Extreme heat’s devastating effects are no longer isolated incidents; they represent a concerning reality for young individuals. In July, a 16-year-old in Memphis tragically died from heatstroke, and a 17-year-old in Houston required a week of intensive care.

As young athletes return to fall sports, these dangers persist. Recently, high school soccer matches in Spokane were canceled due to extreme heat, highlighting the increasing risks faced by children on the field.

While it’s impossible to completely protect children from intense heat, we can equip them with the knowledge, strategies, and confidence to identify potential risks. As climate extremes become more commonplace, it’s crucial that we adequately prepare young people to navigate this reality. Currently, some states don’t even mandate climate change education in science classes.

This heightened climate risk stems from two factors: children’s increased susceptibility to heat due to their development and their elevated activity levels. The last decade has been the hottest on record, and climate change, driven by fossil fuel consumption, is intensifying heat waves. A recent Climate Central report indicates that a Gen Z child will experience significantly more days of extreme heat than a Gen X child.

Despite this escalating threat, current safeguards for young athletes are inconsistent and frequently insufficient. Organizations like the Korey Stringer Institute have created guidelines that use factors like “wet bulb globe temperature” to gauge risk and implement a tiered system for modifying practices. However, even the best guidelines may not reach every field due to the decentralized nature of youth sports, which are often managed by schools, local communities, or private organizations, making consistent oversight difficult.

A recent Aspen Institute study revealed that only 36% of youth coaches have received training in the last year, with the specific content of that training, including heat safety, remaining unclear. This creates a significant knowledge gap, particularly considering that practice environments such as artificial turf fields can reach temperatures exceeding 150 degrees, compounding the risk.

Even when coaches are aware of the risks, children themselves often lack the necessary knowledge to recognize danger signs early or advocate for their well-being.

For the past four years, I have coached my daughters’ recreational sports teams in lacrosse, basketball, and soccer. Despite coaching in different sports, leagues, and jurisdictions, I’ve never received any training on the risks of heat, early warning signs, or what to do if a player shows symptoms. Plus, we’ve never had athletic trainers or other health professionals at practices or games to help if concerns arise. But what we do have are dedicated parents, coaches, and players wanting kids to become the best athletes they can be—and that dedication can be a tool to help ensure safety if we know what to do.

Just as we teach children to “stop, drop, and roll” in case of fire, discourage drunk driving, encourage sunscreen use, and promote seat belt use, we must empower young athletes with the knowledge they need to stay safe in the heat. It is the responsibility of parents, coaches, educators, and doctors to foster a culture of heat safety by teaching children (and each other) these four essential directives:

Prepare: Before a hot practice or game, athletes must prepare by hydrating well the day before and drinking plenty of fluids the day of. This is especially critical during the season’s preseason.

Speak up: Educate young athletes to identify early warning signs like dizziness, nausea, headache, or muscle cramps and to immediately inform a coach. We must also encourage them to look out for their teammates and recognize signs such as confusion or rapid breathing.

Sit out: During intense competition, there’s a tendency to push through, but recognizing and addressing early symptoms of heat illness is crucial to preventing potentially fatal heatstroke. We must normalize the act of taking a break when your body signals the need to stop.

Cool down: When you sit out, seek shade, remove unnecessary clothing, and use cold towels, ice packs, and water to lower your body temperature.

Our changing climate is reshaping childhood, and extreme heat is now a constant feature of every sports season. However, by empowering young athletes to listen to their bodies and increasing our understanding of the risks, we can prevent tragedies.