Those of us that were born and raised or simply lived in Florida long enough understand our dreaded heat. Our states motto of The Sunshine State is an understatement when it comes to competing in the SUN.
For those of you that are new to our wonderful State of Florida Welcome!!! For those of you that never competed in the heat and need some tips on how to combat the sun here are some tips we have learned along the way.
- Hydrate the night before and stay away from soda. Water and electrolytes are your best friend.
- Umbrellas or tents are your best friends on the sidelines and for the team.
- Portable fans. You can find some that hang on your neck but also there are some that can hang on the back of the tent for the players on the sidelines.
- Cooler full of towels/wash rags in ice. This is a great way to cool off the players on the sidelines. They can drape the rag on the top of their head or back of their neck.
- Cooler with hydrating fruit like Oranges, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Cucumber or grapes.
- Wear a sunproof/UV protective long sleeve shirt.
- Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before venturing outside to allow the sunscreen to bind to your skin before sweating. Don’t forget your ears and parts in your hair!
- Wear a lightweight, UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) 50 brimmed hat that offers excellent sun protection for the face, ears and neck. UPF 50 fabric blocks 98 percent of the sun’s rays.
These are just a few of our top key ways to adjust to competing in Florida. The sun can be brutal but we love living our Florida Soccer Life which provides amazing conditions to play all year long!
