Why a summer court feels hotter than the forecast
The number on your weather app is the air temperature. What your body feels on court is closer to the heat index, which the National Weather Service describes as how hot it really feels once humidity is counted along with the air.
The same page adds a detail every afternoon player should know: full sunshine can raise heat index values by up to 15°F. A shaded forecast of 90 on a humid day, played on an open court at three o'clock, is a different match from the one the app promised.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the risk simply. People who exercise in the heat are more likely to become dehydrated and to get a heat-related illness. Tennis and pickleball count.
Move the match, then pace the first games
The most useful thing you can change is the clock. The CDC advises scheduling workouts earlier or later in the day, when it is cooler, and limiting outdoor activity in the middle of the day. An 8 a.m. booking or a court after 6 p.m. does more for you than any piece of clothing.
When the only slot is the afternoon, start slowly. The same CDC guidance says to begin at an easy pace and build up gradually. Treat the first games as a warm-up that happens to keep score.
What the CDC says to wear, and where our clothes fit
The CDC advice is loose, lightweight and light-colored clothing, plus sunscreen. Here is how our pieces line up against that advice, point by point.
- Light colors: yes. The PERSIT dress comes in white, birch heather, sage and sea blue among its colors, and the skort comes in white.
- Loose: no. Our dress and skort are fitted. The dress has a built-in bra and built-in shorts, and the skort has fitted inner shorts. That is the opposite of loose, and we do not claim either piece cools you.
- Sunscreen and a hat: yours to add. Sunscreen is part of the CDC advice. A visor or a hat is your own choice.
If a hot, sunny afternoon is on the schedule, a light color over a dark one is the part of the advice our range can help with.
Water at every changeover
The CDC is direct here too: drink more water than usual, and do not wait until you are thirsty. Put the bottle where you sit at the changeover so reaching for it becomes part of the routine, not a decision you make when you already feel dry.
Signs that mean stop
The CDC lists the warning signs of heat illness on a page written for people who work outdoors. Know them before the summer season starts.
- Heat exhaustion can show up as a headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating and a raised body temperature.
- Heat stroke can show up as confusion or slurred speech, loss of consciousness, hot dry skin or heavy sweating, seizures and a very high body temperature.
If you feel faint or weak, the CDC advice is to stop all activity and get to a cool place. Do not finish the set first. In doubles, watch your partner and ask your partner to watch you. The CDC names that habit as part of its advice for athletes.
If your partner shows signs of heat stroke
Heat stroke is an emergency. The CDC says to call 911, move the person to a shaded, cool area, remove outer clothing, and cool them with cold water, wet cloths or ice. Seek medical care right away for any heat-related illness.
This is the moment a phone in your pocket matters. Both our dress and our skort have a pocket that holds one, which means the call can start before anyone walks to the bench.
General information about playing in warm weather, not medical advice.
A question about a size or a color? Write to baseline@persit.org, and the people behind PERSIT will answer.