When a team rents your field, the coaches bring their own heat plan. But your staff are the ones who know the property: which gate opens, where the hose is, how an ambulance gets to field 4. If an athlete goes down on a hot day, that knowledge matters as much as anything in the team’s bag. A short briefing before summer gets everyone ready.<\/p>\n
Anyone who might be on site during a booking: the person at the front desk or gate, groundskeepers, the person who unlocks in the morning and locks up at night, and any weekend or seasonal help. If one person is often alone on the property, make sure that person gets it first.<\/p>\n
Write it on one card and post it where staff clock in. Put a copy in the golf cart or utility vehicle too.<\/p>\n
Staff do not need to be medical experts. They need to know when to act. Watch for an athlete who is confused, stumbling, acting strange, or who suddenly stops and cannot keep going. Do not wait for them to ask for help. Treat it as an emergency right away.<\/p>\n
Exertional heat stroke is 100% survivable when it is recognized fast and the athlete is cooled on the spot. The team should lead the cooling. Staff make sure nothing slows it down.<\/p>\n
Take off whatever gear comes off quickly, but never delay cooling to remove gear.<\/p>\n
Around 104\u00b0F, the body loses its ability to regulate its own temperature. Cooling on the spot is what brings it back, and every minute counts. Loading a hot athlete into a car before cooling can cost time they do not have. Help the team keep the athlete in the tub and bring the ambulance to them.<\/p>\n
Big complexes with several fields are hard to find in a hurry. Staff should give the 911 dispatcher the street address, the field number and the gate to use, then go to that gate. Unlock it, prop it open, move any parked cars or equipment, and walk the crew straight to the athlete.<\/p>\n
A two-minute check with the coach or organizer saves confusion later. Ask who their 911 caller is, whether they are bringing a cooling tub, and where they plan to set it up. Tell them which gate the ambulance will use and how to reach your staff during the booking.<\/p>\n
Walk your staff through it before the hot months: call out a pretend emergency, have someone go to the gate, and time how long it takes to reach the farthest field. The heat stroke drill<\/a> from National Stay Cool Day shows how to run it, and the cooling station checklist<\/a> covers what a tub setup needs.<\/p>\nGive renters a free plan<\/h2>\n