Hot weather and outdoor events: Checklist for summer sports

Shade and sun protection

Sunburn and heatstroke will definitely put a damper on your day, so make sure you’ve some areas out of the sun sorted. 

If you haven’t got a club house, rotunda, or the shade of big trees to make use of, get a few marquees or shade sails up.  

Time to slip, slap, slop, seek and slide! Encourage everyone ahead of time to bring hats, sunglasses and long sleeves. 

You might also want to look at timing of your event. Game days don’t always have the most flexibility. But, if you’re holding a team event, book it outside the hottest part of the day. Peak UV hours are 10am to 4pm. 

Keeping hydrated

Water is the best drink to keep everyone hydrated in the heat. And, it boosts sporting performance. 

You can help by having free water available (stick up this poster so people know where to find it). 

If you’ve got a canteen or BBQ, consider selling some healthier drink options. Mix up the soft drinks with sparkling water or low sugar sports drinks. 

And you could share these top tips with members ahead of the day:

• sip water regularly throughout the day
• drink water after sport to help you rehydrate
• always have your own water bottle on hand to sip from at drink breaks.

Hydration for juniors

Kids are even more susceptible to dehydration on hot summer days. 

Watch out for signs like dizziness, poor co-ordination, feeling thirsty, nausea, dark urine, headaches, poor concentration, dry mouth and throat, or muscle cramps.

Water’s best – juniors aren’t playing intensely enough to need sports drinks.

Sugary drinks are best avoided in general for kids because they don’t have a nutritional benefit and are high in sugar. 

Adequate fluid intakes for children are:

• 4–8-year-olds - 1.2 litres/day 
• 9–13-year-old boys - 1.6 litres/day 
• 9–13-year-old girls - 1.4 litres/day 
• 14–18-year-old boys - 1.9 litres/day 
• 14–18-year-old girls - 1.6 litres/day.

Download the Fluids for juniors poster.

Alcohol management

Drinking on a hot day can increase the risk of sunburn, dehydration and heatstroke. So you want to set up an environment that takes the focus away from alcohol. Have food and fun activities on hand. 

For clubs with a bar, or events where people will consume alcohol on the day, make sure you’ve got your alcohol management sorted ahead of time.

Have a few non-alcoholic options on hand to help people space out their drinks. This could include soft drinks, zero alcohol beers and wines, or mocktails. 

Bonus points if you give out free soft drinks for designated drivers!