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Summer is almost here, and that means fun youth programs, plus plenty of heat, is right around the corner! To keep everyone having an enjoyable time and safe as the weather changes, it’s essential for coaches and parents as well as athletes themselves to be aware of what to do to stay safe. To prevent heat-related injuries and illnesses, we’ve put together 7 of the most important tips for you and your athletes. Read on and learn or contact us right away to find out about Summer activities in your area. Training and Conditioning Smart Summer sports are often used to practice and gear up for the next school season. It’s a perfect opportunity because kids have more time and sports can impact fewer other outside activities. We see this, especially with sports like youth soccer and cheerleading. All that work is great, but we want kids and parents to think about it in a bigger picture. You’re not just training to get better, but also building brain power and friendships. So, training and conditioning still need to emphasize the bonds we create and how we’re accountable to each other in and outside of youth programs. We encourage you to review all of these steps with your teams so that they know what danger signs to look for in their athletes and friends. Keeping practice times and duration reasonable — so that you’re avoiding extreme heat and dehydration — is the first step. When anyone feels uncomfortable during practice, they should stop. Coaches and helpers should immediately stop the rest of the practice to make sure the child and others are okay. During the Summer, it’s everyone’s job to stay safe, hydrated, and empowered. Be there for your star. Hydration There’s almost nothing more important in the Summer heat than staying hydrated. Always remind children during any activity, indoors or out, to drink plenty of water. Please include water breaks during any youth sports games and practices. If you’re leading activities, it’s a smart idea to have water bottles ready for each child, with about 20 oz. of water per person per hour. The hotter it is, the more water you should have just in case. To avoid other heat-related problems, sports practice should be held indoors during hot days, and children should be encouraged to wear light-colored clothing. ActivStars encourages every adult or activity leader to also have a fully charged phone and emergency plan for heat-related illnesses, so you know when to call a pediatrician or emergency services. Sun Safety The best defense against the Sun is to protect your skin in multiple ways! We encourage everyone to cover up appropriately, with light but long clothing. If your children are practicing or enjoying the outdoors, look for additional options too. Hats are vitally important for anyone who is enjoying the sunshine, and they can be worn during practices or games, when your child is waiting their turn on the sidelines. Here’s one crucial thing that not many people think of: wear sunglasses when not on the field! Sunglasses protect your eyes, which is especially important for younger children. You’ll want to give them as much coverage and protection as possible to limit the harm. It’s an easy way to help keep kids sports safe. Sunscreen is always extremely important too. Use sunscreen with at least SPF 15 and UVA and UVB (broad spectrum), says the CDC. Reapply sunscreen after exercising or swimming, even if the sunscreen says that is waterproof. Take Frequent Breaks during Youth Programs The Summer heat can sneak up on anyone, including adults. Your best safety bet is to practice or play for short periods and avoid the hottest time of the day! During the morning or afternoon, plan for frequent breaks to reapply sunscreen and check all of the kids. Make sure everyone is drinking water and look for signs of any Sun-related harm. Remember, even on those cool and cloudy days, the UV rays of the Sun are coming through and can burn! Clouds don’t block UV rays, so it’s easy to forget. Life Jackets on The Water Here’s the most straightforward piece of advice for the Summer: Every time you’re on the water, you should wear a life jacket. No exceptions. Keep children safe by protecting them, because even the best swimmers can get tired or accidentally drink some water and start to struggle. Life jackets save lives, and they should always be on when you’re in the water. Buckle Up in The Car to And from Practice Summertime often comes with frequent trips whether that’s to practice for a favorite local youth programs or youth sports camp, or just hanging out with friends, going to the pool, or escaping the heat in the library for a delightful book. With all these adventures ready to be enjoyed, it’s important to remind everyone that they should wear their seat belt — even Mom and Dad. Seat belts saved nearly 15,000 lives in 2017, thanks to almost 90% of people using them. You and your children are important to your family, community, and our world. Buckle up and stay safe so that this summer is full of great memories. Create an Emergency Action Plan Part of our ActivStars Commitment is to keep children safe. In the Summer, that often means more than just paying attention to the heat or water. There are new dangers as kids are out of school during the day when many parents and adults are at work. Walking home from practice or a friend’s house can include a variety of new temptations and risks. We recommend you create an action plan for your child so that they are aware of what to do at all times. Review how to know if an adult is safe, how to create a schedule, so everyone knows where each person is and how to contact them, and who to reach out to in case of an emergency. Answering the phone or the door when home alone can be tricky, as can going to the store or playing outside in a new area. Your child needs all the protection that you can give them. ActivStars Athletics provides important information on this and more in our SAFEshield program for karate and youth martial arts programs, but this Summer we’re also going to make those materials available online to parents. Join our newsletter mailing list to be notified when the latest safety tips and packages are available for download!

A core focus of the ActivStars approach to after-school youth sports is that we bring everyone together to learn, play, and grow, without an exclusive focus on score. Children learn and grow in an encouraging environment, and even many of our games and events won’t rank a winner. That naturally leads parents to wonder why we de-emphasize competition for the majority of our events and practices. They ask us: “Is competition wrong?” Our answer is that competition has its place, but too much of it can impact your child. So, we provide a balanced approach that controls competition and introduces it only after your child and their peers have all been able to grow in a positive environment. Science backs us up too. To better understand that position, here’s what can happen if competition goes unchecked. You can learn more about sports philosophy and programs here. Increased Pressure in Youth Sports and Beyond Children and teenagers are more stressed than ever, and competition can play a role when it is the primary focus of sports and other activities. Today’s kids have to compete for awards and recognition, and even for which schools they can attend. It starts in early grades, in some cases before kindergarten, and it never lets up for them. Schools are always comparing students to each other and generating enormous pressure to perform well and rank higher. We’re increasing standardized tests, and legislative activities that tie school funding to grades and scores means teachers are forced to push more pressure on your children to do better. Just thinking about that list is stressful for us. Imagine what your child feels. ActivStars sees a world focused on competition and we know that adding this into sports means your child has no relief. Something that should be fun becomes another stressor because they’re pressured to do well at every moment. It’s time to open up the relief valve, giving them a place to play and learn where they can be themselves. Removing the competition-emphasis allows your child to have more fun and enjoy the company of their peers. They’re no longer being judged against each other, making it easier to form friendships and to see the value in everyone. We also find that this approach removes the pressure for every child to accel at every sport. Part of the ActivStars mission is to remind adults and children that people have different strengths and it is okay to try something you aren’t the best at. It’s okay to be you. Need to Emphasize Relationships An intense drive to win without a focus on building a team may unintentionally lead to resentment among children. When one student isn’t as naturally gifted, can’t practice as often, or can’t afford the “best” equipment, an emphasis on competition leads to that child being made fun of or treated poorly. The team that prioritizes winning can affect children’s self-esteem, and this can drive them away from youth sports while eliminating the positive community-building experience for everyone who participates. The most concerning aspect of this is when a child internalizes their struggle. They think ill of themselves for not being the best. This can have a significant impact on self-worth and lead to anxiety and mental anguish. No child should feel that way about themselves, and something that has the powerful, positive potential of youth sports should never treat a child that way. Mental and Physical Well-Being Here’s something you might not have expected: kids can burn out from youth sports when they are pushed too hard to win or over-train. There’s a direct impact that comes to their mental and physical health when students, especially young children, push themselves to be great athletes before their body or mind are ready. The Children’s Hospital in Colorado notes that there’s a specific burnout or overtraining syndrome that causes the young athlete to have a worsening performance and attitude, increased stress, and it’ll even take them longer to recover from injury. Symptoms and results of this focus on winning at all costs can include: Fatigue Joint pains Muscle pain Lack of enthusiasm (for the sport and other things in their lives) Decreased appetite and weight loss Increased risk of injuries and infections When a school or group places competition above everything else, it can end up creating a lot of pressure on the child to ignore these signs in themselves. So, these are some symptoms that you should be on the lookout for and be ready to respond to when they occur. Keep Competition in Its Place At ActivStars, we have a philosophy focused on training today’s youth for the real world. We’re not looking to create the next Olympian, but sometimes that occurs! We want to help your child learn how to be part of a team and to focus their energy. This approach helps them appreciate their friends, peers, and community. It also limits the dangers that come from an obsession with winning, instead of learning. We do encourage competition and reward students who work hard and achieve new things. However, we prioritize learning and growth over competing. That’s why our training camps focus on learning as a team, not ranking individuals. Even in martial arts and youth karate, where many students participate as individuals, we create an atmosphere designed to celebrate the victories of everyone, and all students are taught to encourage others who need help or a kind word. Children deserve support, even in competition. Join us to help your child find friends, fun, and learning they need to keep competition in the right place in their lives.