A lot of youth sports runs on volunteers. A parent coaches the 10U soccer team, another keeps the snack schedule, and the only medical plan is a first aid kit in somebody’s trunk. There’s often no athletic trainer at the field and no one whose job is to watch for heat.
That doesn’t have to mean no plan. Exertional heat stroke is 100% survivable when the athlete is cooled fast, on site. A volunteer coach can set that up before the season starts, with a few supplies and a short talk with the other adults.
Know What You’re Watching For
Heat stroke shows up as a change in how a kid is thinking or acting. Watch for:
- confusion, or answers that don’t make sense
- stumbling, or losing balance
- acting out of character: irritable, silly or zoned out
- collapse
A child with heat stroke may still be sweating. Don’t wait for dry skin. Kids also tend to keep going so they don’t let the team down, so check on the ones who get quiet. The full list is in exertional heat stroke symptoms every coach and parent should know.
Bring a Cooling Setup to Every Hot Practice
The thing that saves a kid with heat stroke is cooling, right there at the field. Ask the league, or split it among team families, so these come to every hot practice and game:
- a cooling tub, or a heavy tarp you can use to cool a child if there’s no tub
- coolers of ice, more than you think you need
- a way to get water into the tub at the field
- towels
- a charged phone and the field’s street address
See why every practice and event needs a cold-water immersion tub on site, and the cooling station checklist for a full setup.
Give Every Adult a Job
When a kid goes down, the adults who already know their job move fastest. Before the first practice, agree on:
- Who calls 911 and gives the field address.
- Who starts cooling the child.
- Who meets the ambulance at the parking lot or gate and walks them in.
- Who stays with the rest of the team.
- Who calls the child’s parent if they aren’t there.
Write it down. The free Emergency Action Plan builder turns this into a one-page plan you can print and keep in the equipment bag. If several kids could go down on the same day, read why your plan must account for multiple athletes going down at once.
Plan Practice Around the Heat
- Check conditions before you go. Heat and humidity together are what matter. Days in the 80s with high humidity can still be dangerous. WBGT for schools explains how to measure them.
- Ease in. Kids coming off a summer indoors haven’t gotten used to the heat. Start the season shorter and lighter. See heat acclimatization for athletes.
- Build in breaks. Schedule water and shade breaks, and don’t skip them when the scrimmage is going well.
- Find shade. If the field has none, bring a pop-up canopy.
- Know when to stop. Moving practice to the evening or calling it off is always an option. Check your league’s or state association’s heat rules and follow them.
If a Child Goes Down
- Call 911 and start cooling at the same time. One adult calls while others cool.
- Cool first, transport second. Start cooling within 10 minutes of collapse, with the goal of bringing the child to about 102°F within 30 minutes.
- Use cold-water immersion with ice agitation if a tub is there. Remove anything you can quickly but don’t delay cooling because of gear removal.
- Send someone to the gate to bring the ambulance straight to the child.
- Keep cooling until medical staff take over.
Around 104°F, the body loses its ability to regulate its own temperature. That’s why cooling has to start at the field, not after the ride to the hospital. If you’re tempted to grab wet towels instead, read why cold towels don’t treat heat stroke.
Volunteer Coach Heat Checklist
- Tub or tarp, ice, water and towels at every hot practice and game
- Field address saved in every adult’s phone
- Jobs assigned: 911 call, cooling, gate, rest of team, parent call
- Written plan in the equipment bag
- Conditions checked before practice
- Water and shade breaks on the practice plan
- League or state heat rules read and followed
Bring Your Team Into National Stay Cool Day
On April 8, 2027, schools, leagues and teams will practice this plan together on National Stay Cool Day. Learn how your program can sign up and take part.
This article is educational and does not replace medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.
