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Play it safe
Soccer Shocker 
Every year nearly 400 children and adults in the United States are struck by lightning. About 80 people are killed and several hundred more have permanent disabilities. Many of the injured and killed are athletes who stay on trails, beaches or playing fields long after inclement weather begins. These tragedies can be avoided.
The Most Dangerous Place
Outdoors is the most dangerous place to be during a lightning storm. When you see lightning, hear thunder, or observe dark clouds, quickly move indoors or into a hard-topped vehicle and stay there until well after the lightning storm ends. Listen to forecasts and warnings through NOAA Weather Radio or your local TV and radio stations. If lightning is forecast, plan an alternate activity or know where you can take cover quickly.
Summer is considered lightning season in the United States, but lightning strikes year round. The Fourth of July is historically one of the most deadly times of the year for lightning. During the summer, more people spend time outside, at the beach, on golf courses and ball fields, and in the mountains. Outdoor jobs such as construction and agriculture, and outdoor chores like lawn mowing or house painting are at their peak, putting those involved in danger.
Safety Rules
 1. Postpone activities promptly. Don’t wait for rain. Many people take shelter from the rain, but most people struck by lightning are not in the rain! Go quickly inside a completely enclosed building, not a carport, open garage or covered patio. If no enclosed building is convenient, get inside a hard-topped all-metal vehicle.
2. Be the lowest point. Lightning hits the tallest object. In the mountains if you are above the treeline, you ARE the highest object around. Quickly get below treeline and get into a grove of small trees. Don’t be the second tallest object during a lightning storm. Crouch down if you are in an exposed area.
3. Keep an eye on the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of lightning, or increasing wind, which may be signs of an approaching thunderstorm. Look for dark  cloud bases and increasing wind. Every flash of lightning is dangerous, even the first. Head to safety before that first flash. If you hear thunder, head to safety!
4. Listen for the sound of thunder. If you can hear thunder, go to a safe shelter immediately.
5. If you see or hear a thunderstorm coming or your hair stands on end, immediately suspend your game or practice and instruct everyone to go inside a sturdy building or car. Sturdy buildings are the safest place to be. Avoid sheds, picnic shelters, baseball dugouts, and bleachers. If no sturdy building is nearby, a hard-top vehicle with windows closed will offer some protection. The steel frame of the vehicle provides some protection if you are not touching metal.
6. Listen to NOAA Weather Radio. Coaches and other leaders should listen for a tone-alert feature during practice sessions and games.
7. If you can’t get to a shelter, stay away from trees. If there is no shelter, crouch in the open, keeping twice as far away from a tree as it is tall.
8. Avoid leaning against vehicles. Get off bicycles and motorcycles.
9. Get out of the water. It conducts electricity. Stay off the beach and out of small boats or canoes. If  caught in a boat, crouch down in the center of the boat away from metal hardware. Swimming, wading, snorkeling and scuba diving are NOT safe. Lightning can strike the water and travel some distance beneath and away from its point of contact. Don’t
stand in puddles of water, even if wearing rubber boots.
10. Avoid metal. Drop metal backpacks, stay away from clothes lines, fences, exposed sheds and electrically conductive elevated objects. Don’t hold on to metal items such golf clubs, fishing rods, tennis rackets or tools. Large metal objects can conduct lightning. Small metal objects can cause burns.
11. Move away from a group of people. Stay several yards away from other people. Don’t share a bleacher bench or huddle in a group.
For more information, visit the:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration lightning safety site.
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MADISON CITY LIGHTNING POLICY
The City of Madison has published this Lighting Policy which affects all outdoor recreation activities in the city parks and facilities.
Safe fun in the sun
The American Cancer Society estimates that almost 10,000 people will die from some form of skin cancer in the United States in 2002. Young athletes spend hours and hours outdoors practicing and playing and their skin is exposed to dangerous ultraviolet rays. Prevention is better than early detection when it comes to any kind of cancer, so consider the following safety precautions for yourself and the children around you.
Cover up. Choose shirts and pants to protect as much skin as possible.
Use sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of IS or higher.
 For maximum effect, generously apply sunscreen 20 to 30 minutes before going outside. About one ounce of sunscreen should be used to cover the arms, legs, neck and face of the average adult. Less is needed for a child. For best results, most sunscreens need to be reapplied.
If swimming or perspiring, don’t forget to reapply sunscreen to maintain protection. Remember that sunscreen usually rubs off when you towel yourself dry.
Use lip balm with an SPF 15 or higher.
Wear a hat. Choose a hat that shades the face, neck, and ears. 
Wear sunglasses. Protect your eyes with sunglasses that block UV rays.
Research has shown that long hours in the sun without adequate eye protection increase the chances of developing eye disease. UV-absorbent sunglasses can help protect your eyes from sun damage.
 The ideal sunglasses do not have to be expensive, but they should block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation. Ideally, all types of eyewear, including prescription glasses, contact lenses, and intraocular lens implants used in cataract surgery, should absorb the entire UV spectrum. When purchasing eyewear be sure to ask for a lens that will
protect your eye from UV light. Read the label and look for the amount of UV protection provided.
Limit sun exposure. Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the UV rays are strongest.
Source: American Cancer Society
Facts About Lighting
 All thunderstorms produce lightning and are dangerous. Lightning kills more people each year than tornadoes.
Lightning often strikes as far as 10 miles away from any rainfall. Many deaths from lightning occur ahead of the storm because people try and wait to the last minute before seeking shelter.
You are in danger from lightning if you can hear thunder. If you can hear thunder, lightning is close enough that it could strike your location at any moment.
Lightning injuries can lead to permanent disabilities or death. On average, 20 percent of victims die; 70 percent of survivors suffer serious long term effects.
Look for dark cloud bases and increasing wind. Every flash of lightning is dangerous, even the first. Head to safety before that first flash. If you hear thunder, head to safety!
From July 2002 PLAY IT SAFE, AYSO
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