Young athletes should perform safely in the heat.

Youth athletes are capable of tolerating the heat if they prepare well, manage hydration sufficiently, and are provided the opportunity to recover adequately between contests. But the risk for incurring heat injury is encountered when a young athlete has to compete multiple times on the same day, with only a short rest period between rounds of play, during a hot-weather tournament.


This paper indicates that providing longer rest periods between matches and games can significantly improve athlete safety and performance. However, tournament directors frequently provide athletes with only the minimum allowable time between same-day matches or games…to the detriment of the health of the athlete.

Bergeron MF.Youth sports in the heat: recovery and scheduling considerations for tournament play. Sports Med. 2009;39(7):513-22.