Overview The Phoenix area has been experiencing extreme heat the past few days. Extreme heat is impacting youth sports competition. Some matches are scheduled to take place, while others have been cancelled.
PHOENIX – The recent heat wave in the Phoenix area has affected local sports as many Little League and high school teams begin their seasons.
While many kids are gearing up for their first big game, some events have been postponed due to the heat.
“They’re so disappointed. My parents were coming from California for their first game this weekend,” said parent and coach Kamia Beal. “We explain to them that their fathers are athletes too and we know that health and safety always comes first.”
“We saw 112 to 114 people, a soccer game happening between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., and we said, ‘Is it worth it to risk these kids getting some kind of burn injury?’ “I thought,” Katrina Alfaro said. Arcadia Sports Central.
Arcadia Sports Central’s Saturday morning game will be held, but the afternoon game will be rescheduled. That could mean playing both Saturday and Sunday over the next few weeks.
Some matches are still in progress. In addition to the Saturday morning game at Arcadia Sports Central, Mesa and Scottsdale will also host high school football and flag football games. These games will be played under heat protocols with safety as a priority.
“If the heat index is at a certain level, warm-ups will be done without shoulder pads or helmets,” said Mesa High School Athletic Director David Krecka. “Usually by 7 p.m. the sun goes down so it’s still hot, but the sun’s rays will lower the heat index and we’ll be able to play after that.”
There are times when the match must continue, and times when the best decision is to stop the match. However, that doesn’t mean your weekend has to be a total loss.
“We’re thinking of getting the team together and having ice cream or frozen yogurt,” Beal said. “It’s still just something to do to bring the kids together.”
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Information for this story was collected by FOX 10’s Brian Webb.