PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Youth organizations and nonprofits like the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County and the YMCA of the Treasure Coast are doing everything they can to keep students and staff safe from the heat, while also staying active and healthy.
“We have the coolers, we make sure everything stays cold, we have ice in here,” Terrance Johnson, the program manager at the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County, said.
Outside on their turf field, kids line up under a tent to get away from the sun and take a much-needed water break. Johnson said the kids know the drill.
“When that 20 minutes is up, we try to make sure we get them back inside,” he said.
Johnson said it’s all part of their new routine to keep kids safe. Instead of spending 45 minutes at a time outside, they’re only out in the heat anywhere between 20 to 25 minutes.
“When we start seeing the kids get exhausted from the heat," Johnson said. "We bring them in, make sure they get some AC and some shade.”
At the YMCA of the Treasure Coast, they’re taking similar precautions.
“We’re bringing kids inside,” Charlene Lyons, president and CEO of YMCA of the Treasure Coast, said.
She said last week they had to cancel 10 youth sports practices for soccer and flag football.
“Which we did not have to do last year, so this extreme heat has been really challenging for us to keep those kids outside and active,” Lyons said.
Lyons said they typically have anywhere from eight to 10 teams but this year, they’re pushing 20 teams that have decided to come inside.
“We have a larger indoor program this summer than we’ve ever had,” she said.
As clubs adjust and make changes, their priority remains the same.
“Safety is number one,” Johnson said.
WPTV also reached out to leaders in the Village of Wellington. Eric Juckett, the director of parks and recreation, said they monitor the heat every summer. They encourage all participants to hydrate properly and to take breaks when needed, and their practices begin at 5:30 p.m. when it’s cooler outside.