USA Football’s Heads Up Football program educates coaches, players and parents in important health and safety procedures.

But as one Missouri man showed last week, the lessons taught through Heads Up Football are not limited to just one particular sport. They include universal teachings that span all athletics and activities.

A youth baseball tournament in Bridgeton, Mo., came to an abrupt halt when an umpire stumbled off the field and began vomiting. He was preparing to work a fifth-straight game in 100-plush degree heat.

Fortunately, Kevin Mohesky was familiar with the signs of heat illness and knew what to do.

Mohesky is a USA Football Level 1-trained coach who has worked in youth football for 14 years. He recently recertified as a coach and attended a Player Safety Coach Clinic, where teachings included how to recognize and respond to heat exhaustion.

Drawing upon this knowledge, Mohesky quickly sprung into action.

Mohesky, who was coaching one of the tournament teams, took the umpire inside and out of the sun, got him out of his uniform and put ice on his forehead. One noteworthy thing Mohesky took notice of was the victim’s clammy skin.

“He was not sweating at all,” Mohesky said. “His skin was ice cold. It was a pretty scary sight.”

Mohesky didn’t give in to fear or panic, natural emotions when facing a situation such as this. Letting his Heads Up training take over, he helped stabilize the umpire until an ambulance came to take him to the hospital.

Downplaying the idea that he engaged in an act of heroism, Mohesky said he is fortunate to have been trained well enough to know how to respond in a crisis situation.

“I don’t think I saved any lives. I just did what anyone else would do,” he said. “But I’m grateful I knew what to do. USA Football does a great thing by teaching us this.”

USA Football Senior Director of Football Development Nick Inzerello said Heads Up Football curriculum goes beyond blocking, tackling, equipment fitting and concussion awareness because coaches at youth organizations and high schools deserve a fuller plate of safety training. Heads Up Football also includes heat preparedness and hydration as well as sudden cardiac arrest protocols because those are issues that people must recognize and face during athletics.

Through Heads Up Football, USA Football is working with more than 6,300 youth leagues and 1,000 high schools representing more than 1 million athletes in 2015.

“To know that they’re applying the elements of the Heads Up football program on the field and in meetings is incredibly rewarding to USA Football,” Inzerello said.