As students return to school, fall sports are also getting underway. Soccer, football, cross-country, field hockey, cheerleading, and other activities bring important opportunities for exercise, teamwork, and connection — but the first weeks of the season can also present health and safety risks.
Late-summer practices often take place during hot, humid weather, sometimes before athletes have fully adjusted to strenuous activity. Contact sports and other activities can also carry a risk of concussion. Parents, athletes, and coaches can help make the return to sports safer by knowing what to watch for and taking symptoms seriously.
Heat Safety During Late-Summer Sports
Even as the school year begins, August and September can bring periods of high heat and humidity in Connecticut. Athletes are especially vulnerable because strenuous exercise increases the body's heat production.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people exercising on hot days are more likely to become dehydrated and develop heat-related illness. Connecticut's Department of Public Health (DPH) also identifies athletes and children among groups that can be particularly vulnerable during extreme heat.
Young athletes should:
- Drink water regularly. Don't wait until you're thirsty. Athletes should have access to fluids before, during, and after practices and games.
- Ease back into strenuous activity. Conditioning and exposure to hot weather should increase gradually, particularly during preseason practices.
- Take regular breaks. Coaches should provide opportunities to rest, hydrate, and cool down in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
- Pay attention to the weather. Practices may need to be shortened, moved to a cooler time of day, or modified when heat and humidity are high.
- Speak up when something feels wrong. Weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, or muscle cramps shouldn't be dismissed as simply being tired.
The CDC recommends scheduling practices earlier or later in the day when possible, gradually increasing the pace of activity, drinking more water than usual and monitoring teammates for signs of heat illness.
Know the Signs of Heat Illness
Heat exhaustion can cause heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, and other symptoms. An athlete experiencing symptoms should stop activity and move to a cooler location.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency. A very high body temperature accompanied by confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures, or other serious neurological symptoms requires immediate emergency medical attention.
If an athlete becomes faint or weak during activity in the heat, the CDC advises stopping activity and getting to a cool place.
Parents and coaches can find additional Connecticut-specific information through the CT DPH Extreme Heat resources.
Concussions: Recognize the Signs and Take Them Seriously
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that can result from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head — or a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly.
A young athlete does not have to lose consciousness to have a concussion. Symptoms can also be subtle or may not become noticeable until hours or even days after an injury.
According to the CDC's HEADS UP concussion program, signs and symptoms may include:
- Headache or a feeling of pressure in the head
- Dizziness or balance problems
- Nausea or vomiting
- Blurry or double vision
- Sensitivity to light or noise
- Feeling sluggish, foggy, or groggy
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Confusion
- Changes in mood, behavior, or personality
- Appearing dazed or stunned
- Moving clumsily or answering questions slowly
Athletes should be encouraged to report symptoms immediately — even if that means leaving a practice or game. Teammates should also speak up if they notice concerning behavior following a collision, fall, or hit.
When in Doubt, Sit Them Out
A suspected concussion should never be something an athlete tries to "play through."
The CDC recommends immediately removing an athlete from play when a concussion is suspected. The athlete should not return to sports on the same day and should be evaluated by an appropriate healthcare provider.
Connecticut's Concussion Education Plan and Guidelines for Connecticut Schools similarly require student-athletes with a suspected concussion to be removed from athletic activity and establish requirements for medical clearance and a gradual return to play.
Returning too soon increases the risk of another injury while the brain is still recovering. A healthcare provider should guide the athlete's return to school, physical activity and sports.
Know the Emergency Warning Signs
Following a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, call 911 or seek emergency medical care immediately if a child or teen develops serious warning signs such as:
- A headache that gets worse and does not go away
- Repeated vomiting
- Seizures or convulsions
- Slurred speech
- Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination
- Increasing confusion, agitation, or unusual behavior
- One pupil is larger than the other
- Significant drowsiness or inability to wake up
- Loss of consciousness
These symptoms can indicate a more serious brain injury and require immediate medical attention.
Safety Is a Team Effort
Youth sports offer significant physical, social, and emotional benefits, and preventing injuries doesn't mean keeping children on the sidelines. It means creating an environment where athletes know that their health comes before the score.
Parents can reinforce hydration and symptom reporting at home. Coaches can build water and rest breaks into practices and respond appropriately when an athlete isn't feeling well. Athletes can look out for their teammates and understand that reporting dizziness, headache, confusion, or other symptoms is the responsible thing to do.
As fall sports return across Eastern Connecticut, a few simple priorities can make a meaningful difference: hydrate often, adjust activity for the heat, recognize concussion symptoms and never encourage a young athlete to play through a potentially serious injury.
For additional information, visit the CDC's Heat and Athletes resource, CDC HEADS UP, or the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
