Glenview AYSO Weather Policy
Soccer is an outdoor sport.
AYSO policy in general is to play through light rain, wind, and snow flurries. Game-time decisions will be made at the discretion of referees (or, in their absence) coaches per the game suspension guidelines below. The same discretion should be used by coaches during practice sessions.
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Parents: please do not assume your individual game has been cancelled. Bring your child to the field unless you've been notified by team staff.
- Coaches: please cancel your individual games only in situations of dangerous play. Chicago provides limited opportunities for outdoor sport. Don't deny your players (or those from the other team) the benefits of a weekend soccer match even though it's wet and cold.
Suspending Play
The match official shall suspend play if they:
- see lightning or hears thunder, or is informed by assistant referees, coaches or anyone monitoring the weather conditions.
- hear one long blast from the Strike Guard system.
- determine the field conditions have become hazardous for the players.
Play will not resume until :
- The Strike Guard system indicates an All Clear with three short blasts, OR, if the Strike Guard never activated, thirty minutes after the last sighting of lightning or hearing of thunder.
- The referee feels that the weather and field conditions are safe to continue play.
Strike Guard
The Glenview Park District maintains the Strike Guard Lightning Prediction Systems located at the south pavilion and pool in Flick Park, the northwest pavilion in Gallery Park and Attea Middle School. The system predicts conditions that indicate the potential for a lightning strike within 0-5 miles of the location. It gives a warning 8 to 20 minutes in advance of a potential strike, so that everyone can take shelter.
What Occurs
- When it senses the potential for a lightning strike Strike Guard will sound a 15 second siren and the strobe light on top of the unit will go on. The strobe light stays on as long as there is danger of a potential strike.
- When the potential for lightning has passed Strike Guard sounds three 5-second blasts of the siren and the strobe light stops flashing. This may be as soon as 10 minutes after the initial alert.
All activities must immediately stop when the Strike Guard system sounds the warning siren and the strobe light is on. Players, volunteers and spectator must quickly leave the field. Seek shelter in your cars (with the windows rolled up) or in a pavilion or building. Avoid areas that are higher than the surrounding landscape. Do not use a tree for shelter and keep away from metal objects such as bicycles, golf clubs, fences, umbrellas, etc. Even if the weather does not appear to be threatening, everyone should seek shelter. People have been struck by a bolt when the sky is clear, commonly known as a bolt out of the blue.
Caution
The Strike Guard system helps to assess the conditions. The signal or the system can guarantee that conditions are safe. If you hear thunder, if you see lightning, if the weather is threatening but Strike Guard doesn't blast a warning, use good judgment and take shelter. Do not wait for its signal, as the system can malfunction or the weather can present a unique set of conditions that don't trigger the Strike Guard's activation.