In August 2023, at 6 pm, 15-year-old Iván Reyna was playing football on the field at South Miami Park as usual. He sensed temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). He suddenly felt dizzy, nauseous, and wanted to vomit, and finally vomited. “I was very scared and so was my coach,” Reina commented. “The heat is unbearable,” he added.
Summer has always been a great time to get outside, exercise, and “enjoy the weather,” but the high temperatures in recent years have made this reality increasingly difficult to achieve.
Fortunately, he didn't have to go to the hospital. I drink a lot of fluids, including sports drinks that contain electrolytes. “I was afraid to eat because I thought I might throw up again and my head hurt, but after giving myself fluids and rest, I felt better, but I didn't want to expose myself like I did in the summer again,” Ray said Na said.
It's hotter everywhere
July 2024 saw above-average and record-breaking temperatures across much of the western and eastern continental United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). California and New Hampshire experienced their warmest Julys on record, and 19 other states experienced one of the 10 warmest Julys on record.
An early July heat wave brought record-breaking temperatures to many parts of the West. In early July, temperatures in Death Valley reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51.7 degrees Celsius) or higher for nine consecutive days. Las Vegas breaks high temperature record of 120°F (48.9°C).
Globally, on July 21, the Earth experienced its hottest day on record in at least eight years, before breaking the record again on July 22, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Miami's Dangerous Summer
Miami's scorching heat is heading into summer, forcing the National Weather Service to issue warnings in May. For Lucas Praça, a 15-year-old boy who plays for the Miami Breakers FC soccer team, the temperatures make soccer a challenge. “It's difficult to play in these conditions. I do it because I love it, but I've been training a little less this summer,” Plaza explained.
Due to climate change, Florida now experiences 8.8 more days of extreme heat than it did in 1970, according to the nonprofit news organization Climate Center.
Miami football coach Andrés Miranda noted that hot weather plays a crucial role in children's summer camp planning. “At our camp, we limit children to a maximum of an hour and a half outside at a time, followed by a break, preferably in air conditioning. This is a luxury not everyone has. Today, Heat is the most important factor in our preparation. Miranda also emphasized that heat increases sports injuries. “When athletes continue to exercise in extremely hot environments and cannot recover properly, the potential for injury is very high. “
Professional athletes also suffer from sweltering heat
As Argentina faces Canada in its 2024 Copa America opener in Atlanta, the United States is in the midst of a heat wave affecting more than 77 million people. For the first time in its history, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) has released a set of guidelines to address heat stroke in football. With this announcement, it joins sporting organizations such as FIFA and the Premier League in implementing preventive measures against extreme heat events.
Uruguay national team and FC Barcelona player Ronald Araujo had to be substituted due to heat and dehydration during Uruguay's win over Panama at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. “Actually, I still feel a little dizzy,” the Barcelona centre-back said in his post-match interview. “My (blood pressure) dropped. At the end of the first half, I was a little dizzy and when I got back to the locker room, my pressure dropped. The doctor said I was a little dehydrated and couldn't continue in the second half.
It’s not just the players who are affected
During the first half of Canada's Copa America match against Peru, assistant referee Humberto Panjoy collapsed in stoppage time.
The high temperature for the day in Kansas City was 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34°C), but with 53% humidity, it felt like a high 103 degrees. Panchoj was taken to hospital and released a day later, with CONMEBOL officials saying the referee's collapse was due to dehydration.
The 2024 Olympics will be no exception
The Paris Olympics bring together athletes from all over the world to compete against the best in the world. But they also face another increasingly obvious competitor: climate change. Since Paris last hosted the Olympics 100 years ago, temperatures in the city have risen by 3.1°C during the July-August Games.
How to improve athletes' conditions?
Sergio Levinsky, a journalist and sociologist who has written the books “The Business of Football” and “The Information Movement” and has covered the Copa America in several U.S. states, believes players They were abused. “The machine of the system needs to be produced, so the player is like a machine that must be available at all times. More and more matches are added to the calendar with the goal that the players must perform in any situation, including extreme heat. highest level.
Levinsky believes football players should demand their rights. “Players are human beings and must rest. The Copa America and the World Cup are held after a difficult season and the weather is very bad, which brings risks to the health, career and future of the players. “They should set restrictions, they are the protagonists and they should demand better conditions. ”
The Argentinian journalist does not see a simple solution, “What should be done is to respect the annual three-week break and have these breaks coincide with the summer, thus avoiding playing in extreme heat,” Levinsky concluded.
Climate change is changing the world of sport
Sports teams like the New York Yankees are leading the way in dealing with the challenges of extreme heat. The team hired Allen Hershkowitz as its environmental science and sustainability consultant, the first environmental scientist hired by a professional team. The Yankees also became the first American professional team to sign a pledge with the United Nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“It's urgent because guess what, kids won't be able to play baseball outside, people won't be able to play tennis outside. Something has to change,” Hershkowitz told NPR.
The Yankees' approach resonates with broader concerns that Madeleine Orr explores in her book “Warm Up: How Climate Change Is Transforming Sports.” Orr details how climate change is affecting sports in surprising ways, from rescheduling events to avoid extreme heat to adapting sportswear to control body temperature.
Like the Yankees, Orr emphasized the urgent need to adopt significant changes and encourage sustainable practices at all levels of sport to address these environmental challenges.
“Of course, they have to find solutions, we can't play in such an intense environment. Use technology, maybe use big fans, change the schedule, but it's complicated because we are high school students and we can't play late into the night,” “My mom gets angry because sometimes I prefer playing video games to playing outside, but it's dangerous to be outside in this heat,” Renner said.
Plaza, a youngster on the Miami Breakers FC team, doesn't want the rules to change, but he knows you can't play when the weather is hot. “I wish the summer would be cooler and we could play calmer, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult,” commented the 15-year-old.
