The wicked combination of high heat and high humidity can be really tough on a young athlete’s body. Exercising in the heat—summertime practice for football, track,baseball, soccer, or any youth sport—can make the summertime more enjoyable andhelp to improve a young athlete’s skills, but it can also pose added risks forthose young athletes working out in the hot sun.
The normal guidelines for fluid intake—one ounce of water per pound of body weight per day—don’t apply when you’re suited up in pads in 90-degree heat. Youth who are part of teams practicing outdoors in the summer sun must increase their fluid intake considerably in order to avoid heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Keeping young athletes well hydrated and watching for the signs of heat-related illnesses can ensure a fun summer in the sun and bypass a visit to your doctor.
· Comment: What do I do if I think my athlete has heat exhaustion or heatstroke?
· Response: If you think your young athlete has heat exhaustion, get him or her inside to a cool place immediately, loosen any tight clothing, and have him or her drink at least one liter of sports drink to replenish lost fluids. Heatstroke,a more dangerous condition, requires emergency treatment. Signs of heat stroke are similar to those of heat exhaustion but also include a high fever and seizures. Again, they may experience some or all of the symptoms. If you think your athlete has heat stroke, call for emergency attention immediately. While waiting for the responders to arrive, get the young athlete into a cool or shady place, loosen tight clothing, and place a fan blowing on him or her. Apply cool, wet towels or ice packs around the neck, in the underarms, and the groin area to help lower body temperature.
The strength and conditioning philosophy can be wrapped up in one statement; to train for sport-specific power. The definition of power is: strength x speed= power. Strength training, Olympic weightlifting, sprint speed, agility, plyometrics, flexibility, balance, and core/stability training all need to be performed to achieve maximum sport-specific power.A strong core is necessary to maintain back strength throughout all ranges of motion. Proper posture in the core can significantly increase the force production of the arms and legs and keep the athlete's back strong and healthy throughout all training. This can especially be important in today’s society where kids walk around all day with their shoulders slumped forward to hold a back pack on their shoulders comfortably. Flexibility to comfortably go through the full range of motion with proper technique in all lifting and running drills is also necessary. A good total body flexibility test would be a properly executed overhead squat where the athlete gets all the way down with their hips below their knees. Sprinting, agilities, and plyometrics are all important components of speed training. This is also where the coach can get very sport specific with agility drills and sprinting distances. The weight room is critical to maximize strength, power, and speed training. Lifts such as the deep squat and bench are great for lower and upper body strength and all the Olympic weightlifting will work to maximize speed and power.