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Did you have a round of golf canceled? Fishing trip? Or were you like me, thinking a trip to Comerica Park would be a possibility? IÕve lived in Michigan my entire life and am no longer surprised by a quick change of season, but when I am willing to pay to freeze in the stands, I figured the guys endorsing the multi-million dollar paychecks would be willing to also. Knowing it would be very cold, I prepared the night before and readied myself for a four-hour marathon of cold. No matter how bad the weather, I was going to be one of a few thousand people dedicated enough to bare it.

Denied!

The baseball game was postponed, due to snow Ð a phrase rarely heard anywhere else on Earth. So the first availability to see the defending American League Champions, was negated due to snow, no matter how much the players make.

But what about the athletes that donÕt get paid? They are more likely to be competing, taking the chances of injury, others may not. In a report by Suburban Hospitals, injuries and incidents during cold weather, can be just as harmful as ones caused during summer months. In fact, in some cases, itÕs worse.

Winter activities like hockey, skiing and snowboarding produce a major amount of broken bones to hospital emergency rooms. But the study says an often overlooked aspect of winter injuries, are caused by people taking risks during this time of year. The potential for drowning during these months goes up, because of too many trying to test the already thin ice.

The highest number of incidents, however, are caused by frostbite, dehydration and hypothermia.

Doctors say any part of the body that is directly exposed to cold and wind can suffer frostbite. They suggest athletes wear layers of clothing and check often to see if they need to warm up. When gloves, hat or shoes become wet, they need to be removed quickly and warm the area. The study warns cases of frostbite have led to amputation. Hypothermia, when the human body temperature drops below 96 degrees, should be treated with an immediate trip to the emergency room. Doctors warm if an athlete has slurred speech, dizziness or difficulty walking; precaution should immediately be taken.

The most overlooked aspect of danger to the athletes is dehydration, according to those in the study. They say too many people assume that cold weather, means less sweating. Absolutely untrue.

Athletes easily become dehydrated in the cold weather. In fact, they say if you can see your breath, it means you are losing water from your body. Plenty of water should be available.

Most of all, doctors and trainers alike say stretching and warm-ups are absolutely crucial to avoid several cold weather injuries. Even more in cold weather, itÕs important to stretch out, while wearing hat and gloves. Go out and play youngsters, you evidently can handle the cold better than professional athletes.