Nothing is more frustrating to coaches, parents and kids alike, than calling a game because of weather. Especially for the team who is leading at the time. It’s a tough call but somebody had to do it. A thankless responsibility to the children and parents in youth sports. Reliance on a “best guess” about clearing the field when you see, or hear, the first signs of a thunderstorm comes with a high margin of error.

Examine the illustration above and you will see that a storm centered over downtown Tampa, Florida, can produce a lightning strike on a ball field in Brandon eight miles to the east.

Here is the frightening reality that goes virtually unknown by coaches parents and the kids. It could be a clear blue sky overhead, and yet you could be within range of a deadly thunderstorm with lightning reaching 10 miles from the storm's outer edges. So, with no audible or visual warnings of a storm, it’s play ball!

Even if you heard about a storm over Tampa, why worry? Just stay alert for the sound of thunder, right?

Truth is, if you can hear it, you’re already in danger from it. Thunder can only be heard from 2 to 4 miles which makes it a worthless measurement, because lightning can strike from the outer edge of storm cell and reach an athletic field 10 miles away. Kids can be in danger and might never know what hit them.

Counting thunder is playing roulette with lightning, and the people you are responsible to are the players and their parents.

The Good News

This is no longer yesterday for youth sports, when guesswork was such a dangerous and foolish practice. Today there is ThunderBolt Storm Detector, taking the guesswork out of clearing the field in time. It’s time to play it safe, and with no argument from the bleachers.