How can young athletes prevent heat illness?

Athletes, coaches and parents should be advised of the early signs of heat illness, including headache, nausea, dizziness, clumsiness, weakness, muscle twinges or cramps, irritability, apathy and confusion. One or more of these symptoms may be enough to immediately discontinue further activity and seek medical attention.

Part of the responsibility also rests with youth sports administrators and governing bodies that are in control of scheduling and setting guidelines for tournament events in certain sports (junior tennis and soccer are notable examples). Insufficient recovery time between same-day matches increases the risk for poor performance and heat illness during the next competition bout. The same is true for multiple same-day training sessions in the heat. Also, on-site cooling capabilities (e.g., ice packs or ice water immersion) and trained personnel for handling heat illness emergencies should be provided at all hot-weather sports events.