Sun Protection Options for Outdoor Football and Track Programs Using Sport-Tek Fabric

August two-a-days and May track meets both put athletes and staff in direct sun for hours at a stretch, and a parent or trainer searching for a UPF 50 rated Sport-Tek polo is thinking about that exposure correctly. The honest answer here: the current Bear Grips catalog does not carry a piece with an official UPF rating attached. What it does carry is the moisture-wicking long sleeve tee, which solves the bigger half of the actual problem, covered skin, even without a certified UPF number on the tag.

The Honest Answer on UPF Rating

No product in the Bear Grips Sport-Tek catalog currently carries an official UPF sun-protection rating. If a certified UPF number is a hard requirement, this catalog does not have that specific spec sheet. For most programs, the practical need is coverage and quick-dry performance during long outdoor sessions, and that is where the catalog does help.

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What Actually Helps During Outdoor Practice and Meets

Piece	Sun-exposure benefit	VIP base
Men's Moisture Wicking Long Sleeve	Full arm coverage, dries fast between reps	$29.88
Youth Performance Long Sleeve	Same coverage for feeder-program athletes	$29.88
Men's Moisture-Wicking Tee	Short-sleeve coverage, breathable for heat	$23.86
Men's Performance Polo Shirt	Sideline coverage for staff standing in full sun	$34.88

The long sleeve is the piece that covers the most skin without a certified rating attached to the label. For staff standing on a sideline in direct sun for a three-hour game, the polo covers the torso and a hat covers the scalp, which most coaches find sufficient without needing a rated fabric.

Track and Field Specifically

Track programs running outdoor meets in late spring face some of the harshest direct-sun exposure of any high school sport, hours on an open track with no shade structure. Athletes competing in short events can stay in the short-sleeve moisture-wicking tee, but distance athletes and field-event competitors who spend long stretches waiting between attempts benefit more from the long sleeve, plus a hat from the catalog's hat lineup for the coaches and officials working the meet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does any Sport-Tek piece in the catalog carry a UPF rating?

No. The current catalog does not list an officially UPF-rated piece. The moisture-wicking long sleeve provides coverage without a certified rating attached.

Is the long sleeve too hot for August practice?

Moisture-wicking polyester is built to dry fast and breathe under sweat, which most programs find manageable even in August heat, but individual heat tolerance varies. Follow your program's heat-acclimatization guidelines regardless of fabric choice.

Should staff wear the long sleeve or the polo on the sideline?

Either works. The long sleeve covers more skin, the polo reads more like staff apparel. Some coaches keep a long sleeve as a base layer under the polo for double coverage.

Does the youth long sleeve offer the same coverage as the adult version?

Yes, same fabric and coverage benefit, sized for younger athletes in feeder programs.