The Importance of Water Breaks

When you’re in the middle of an intense game, sometimes you never want to take a break. Whether it’s the heat of competition or just endless enjoyment, sports have a way of seizing our attention for several hours in a row. However, it’s important to remember that even the world’s greatest athletes need a breather here and there. Coaches should always encourage young athletes to take a few minutes and grab a healthy snack like fruit or a granola bar. But no matter what food they choose, the drink should always be the same: water. Sports drinks can be useful for their electrolytes, but there’s no replacement for H2O.

Brazilian court mandates FIFA water breaks

Water breaks are a part of not just youth sports, but also professional sports. On Friday, a Brazilian court ordered FIFA to debut mandatory water breaks in World Cup games when the temperature exceeds 32 degrees Celsius, or 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NBC Sports.

Judge Rogerio Neiva Pinheiro felt the need to mandate the breaks because he was unsure that FIFA would take similar measures on its own.

“I think that obliging FIFA to enforce its own norm is not a measure that jeopardizes the competition,” Judge Pinheiro said in his ruling, according to NBC Sports.

The right amount of water to drink

Dehydration has been a consistent issue in youth sports, according to a blog post on Nays.org. Just like FIFA’s finest, young athletes need to make sure that they are fully hydrated before practices and games begin. But how much water is enough?

The article noted that children aged 9-12 should drink about a half cup to a cup of water every 20 minutes. It may not be easy, but a youngster in this age range should have four or so water breaks and consume one to two 16 oz. bottles of water or sports drink per one-and-a-half-hour practice. Teens, the article added, should consume about five or six cups of water or sports drink per hour.

Such constant hydration may seem a bit excessive, especially to young athletes who must adapt to this kind of consumption rate. However, coaches would be wise to consider science over preconceived notions. Ensuring safety is a better way to manage a team than potentially putting a young athlete at risk of dehydration. Sports team websites can be a good place to outline hydration expectations so young athletes are able to understand the importance of regular water breaks.