Youth Players & Parents Beat the Heat at 2019 Flag Festival

Morris Rugby’s 2019 Youth Flag Festival took place on Saturday, July 20, 2019 in nearly 100° temperatures.

Several precautions were taken to mitigate the sweltering heat in Chester, NJ.

An early start to the day ensured that all games finished by 12:30 pm before the thermometer peaked.

The schedule limited each team to three matches — with 15-minute breaks in between — to allow players and referees to recover.

At 8:30 am, families arrived at the field equipped with E-Z Up tents, coolers, ice and plenty of sunblock.

Special shout out to the Chester Township Fire and EMS squads for being on hand to help ensure safety and keep players cool.

The first aid squad had two rigs providing cooling stations, and the fire company shuttled over 5,000 gallons of water to spray to the kids’ delight!

Thanks in large part to these precautions, the medical staff did not indicate any heat-related illnesses during the festival.

Set up and break down went smoothly thanks to our dedicated volunteers.

On Friday evening, Tom Grego and TC Grego managed the crew setting up the Black River recreation fields.

Day-of volunteers directed parking to ensure traffic on North Road continued to flow, which the Chester police department appreciated.

And the official tournament vendor, Fine Designs, printed custom tournament t-shirts and tops throughout the day.

Greg Eisenhart, Youth Flag Director and Morris Rugby Trustee, noted that around 750 kids in grades K-9 participated in the flag season this year.

Many thanks to the coaches and referees who devoted their time and rugby expertise to ensure each Owl, Hawk, Falcon and Eagle had fun.

Cheers to another great summer!