Risk Management
Parents and Players
DON’T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN
The water bottle, soccer ball, socks, shin guards, cleats, other jersey and power bar for today’s matchhas been put in the backpack. The blanket and chairs have been loaded into the van. The game is at 1:00 this afternoon so it should be pretty warm as the forecast calls for sunshine all day. You play your game and afterward, everyone in the family has gotten a sun burn; the sunscreen was left at home. All of us have seen someone walk of the field with horrific sunburn. Don’t let that person be you!
Not only is the burn uncomfortable, each occurrence adds to the potential effects of sun damage. Melanoma cases (the worst kind of skin cancer) reported in the United States in 2010was 68,130; of those reported, 8,700 people died (about 1 person every hour). In 2009 the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery doctors performed more than 3 million skin cancer treatment procedures.
1 in 52 men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime. People who have had severe blistering sunburn as a child or teenager are at increased risk of having this cancer within their lifetime. Five or more sunburns double the risk of developing skin cancer (see the 70,000 soccer players currently registered with CYS, 1,346 have a high probability of being diagnosed with skin cancer during their lifetime. See more information (search under melanoma).
Sunburn is caused by both UVA and UVB ultraviolet rays. Sunscreens that protect against both and that have at least a 30 SPF (Sun Protection Factor) are recommended. UV radiation from the sun also causes premature aging of the skin, the more exposure, and the faster the skin ages. A lip balm that contains sunscreen is recommended as lips also get sunburned and can develop cancer.
Summer sun exposure is at its highest from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The National Weather Service publishes a UV Index. The UV index calculates exposure risks by taking into account a number of factors including the amount of ozone and clouds overhead, latitude, elevation, and time of year. UV forecasts are provided daily on a 1 to 11+ scale, where 1 indicates a low level of exposure to UV rays and 11+ means an extreme level of exposure. See the next day’s index and suggested action steps for each exposure category.
Include being “Sun Safe” during your soccer experience!