As the calendar flips to November, not only has the focus for youth football players shifted to the playoffs but for those in cold weather regions, it’s about staying warm during practices and games.

This can be a difficult task for parents. Players are already wearing a uniform and equipment so it comes down to how many extra layers are needed to stay warm.

Granted, there are different levels of chilly weather, but my wife and I have gone through this with our son Bradley for a few years. A few seasons ago, Bradley’s team was playing in the championship game, and it was bitter cold. It was so cold that some players were getting “emotional” throughout the course of the game.

There are ways to prevent that from happening. Here are five tips on how to handle things as the temperature drops.

• Dress your child in warm but minimal layers. It’s important to keep the kids warm, but there is still a game to play or a practice to take part in so they need to be able to move around. Depending on the position, gloves might already be a part of the equipment, and those really come in handy in the cold. A great idea is to wear a warm athletic long sleeved shirt underneath the jersey and a similar type pair of bottoms for under the football pants. There’s also warm head and neck wear that fits comfortably under the helmet and shoulder pads.
• Keep the juices flowing. It goes without saying that practicing and playing in games make the kids forget about the cold since they are moving around and focused on what’s happening. The challenge is for kids who are active. It’s important for them to pay attention to what’s happening, but there is nothing wrong with walking around or jumping up and down to stay warm while focusing on the action.
• Bundle up during breaks. If it’s really cold, most would not be opposed to a child wearing a winter coat on the sideline. A warm winter hat is a good idea as well, but make sure your child keeps that helmet nearby. He or she could be going back into the game at any moment.
• Bring the heat! When it’s cold out, NFL and college teams are equipped with hot seats on the sidelines. Unfortunately, that type of luxury is generally not in the budgets for youth football teams. However, there are other ways to keep the sidelines a bit more tolerable during the cold weather, including:
  • Heated tents (good for parents and siblings, too)
  • Small portable heaters
  • Temporary wind shields that a DIY mom or dad can construct
• Hands on warmth. Another good idea is to buy some hot packs to put in gloves and cleats. At that really cold championship game that my son played in, one of the coaches brought a whole case of them.

Cold weather is here for many areas around the country and coming for everyone else so make sure your kids are prepared for the elements. There are going to be times where it’s just unbelievably cold, but taking the right precautions can make things a lot more comfortable for your child.

As far as the parents go, hey, all bets are off. I’m dressing in as many layers as possible, and I’m bringing my winter jacket.

Peter Schwartz is an anchor and reporter for the CBS Sports Radio Network. He also writes a CBS New York sports blog at http://newyork.cbslocal.com/tag/peter-schwartz/. You can follow him on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. Peter’s son Bradley plays for the Levittown Red Devils of the Nassau Suffolk Football League on Long Island in New York. His son Jared cheers on Bradley and then Bradley returns the favor when Jared is playing soccer.