The Impacts of Weather on Sports and Players - Essay Example

? How does the weather from a meteorologist standpoint affect playing football? Introduction Like players in many other sports, football players are at some time subjected to various forms of weather conditions. The weather condition on a given day when a football game is played in is important and can affect body temperature of players and therefore their ability to perform. The various variables of weather including humidity, wind speed, temperature, visibility, gust speed, dew point, and weather conditions such as fog, clear, rain, or snow can have a significant effect on the performance of football players (Guy and Sang, 2009). When making football predictions people usually take into consideration factors such as history, temporary form of team, statistics, suspended and injured players. However, they rarely check the weather, a factor that is often overlooked but can greatly influence the football matches outcome. Weather conditions not only affect individual players, but also affect the condition of the football pitch and this can affect players’ performance (Wesson, 2002). A particular weather condition affects how players play, how they pass, as well as their ability to determine how effective certain tactics are within that system. True professionals in football clubs are aware of the importance of weather. This explains the reason why most of major football clubs hire the services of professional meteorologists to obtain the most accurate information regarding the conditions on the time and day of the game (American Football Coaches Association, 2002). This paper will discuss how the weather from a meteorologist standpoint affects playing football. One of the most common weather situations in football is the rainy weather. This situation makes the football ground more slippery and may cause the ball to move faster and to slide. However, this condition may be perfect for teams who like quick movements with many tactics and short passes (Hyde, 2009). If the rain becomes quite strong or continues for a long time, the pitch will be over flooded and this will disrupt passes and slow down the ball. This is especially true for matches that are played on fields with poor drainage system and which are not able to keep the ground in perfect condition. Since such conditions makes heavy tackles inevitable, they tend to favor teams with better physical shape (Biskup, 2010). It is for this reason that it is critical for meteorologists to examine whether it will rain, and how much rain is expected. In rainy conditions, football pitch is likely to be slippery and this can have a major impact on the number of goals that can be scored in a given match. Rain will not only impede safe capture of the ball by the goalkeeper, but also will reduce the ball’s visibility in the long shots (Hurley, 2013). The second most common weather situation in football is the windy weather. Wind affects any sport that involves flying objects in an open place. Strong wind can affect teams who prefer playing with long passes because it changes the ball’s movement and players must take into consideration the direction of the wind. Strong winds may impact playing conditions, with throwing and kicking becoming especially hard (Wesson, 2002). Unlike other weather conditions, wind tends to affect both teams equally; it is considered to be an equal-opportunity hazard. It causes players to have more runs and this means less overall plays because plays use more time. As a result, there are less field goal attempts due to reduced passing effectiveness. Also, the winds have an impact on the fans attending a football match (Guy and Sang, 2009). Besides, football fans enjoying tailgating have to make sure that all their personal items are securely held down, or risk having them being blown away. However, it should be noted that that the effect of wind on playing football is prominent only in significantly windy conditions that exceed 15 mph. In addition, temperature is a weather condition that significantly affects playing football. The weather temperature the game is played in is all critical and affects body temperature and therefore the performance ability. The body temperatures control depends on the balance between overheating and overcooling (American Football Coaches Association, 2002). The normal body temperature of human body is 37 degrees Celsius, but when playing football heat production goes up and has to be removed in order to ensure that the performance is not affected. Most of the heat is released into the environment through the following ways: convection, evaporation, conduction and radiation. Even with large heat loss through the mentioned ways, body temperature increase during a match because not all of the heat produced can be released. Cold weather and hot weather affect playing football differently (Biskup, 2010). Concerning cold weather, the harmful effects of exposure to cold weather are mediated by the balance between heat loss and heat production. There is a close link between muscle temperature and muscle performance, as temperature decreases, so does players’ performance. Cold weather impairs muscle strength and reduces reaction times because of vasoconstriction (Hyde, 2009). It also increases the risk of injury among football players especially when they exercise in the cold. This is due to incorrect warm-up procedures and poor playing surface. Generally, cold weather hinders the passing game and therefore it gives advantage to the team that has superior running game. It calls for defensive battles and this may result to low scores. Besides, it prompts the players to try limiting the injury risk associated with wet grass ground; in cold and even rainy weather, players tend to play more defensively and at reduced speed (Biskup, 2010). In order to reduce the effects of cold weather, it is advised that players should wear warm appropriate clothing, undertake a good warm-up session, and be correctly dehydrated. In instances when the snow is too strong, matches are usually canceled because they cannot continue. Postponed matches must be replayed and in most cases makes the ordinary program of football clubs to be more congested in certain months (Wesson, 2002). Like cold weather, hot weather significantly affects playing football. When playing in hot weather, football players lose heat through convection. Since radiation is minimal, heat is dissipated through sweat evaporation. The body’s ability of football players to reduce its temperature is greatly reduced in humid conditions because evaporation of sweat is inhibited (Guy and Sang, 2009). The skin and active muscles are in direct competition for the limited supply of blood as muscles require blood to provide the needed oxygen and the skin requires blood so as to facilitate loss of heat. Therefore, playing in humid and hot conditions can not only lead to poor performance, but can also be extremely dangerous to the overall wellbeing of players (Hurley, 2013). Various observations made regarding playing in hot weather has shown that the distances run by players are markedly reduced when playing in humid and hot conditions. Other evidences also show that the loss in body water among football players playing in hot conditions can be over 3.5 liters compared to 2 litres that is lost in normal weather conditions. If the weather is very hot, a football game will require more physical strength and this can be more excruciating for coaches and players (American Football Coaches Association, 2002). Since hot weather can significantly affect playing football, it is important for players to reduce its effects through various ways. The first one is through fluid intake; players should take adequate fluid before, during and after the training/game in order to avoid dehydration (Wesson, 2002). They should be correctly rehydrated before any match in hot weather and take additional drinks when possible. The second one is through planning; team’s meteorologist and coach should measure or judge the temperature to see if it is too hot for playing. Playing should not take place in weather exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and can be moved to cooler periods such as early evening or in the morning hours. Thirdly, players should reduce effects of hot climate through acclimatization; they should be acclimatized to hot conditions by spending certain time period in the designated place beforehand (Biskup, 2010). It should be noted that at the beginning of hot weather training should be easier and shorter. In addition, the effects of hot weather can be reduced by making sure that players have proper clothing. Clothing should be light colored and made of breathable, lightweight material so that sweat can easily evaporate. It is important that in order to reduce the effects of hot weather, players should judge their efforts in order to ensure they realize top performance even under such conditions. They should carefully judge their efforts over the whole match without exhausting their efforts from too much high-intensity exercise (Hyde, 2009). Players and coaches should really consider the kind of football that they want to play with the weather forecast upon the playing day. The weather forecast on a particular day should guide how they make passes and which tactics to employ based on their own ability and the opposition’s ability (American Football Coaches Association, 2002). In an event that weather changes while the game is underway, it is proper that they change their tactics to suit the new weather condition. Various variables of weather such as wind, rains, and sun determine the way of play and the outcome of a specific football match. Understanding how weather affects playing football is critical not only in matches played within a given country, but also for matches played across countries. Coaches and players should be made to consider and be able to cope with weather conditions in a different country in order to ensure that they display impressive performance and realize desired match outcomes in terms of goals (Guy and Sang, 2009). Conclusion It is evidently clear that understanding how the weather from a meteorologist standpoint affects playing football is important. Knowing the impacts of weather on sports including football is necessary not only for meteorologist, but also for professional coaches and players. All weather conditions should be considered well, particularly when the prediction is made for a specific outcome, as well as number of goals. As has been noted, different weather conditions affect football matches differently. For example, according to statistics, extreme weather conditions such as too cold or too cold temperatures can result to fewer goals. In other cases, poor weather conditions may not favor one team and therefore influence the outcome of the entire game. The coach should play an important role in making sure that players are prepared correctly and should check if the weather conditions are suitable. The knowledge of weather in respect to sports like football is no doubt valuable. Nonetheless, prediction and analysis of a football match must also take into account other considerations in addition to weather conditions. Factors such as players’ fitness must be taken into account in addition to weather conditions in order to obtain a credible and reliable analysis of any football match. References American Football Coaches Association. (2002). The football coaching bible. Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics. Biskup, A. (2010). Football: How it works. Mankato, Minn: Capstone Press. Guy, R., & Sang, R. (2009). Football kicking and punting. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Hurley, M. (2013). Football. Chicago: Capstone Raintree. Hyde, N. (2009). Soccer science. New York: Crabtree Pub. Co. Wesson, J. (2002). The science of soccer. New York: Taylor & Francis. Read More