat and humidity, how many deaths does it take before reality takes hold?  Every team and every sporting event needs to consider that a small little water bottle is not the only answer. For a little more effort and equipment, heat stroke and exhaustion can be avoided, not to mention skin exposure issues.    The new normal should be hydration and shade, along with training for signs of heat exposure.

Have you ever heard of the footrace through the desert called Badwater? It is an ultra-marathon over a hundred miles in the Mojave Desert, with temperatures rising over 110 degrees.  I know there are some extreme sports, but this one pushes the human body to the limit. I am still trying to uncover the reason why this race is appealing. I know self-torture could be one reason, self-hate, or it most likely the people who want high achievement. I am not sure what the prize money is, but I am sure it is not getting much TV money. So, the point being made here is that with the extreme heat not going away, these types of races will be the new normal.