It seems that most of the U.S. is in a heat wave right now, yet I still see lots of kids playing soccer, football, baseball and other sports.  Mayoclinic.com offers a timely article with useful information on keeping your kids hydrated and ready to play, and also a guide for determining when the weather is too hot and humid for sports activities.  Did you know that if your child spends a lot of time indoors with air conditioning, it is important to acclimate him/her to the outdoors 30-45 minutes per day for 8-10 days before starting strenuous sports practices?  Also, if you live in a heat and humidity prone area of the country, make sure the coach measures the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) with a psychrometer.  This article provides recommendations for appropriate WBGT issued by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).  At a certain combination of heat and humidity, outdoor activities should be cancelled for the safety of the children.

Kudos to the Mayo Clinic for publishing this info.  Many parents who are newbies to Little League, AYSO and Pony League will get their children off to a good start this season.

I was really glad to see this story published because as parents we get so wrapped up in scheduling conflicts, what’s for dinner, etc. that we might not remember to keep an eye on the weather during summer, and hydrate accordingly.  The WBGT concept was new to me, and when my time comes to be a “soccer mom,” I’ll definitely make sure the coach checks this reading if our area is having a heat and humidity wave.