Bay Area schools take precautions to protect student athletes from the heat
Play it safe in the heat
Schools are being reminded to take precautions for student athletes practicing in the heat. Matthew McClellan reports.
Tampa, Fla. - It's not anything new that August and September are among Florida's hottest months, but after a brutal, record-breaking summer of extreme and dangerous heat, school districts across the region are taking drastic measures to protect student athletes as preseason games get underway.
Districts are moving practices later in the evening to keep players away from the hottest hours of the day. For example, instead of practicing immediately after class at 3:30 p.m., many schools are pushing it back to 6 p.m. or later.
"It’s still hot,’ explained Pinellas County Schools athletic director Al Bennett, "but it’s a little bit better later in the afternoon and in the evening."
During practice, Bennett said teams must have access to cooling zones and hydration areas.
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Officials are asking coaches to provide at least three to four breaks per hour in the shade, each lasting five minutes and providing hydration. Additionally, all coaches also have to complete a heat stress course through the National Federation of High Schools.
Athletic trainers are also present at practices, monitoring the wet-bulb global temperature reading which tests for heat stress. The device measures temperature, humidity, and unlike the heat index, it also factors in wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover.
Under Florida High School Athletics Association guidelines, a wet bulb reading above 92 degrees means all outdoor activities are suspended and cannot resume until it cools down. If that takes more than two hours, it's possible for games to be postponed.
"You know, hopefully, this (extreme heat) is just an anomaly- it’s hotter this year than normal," said FHSAA associate executive director Scott Jamison, "but we are prepared for the fact that it could be the new normal, and we are prepared to move into the future with the safety of the student athletes at the forefront."
Preseason games kick off Friday across the Bay Area.
"Unfortunately, the heat does not discriminate," said Eddie Bunton, director of sports medicine at Berkley Preparatory School. "(The heat) doesn’t necessarily say that, just because you live here, you’re not at risk."
Bunton said that at every level, athletes and their coaches must stay educated on current conditions, and that leaders must stay ahead of the game as they make policies for athletics in a rapidly changing climate.