We’re in the middle of a major heat wave here in Montreal. So much so that I withdrew Lauren from a tournament match today. We didn’t pull a no-show, I called the tournament director early this morning (so they could advise her opponent) and explained we needed to err on the side of caution. She’ll get a default on her record and lose 20 points, but I felt it was a health issue. The temperature at 1:30 (match time) was 9o degrees Fahrenheit. Since we crazy Canucks like to calculate a heat index, which factors in the humidity, today at 60%, it FELT like 109 degrees out there. In Celsius we had a heat index of 43 degrees.
On Saturday, Lauren lost a 2.5 hour, three-setter in 80 degree heat (FELT like 95 degrees) and she came off the court telling me she was going to throw up. She felt like garbage. Because she had heat exhaustion while training in Florida a couple of years ago and had a pretty rough time of it, I wasn’t taking any chances today. I also heard that one of our young female players (age 11 as well) is currently in hospital after training in the heat in Florida last week. Some little bodies have a harder time of it than others.
Maybe I’m overly cautious, but I figured since my daughter isn’t playing the Australian Open anytime soon, there is no need to start acclimatizing her to playing in extreme heat. Most parents let their children play today and since there is no heat policy in place, the federation says it’s a personal choice for parents to make. So I made mine.
My favorite Tennis Mom here stuck her daughter in a kiddie pool of cold water yesterday prior to match time. I thought that was a great idea! I’m positive it helped her win her first set and probably would have kept her going had her opponent not forfeited with heat issues.
So heat is on my mind and I’d love to hear from you, especially those of you who live in consistently hot parts of the world. Since we’re not used to having extended periods of high heat in Montreal (but we complain about them as much as we do about the snow and extreme cold!) I may seem like a wimp to some of you, so I’d appreciate your comments, tips and feedback on this issue. What do you think of letting your children playing in high heat?
I found a couple of resources on the subject I want to share with you.
- Royal Netherlands Lawn Tennis Association talks about the risks of playing in high heat and has a few tips on how to manage it.
- Tennis MD is already a great resource and has a nice article with 10 tips on staying hydrated.
- Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis (a place I spent a lot of time in when working in IndyCar) has some general tips on tennis safety for children, including managing high heat.
- Tennis Queensland, part of Tennis Australia has their high heat policy available.
I look forward to hearing from you!
My son too trains in the Florida heat, and has become acclimated to it. However, what we do on those hot days is keep a hat at all times in his cooler along with a towel. This way with every change over he puts on a cool hat and wipes his face and neck down with a cool towel. We also push the fluids the night before every match. All of this seems to help him stay focsued and refreshed. Hope this helps.
We live in Florida. And, as you can imagine – it’s hot, humid and the sun does not let up. Our junior players play year round so they are used to the heat. In the summer – we always stress hats, sunscreen, and lots and lots and lots of fluids. And, we get our kids out of the sun as much as possible.
I fully agree with your decision to withdraw Lauren. Our junior players in Canada are always having to adjust to extreme heat and extreme cold and rarely does mother nature ease them into it or offer a gradual transition. We as parents have to maintain perspective and teach our kids that taking care of themselves, listening to their bodies is an important part of becoming the best athlete they can be. Too many kids feel pressured to play injured or sick (whether it is from the parents, the coaches or their fear of losing ranking points or falling behind their peers) and I think it is absurd. I’d like to see some modifications in the federation policies around extreme weather. I’d also love to see the ranking slate wiped clean every January in junior tennis (for reasons that are somewhat off topic here) to allow kids a fresh start and give them a renewed sense of competitiveness. Don’t worry about those points for the default, Lauren’s health is worth so much more (even though she may be upset about her ranking). You made a smart choice.
Wow Sandra, that does sound excessive. I like the heat policy by Tennis Queensland I posted the link for. I think it’s important to have some type of temperature policy (for lets say cold in Houston, heat in Pennsylvania) so that parents aren’t forced to make the decision. I’ve seen parents putting a lot of pressure on their kids to play, win, excel (get that sponsorship, scholarship etc) even when they are ill or injured. Maybe its not the parents but the federations who need to establish common-sense rules.
Thanks for the feedback. I 100% agree, increased fitness is the key and something we are working more on with a strength and conditioning coach to improve her overall ability to withstand tough conditions. I read how Andy Roddick goes to Florida to train in the high heat and humidity prior to the Australian Open which makes a lot of sense to me. I appreciate you getting in touch and best to your son!
What a good Mom you are – wish more Moms and tournament directors worried about the heat. At one tournament in Pennsylvania a player was taken to the hospital with heat stroke and had to have intravenous solutions – last week the tournament director scheduled the players for two singles matches and two 8 game pro set doubles matches – after playing 4 matches in the heat my son was exhausted and it affected his play the next day
Seems like every one needs to be more careful – as you say this is not the Australian Open.
You did the right thing. Nobody knows your child better than you do. Tennis matches at this age are less important. But consider that as she gets older the matches might have more weight. So conditioning becomes an increasing factor.
My son (12 yr old) plays (and practices) several days a week in the Houston heat. I suppose he has become acclimated to the temps. Conditioning in the heat and the practicies of hydration are such a matter of daily routine that playing tournaments in higher temperatures are hardly ever a concern. I was more concerned with him playing in temperatures just below freezing this past winter.