Lightning - A Few Tips for Coaches

Lightning is a serious danger. Thus lightning safety requires a large standoff distance from thunderstorms and a long standoff time after apparent thunderstorm decay.  Thunder produced by a lightning strike travels one mile (1.6 km) every five seconds. Thus, counting the number of seconds between the visible "flash" and the audible "bang" and dividing by 5, provides the distance in miles.

Employ the "30-30 Rule" to know when to seek a safer location. The "30-30 Rule" states that when you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If this time is 30 seconds or less, go immediately to a safer place. If you can't see the lightning, just hearing the thunder means lightning is likely within striking range. After the storm has apparently dissipated or moved on, wait 30 minutes or more after hearing the last thunder before leaving the safer location.The "30-30 Rule" is best suited for existing thunderstorms moving into the area. However, it cannot protect against the first lightning strike. Be alert to changes in sky conditions portending thunderstorm development directly overhead.

"When lightning threatens, go to a safer location. Do not hesitate. What is a safer location? The safest place commonly available during a lightning storm is a large, fully enclosed, substantially constructed building, e.g. your typical house, school, library, or other public building. Substantial construction also implies the building has wiring and plumbing, which can conduct lightning current safely to ground. However, any metal conductor exposed to the outside must not be touched precisely because it could become a lightning conduit. Once inside, stay away from corded telephones, electrical appliances, lighting fixtures, ham radio microphones, electric sockets and plumbing. Don't watch lightning from open windows or doorways. Inner rooms are generally preferable from a safety viewpoint.If you can't reach a substantial building, an enclosed vehicle with a solid metal roof and metal sides is a reasonable second choice. As with a building, avoid contact with conducting paths going outside. Close the windows, lean away from the door, put your hands in your lap and don't touch the steering wheel, ignition, gear shifter or radio. Convertibles, cars with fiberglass or plastic shells, and open-framed vehicles are not suitable lightning shelters.

Parents:  An Alternative Gift to Coaches

Show appreciation to your coach while also giving an inner-city kid a chance to play soccer!

New England SCORES is proud to announce Thank You, Coach! a new alternative coach gift strategy to offer inner-city youth the chance to play soccer. Soccer coaches play an important role in the community. Their instruction ensures that kids experience all the benefits of team sports, which instill important life skills in young players. At the close of the season, parents often thank their children s coaches by way of a gift. Our Thank You, Coach! program turns these kind gestures into philanthropic donations.

Thank You, Coach! is easy. Just identify a lead parent to collect the funds and then complete this form, or go to www.NewEnglandSCORES.org. Once completed, a card will be sent to your coach in his or her honor on behalf of your team. Express sincere appreciation for your coaches and support soccer programs for low-income childrenin Boston s urban neighborhoods.

For more information, contact: Alex Maeder, (617) 265-0066 x153, , or go online to www.NewEnglandSCORES.org

About New England SCORES

New England SCORES mission is to inspire in urban children a lasting dedication to education, healthy living, and civic responsibility. We achieve our mission through out-of-school-time programs that combine soccer, creative writing, and community service, with teamwork as a unifying value.

Our program builds on the growing interest in the world s most popular sport to bring a recreational and educational program to hundreds of urban youth in need of healthy activities and academic support during out-of-school time. Soccer is a sport that is fun, easy to learn, and extremely popular with many immigrant families. Teamwork skills learned on the soccer field are translated into a supportive atmosphere in the writing classroom. By combining the team sport of soccer with a specifically designed program of creative writing, our programs promote leadership, teamwork, self-confidence and positive self-expression among urban young people. New England SCORES was incorporated in the spring of 1999 as the first affiliate of its national organization, America SCORES.

Download ThankYou, Coach! Donation Form

Donations can be mailed to:
New England SCORES
Bayside Office Center
150 Mt. Vernon Street, Suite 2
Dorchester, MA 02125