There are a few constraints that should be met for practice scheduling.

Weather Concerns

Rain Policy

Please check here for any information regarding weather. Region 137 would like to remind everyone to drink water, wear sunscreen and bring tents for sunny days as well as to bundle up and wear layers on the cold days. 

We Do Not Cancel Games for Rain
Unless otherwise notes on this page or our Facebook page, we do not cancel games for the weather. When you reach your field in the morning, take a look around for mud patches and check with the ref about marking those with cones. Players can wear a long-sleeve shirts with no hood under their jersey to combat the cold, if needed.

If there is thunder or lightning, we stop play immediately and leave the field for a safe area (typically the car).  Play can not resume until 30 minutes after all thunder and lightning have stopped.

As always, safety first!

When the practice/game day heat is of concern, below is guidance we will put in place along with guidance to the referee teams who manage the games. We will follow the US Soccer Heat guidance found here.  We do not go off of strictly temperature.  We will go off of the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature(temperature with relative humidity).

All games even the early ones before the heat increases will have increased water breaks. For example, a U10 match has two 25 minute halves, so the quarters are at the 12.5 minute mark. We will instruct the referee managing the game to give a water break at the 10 minute mark and break for 5 minutes. There will obviously be less playing time but more time to drink fluids.

In the event games are suspended, we will continue on with the season and call the games a draw. There will be no rescheduling.

Please bring lots of water for your players and ensure they’re hydrated even if the temperature is in the high 80’s or low 90’s. Hydration is essential regardless, so please ensure your players are staying hydrated.

We may have some visiting teams for our 14U and above divisions. Board members will be monitoring these games and will be the one to talk to the visiting coaches and their region coordinators in the event we suspend games. Visiting regions will most likely be checking our field conditions since as you know, the weather can be different across the valley.

Below is some additional information for you. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Safety Guidelines

Heat Cramps

If the player's parents are on hand, have them:
Remove the player's shirt.
Apply cold packs to the groin area.

If you suspect that a player is suffering from heat stroke

Professional soccer players lose seven and a half pounds of sweat during a game. In order to avoid serious heat-induced conditions, players must drink enough fluids to replace that sweat. Every player should carry his or her own sports bottle to practice, and coaches need to stop for drink breaks every 15 minutes during the summer. Symptoms of dehydration may include:

Parents, please make sure your players are drinking LOTS of water the day before especially the night before. Continue hydrating the morning/day of match. The child should be hydrated enough to sweat and not become so thirsty during a game where they "chug" water down. If they are feeling thirsty, their bodies are already starting to dehydrate.Bananas and/or apple about 15 minutes before they start warming up provides good sugars for energy and helps maintain hydration. On hot days, fruit smoothies are also a great cool down treat.

In addition to staying hydrated, wearing loose-fitting, lightweight clothing in light colors will help keep the body cool. Coaches must remember to conduct shorter, easier practices in the summer.