when to cancel football practice?

[luvsJack]

No flames here. Now, I will say that all my kids learned when playing sports, you go to practice unless the coach calls and cancels. BUT, we never, ever had a coach not call it when it was lightening.

We did have a baseball coach that had practice in the road one time! They were trying to get ready for All-Stars and it rained and rained and rained. At the university in town, the stands for the football stadium go over a road, so the road is covered. He had a player stand at each end of the road and he would practice plays until one of them called "car" and everyone got out of the road. But, it wasn't lightening!

 

[rainy~daze]

with temps this high, hell no should they be playing. Not even the high school kids should be out.
Way, way too many stories of kids collapsing on the field. Especially that young, it is just a game, not worth the chance.

 

[luvsJack]

I have noticed that here, it seems like the jr. high and high school will cancel practice due to the heat, or have it without the pads and stuff. But the little kids league (4-6th grades) will still have practice--I pass the field going to and from work and feel so bad for those kids in the heat!

I have thought that was kind of odd, but I wondered if it has to do with school athletic leagues having certain rules they have to follow about that and the community league for the younger kids leaving it pretty much up to the coaches or if maybe it just comes from better trained coaches?

 

[tvguy]

Every youth sports organization I have been affilated with, lightning in the area is an automatic cancellation.

Flip side, heat is never a reason to cancel, but it does require frequent hydration breaks. Poor air quality also does not qualify for cancellation.

 

[blana]

Not even getting in to the lightning, but here's the NC HIGH SCHOOL statement on when to cancel practice. I can only think it shoudl be even more stringent for 8-9 year olds.

https://www.nchsaa.org/intranet/dow...de=getFile&elementID=8895&type=5&atomID=12266

 

[eliza61]

my kids h.s football team had practice every day this week. lightning its cancelled. heat it is not. heat simply means more breaks for water and they will have a nurse at practice.

 

[bellebud]

the heat part, I'm not sure about. I understand that southern states have to deal w/ it as the norm.

But lightning???? That's an automatic cancellation (or waiting to see if it passes).

It is possible the lightning wasn't where the practice was being held? I just can't imagine any parent allowing their child to stay on a field in lightning.

 

[happygirl]

Lightening for sure. Heat that can vary.

 

[focusondisney]

Not even getting in to the lightning, but here's the NC HIGH SCHOOL statement on when to cancel practice. I can only think it shoudl be even more stringent for 8-9 year olds.

https://www.nchsaa.org/intranet/dow...de=getFile&elementID=8895&type=5&atomID=12266

Excellent!! All sports leagues should spell it out this clearly!

 

[Talking Hands]

My son plays on the 8-9 year old team. At practice time yesterday, we were experiencing 100 degree heat along with lightning and thunder. I told my son we weren't going...he was ok with this.

Today, much better conditions, all the team members came to practice. I found out from some that went yesterday that the league president was present for the practice and he made the call to NOT CANCEL practice and have the 8-9 year olds in helmets and pads at 100 degress and lightening!!!

Not feeling very confident in that decision.

I talked with my husband about it, and we have decided that we made the right decision to just stay home. If we would have gone to see what the coaches decided, the peer pressure to get out there would have been ridiculous. In the end, we will make the decision for our son that the coach isn't man enough to make

It's just a game.

flame suit on

No flames here. I don't know where you live but here if there is thunder then practice is cancelled. Too many kids have been hit by lightening. Practicing in helmets and pads may be ok if they are allowed unlimited access to water. Hydration is crucial in hot weather practices

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't think the heat issue should cause practice to be canceled, but lightening for sure.

 

[rwdavis2]

Metal helmets and lightning? Our league will play in snow or rain, but not lightning. 100 degrees would at least mean no pads and a shift to things like reviewing plays. You made the right choice.

Football helmets are made of plastic.

 

[Mkrop]

They wont cancel games bc of heat, so to some degree I think kids need to learn to practice in the heat.

 

[rwdavis2]

They wont cancel games bc of heat, so to some degree I think kids need to learn to practice in the heat.

Not 8-9 year olds in 100 degree heat. Any coach that stupid to run practice in that heat may be stupid enough to stick to no/limited water during practice that people used to do. Football for kids that age is not that important.

 

[Art 1]

I don't think the heat issue should cause practice to be canceled, but lightening for sure.

I agree.

 

[Mkrop]

Not 8-9 year olds in 100 degree heat. Any coach that stupid to run practice in that heat may be stupid enough to stick to no/limited water during practice that people used to do. Football for kids that age is not that important.

We never had a game cancelled due to heat, so kids need to get use to playing in that heat. If you dont trust the coach to have the players best interest at heart, than at those young ages, you need to go to your child's practice and make sure there are the proper water breaks, and pull your child if there are not, and then call the League office about the coach.

No games for that age is important! But they do not cancel games in any of the sports my kids have played due to heat. Baseball season just ended and we had many games during heatwaves. Parents sent extra water , my DH, the coach brought our own cooler filled to the brim with water and gatorades. He watched the kids very closely and pulled anyone if he thought they might need it.

Once again, these practices, for football especially, are to get the kids ready to play, they need to be conditioned and to learn to play safely, ESPECIALLY little kids who dont know the rules. We cant have games/practices cancelled when there are week long heatwaves, bc then the kids wont be ready in the fall to play and someone in going to get hurt!

As a parent go and monitor the practice, make sure they are doing lite drills and taking water breaks frequently enough, offer to bring oranges for one of the breaks or something.

Next we will have the thread, of the nasty coach who never plays my kid...well maybe he was the one who didnt show for practice and doesnt know the plays and will wind up hurt if the coach puts him in.


Please note NONE of the above counts if there is lightning, for that type of weather, you get the kids off the field.

 

[momz]

We never had a game cancelled due to heat, so kids need to get use to playing in that heat. If you dont trust the coach to have the players best interest at heart, than at those young ages, you need to go to your child's practice and make sure there are the proper water breaks, and pull your child if there are not, and then call the League office about the coach.

No games for that age is important! But they do not cancel games in any of the sports my kids have played due to heat. Baseball season just ended and we had many games during heatwaves. Parents sent extra water , my DH, the coach brought our own cooler filled to the brim with water and gatorades. He watched the kids very closely and pulled anyone if he thought they might need it.

Once again, these practices, for football especially, are to get the kids ready to play, they need to be conditioned and to learn to play safely, ESPECIALLY little kids who dont know the rules. We cant have games/practices cancelled when there are week long heatwaves, bc then the kids wont be ready in the fall to play and someone in going to get hurt!

As a parent go and monitor the practice, make sure they are doing lite drills and taking water breaks frequently enough, offer to bring oranges for one of the breaks or something.

Next we will have the thread, of the nasty coach who never plays my kid...well maybe he was the one who didnt show for practice and doesnt know the plays and will wind up hurt if the coach puts him in.


Please note NONE of the above counts if there is lightning, for that type of weather, you get the kids off the field.

I actually agree with you on many of the points you make here. Except when it comes to the heat. My opinion is also that the kids need learn to play safely. And I consider the heat to be a threat to their safety. There are no options for playing indoors by the way.

I appreciated the link in a previous post regarding the safe limits of practice in regards to high temperatures. This further confirms that we made the correct decision.

I think that people don't realize that extreme heat is a threat to safety with different consequences than an injury, but is a threat none the less.

Plus, don't forget that we are talking about 8-9 year olds. Not a uber competive high school or college team.

Am enjoying this debate...

 

[momz]

102 yesterday. The coach had the kids out there in full gear...pads, helmet, everything. 3rd graders!!!

Meanwhile....the high school soccer practice was cancelled because of the "dangerous heat" (coach's words).

Think of the difference here. The high school soccer team doesn't wear pads and helmets, is a very competitive team....vs....the 3rd grade football team, 8 year olds learning the sport in full gear. Sure they are competitive, but it's not the same, the point of sports at this age is to learn the game, develop character and the love of sport.

Needless to say, my son is not loving it, none of the kids are. They are hanging their heads, bending over with hands on knees, collapsing in a heap on all the breaks. My son didn't participate yesterday by the way.

 

[Flight]

Around my area , 100+ temperatures will NOT result in practices being canceled.

I am just reporting.

 

[declansdad]

102 yesterday. The coach had the kids out there in full gear...pads, helmet, everything. 3rd graders!!!

Meanwhile....the high school soccer practice was cancelled because of the "dangerous heat" (coach's words).

Think of the difference here. The high school soccer team doesn't wear pads and helmets, is a very competitive team....vs....the 3rd grade football team, 8 year olds learning the sport in full gear. Sure they are competitive, but it's not the same, the point of sports at this age is to learn the game, develop character and the love of sport.

Needless to say, my son is not loving it, none of the kids are. They are hanging their heads, bending over with hands on knees, collapsing in a heap on all the breaks. My son didn't participate yesterday by the way.

Your football coach needs to get a grip. If he feels a need to practice they shouldn't be in full gear; he isn't coaching in the NFL.