Every year the start of summer football practices around the country is accompanied by horror stories of coaches forcing young athletes to practice in hot, humid conditions without taking appropriate precautions against heat-related illness and of the deaths of youth athletes from heat stroke.

To prevent heat illness (i.e. heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke) during summer football practices, especially heat stroke deaths, it is important that your child's coach follow guidelines issued by the American College of Sports Medicine for summer football practices:

1. Limited practice duration. Summer football practices should be a maximum of three hours long for the first week (this is total length of practice, including warm-up and cool down periods), with the practice length increased gradually over a two-week period to allow players to become acclimatized to the heat (remember, children adjust more slowly to exercising in the heat (a child may require five or six sessions to achieve the same degree of acclimatization acquired by an adult in two or three sessions in the same environment).

2. Weigh-ins. Players should be weighed before and after football practices. Since the volume of sweat loss varies by child, this is the most accurate way to determine how much fluid an individual has lost during practice and needs to replace

3. Lighter clothing. During the first weeks of practice, players should wear limited football practice gear (i.e. light-colored, lightweight cotton or mesh shorts with helmets and shoulder pads only, not full uniform). Athletes should be given a chance to remove their helmets whenever possible (e.g. during instruction, water and cool down breaks).

4. Frequent fluid breaks. One of the keys to preventing dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat strokes is to provide players cool down and fluid breaks in a shaded area at least every thirty to forty-five minutes, or more frequently, depending on heat and humidity level. Each athlete should drink at least the recommended minimum amount of fluids before returning to practice. Sports (not "energy") drinks are recommended instead of water because they replace electrolytes lost in sweat and contain carbohydrates for energy. Make sure the water does not come from a hose lying on the ground as bacteria tend to breed in hoses. The water should also be free of lead. Fluids should never be restricted.

5. Close Monitoring. The staff, including the athletic trainer, should know and be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion. A buddy system should be used, with players monitoring each other. If heat illness is suspected, the player should be immediately removed from practice. If heat stroke is suspected, first aid should begin immediately, with the player immediately cooled down by applying wet towels to the head and neck and hosing him off with cool water until emergency medical personnel arrive

6. Rehydration. After football practices, athletes should be required to rehydrate to replace lost fluids

Making sure that coaches follow these guidelines could go a long way towards achieving MomsTeam's goal of going through an entire summer with no heat-related deaths during high school and youth football practice.

Adapted from "Preseason Football Practice Guidelines" in the book Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports (HarperCollins 2006) by Brooke de Lench, founder and editor-in-chief of MomsTeam.com.

For more tips on how parents can prevent heat strokes, click here

Article Updated: April 4, 2008

 Dehydration: The Warning Signs
 Dehydration & Electrolytes: A Primer
 Heat Illnesses: Symptoms And Treatment
 How To Ensure That Your Child Gets Adequate Fluids While Playing Sports
 NOAA Heat Index Chart
 Nutritional Needs Of Youth Athletes: An Overview
 Preventing Heat Illnesses In Youth Athletes
 Studies Show Sports Drinks Best For Young Athletes
 Ten Steps To Preventing Heat Stroke
 When To Modify Or Cancel Practices Because Of The Heat And/Or Humidity
 Why Children Have Special Fluid Needs

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