WITH grassroots football activity continuing through the summer months, players, coaches, match officials and volunteers can spend long periods outdoors. Whether you’re training, playing or supporting from the sidelines, taking simple steps to protect yourself from the sun is an important part of staying safe and well.
The Essex County FA are working alongside the Melanoma Fund to raise awareness of the importance of sun safety across grassroots football. The national charity are dedicated to promoting the prevention of skin cancer through education and practical guidance, helping everyone involved in the game to understand the risks of prolonged sun exposure and the importance of protecting themselves whenever they’re outdoors.
In 2014, the Melanoma Fund introduced sun protection to the sports and outdoor sector and, currently, they offer free sun protection resources to improve understanding. Together with the Essex County FA, the Melanoma Fund wants to improve this and make sure players and coaches remain safe.
Despite the fact outdoor sport remains popular amongst young people, particularly in the summer months, sun protection is still a ‘missed shot’ across all stages, especially at grassroots level. Since exposure to the sun remains constant throughout the year for football players, without the correct protection, young players are at risk of sunburn, which can lead to many issues later on.
The Fund’s ‘Outdoor Kids Sun Safety Code’ is a free educational resource available for all sports clubs and individuals. It educates on all aspects of sun and heat protection, provides necessary awareness materials and provides communication support to parents. The ‘Sun-Sorted!’ quiz is a great way to educate children about the importance of staying safe in the sun. The Melanoma Fund details five main rules:
Prepare
Protect
Shade
Hydrate
Lead by Example
If you provide outdoor sports activities, you can sign-up for the Fund’s free Sunguarding Course and gain your sunguarding accreditation. This course will provide you with practical tips around sun protection, bring an awareness of skin cancer and early detection, teach you how to identify and mitigate the risks of heat-related illnesses and guide you on how to incorporate this knowledge into your sessions.
Visit www.melanoma-fund.co.uk/sun-and-heat-protection-course to read about the Melanoma Fund’s Sunguarding Course. You can also interact with the Essex County FA by visiting www.essexfa.com or by following on social media.
