SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – There’s fun in the sun and then there’s fun in the sun that we’re having here in San Diego County.
Some parents like Reza Shabani decided to take his daughter to the YMCA Copley-Price in the Kensington area for a youth soccer clinic on Wednesday afternoon.
“It seems like they have a pretty good system. It’s already cooled down a little bit so it doesn’t seem too bad. But they’re playing in the shade. There’s cover for the seating area for the parents. So, it seems pretty covered,” Shabani said.
Protecting the kids and their parents is top of mind for YMCA officials like Ray Wu.
“That’s the biggest thing right now is every 10-15 minutes I’m requiring that our staff give these kids a break. A quick water break in the shade, cool down and then go back out for activities. And then also focus on lower impact sports training,” Wu said.
It’s not just local youth non-profits keeping a close eye on those in youth sports. It’s the state and our local school districts.
The California Department of Public Health issued interim guidance for school sports with the heatwave and risk levels map for different parts of the state.
San Diego unified told ABC 10News their coaches and staff are trained and certified for heat illness prevention and each campus hot-weather safety plans.
An SDUSD spokesperson said school can make adjustments like turning off lights, restricting outdoor activities and physical education among other things if they want to implement those hot weather plans.
Additionally, The Office of the Superintendent can declare a minimum day if there’s two or more days of 95 plus and heat index of 103 forecast for a school.
This spokesperson said no San Diego Unified school forecast has met that threshold during this heatwave.
“So that’s something that we stress with our staff right now is to make sure to look out for those signs. We serve kids from three years old to 17 and they all experience heat differently. So, we want to make sure safety is our highest priority,” Wu said.
Some parents are encouraged by the fact they’re kids are being looked out for with this blistering heat.
“Everything is, you know, nice and organized. Like I wouldn’t be concerned to have our kids participate even on a day like this where the temperatures are like way hotter than usual. They’re going to be taken care of,” Shabani said.
