Cooper Anderson — a catcher for the Washington Junior Babe Ruth League’s PCS Phosphate, the Pam Pack summer league team and Beaufort County Junior American Legion Post 15 — suited up his third-consecutive baseball game last week, a 6 p.m. matchup that pitted his Washington summer league team against Greenville Christian Academy. It was yet another 98-plus-degree day for one of the area’s top young players. He caught seven innings in full catcher’s gear.

Then there is the umpire, who battles a 110-degree heat index (along with the occasional fan who disagrees with his strike zone) for nearly eight to 10 hours each week, covering games all across eastern North Carolina. In the heat of the moment (no pun intended), it’s sometimes easy to forget safety. It’s important to take the necessary precautions to ensure that every kid who takes the field is prepared to take on not only the other team, but the natural elements as well. In the case of the last few weeks, that element is extreme heat.

When the heat index crests 100 degrees, like it did earlier this week, it’s important to provide generous amounts of water to athletes and take mandatory water breaks every 30 minutes. With breaks in between innings, it’s easier to track in baseball, but for events like the Pam Pack football’s summer 7-on-7 league, it’s important to fit that in. Ice-down towels for cooling and limiting the amount of equipment are also a must, though that may prove difficult for catchers. In that sense, it’s important for coaches to monitor the athletes and stop the game if they begin to show signs of dehydration.

The Mayo Clinic, a nationally recognized, nonprofit medical research group, recommends athletes wear light-colored, lightweight and loose-fitting clothing that exposes as much skin as possible. It also advises that competitions be stopped if necessary. Symptoms of dehydration include headaches, dizziness, cramps and excessive fatigue.

Like Anderson, there are dozens of athletes in Beaufort County who compete in multiple leagues and multiple sports during the summer months. Participation in youth sports helps build character, skill and endurance, preparing athletes for competition at the high school level. There’s nothing wrong with your child being overly active during the summer, as long as certain safety practices are taken into consideration, practices that are, for the most part, common sense.