Bottled water is as much a part of soccer as headers and corner kicks. Soccer players, from children in youth leagues to professionals around the world, rely on bottles of water to hydrate themselves during grueling practices and rigorous matches. For youth soccer leagues, bottled water sales provide a reliable fund raising source. A prominent bottled water maker, meanwhile, sponsors soccer events and leagues such as Major League Soccer in the U.S.
Function
Hydration affects both the health and performance of soccer players. The running and other physical exertion of soccer cause players to sweat, losing a large amount of fluids. Coaches and trainers keep bottled water handy so that players can rehydrate themselves during team practices and during matches.
Warning
Failure to replace fluids the body loses through sweat and physical exertion causes dehydration, or a lack of adequate water in the body, potentially resulting in illness or even a stroke.
Prevention/Solution
When playing or practicing soccer, you should avoid dehydration by not waiting until you feel thirsty to drink water. The Soccer Help website states that thirst is a symptom of dehydration and that, therefore, you should drink water before feeling thirsty. The website points out that doing so is important to maintain good health and effective performance on the soccer field because the body takes a minimum of 20 minutes to absorb the water. If you are already dehydrated, drinking bottled water will not immediately solve the problem. Soccer Help advises coaches to have players drink bottled water at least 20 minutes before the beginning of a match so that they are hydrated.
Benefits
The Fundraiser Help website identifies bottled water sales as one of the best fundraising programs for a soccer team or league. Between purchases by players and spectators, you can raise a lot of money for your soccer team or league by holding bottled water sales. The website advises that you can buy bottled water in bulk at discount retailers, but adds that you can increase the value of your sales by privately branding the bottles you sell with the name of your team or league. Fundraiser Help reports that you can buy the setup needed to create labels for your water bottles for about $75, after which you can create labels for no additional cost.
Identification
PepsiCo, maker of the popular Aquafina brand of bottled water, has long enjoyed a close association with soccer. Bloomberg Business Week reported in 2009 that Major League Soccer, the U.S. professional soccer league formed in 1995, renewed a partnership with PepsiCo under which Aquafina is the official bottled water of Major League Soccer. Aquafina's support of U.S. soccer goes back to 1999, when PepsiCo sponsored the All-American Soccer Stars Victory Tour, which featured members of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, winners of the 1999 Women's World Cup tournament.
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