A deaf player probably will not hear the coach shouting from the sidelines during playing time; therefore, a coach needs to find an alternative way to gain a deaf athlete's attention. One suggestion for coaches is to turn the lights on and off in an enclosed sporting environment to gain the athletes' attention for a timeout. In addition, a coach could have flags or other visual signals to assist in communication during on-going play. Coaches should also be aware of the position of the sun and where they are standing. The sun may prevent an athlete from being able to see the coach signing. Then, the athlete is unable to attend to the message. For an athlete who relies on lip reading or cued speech, it is important for the coach to face the athletes. The athlete must be able to see the lips in order to know that a message is being sent and to be able to understand the content of the message.