BOISE, Idaho — It's been a broiling summer across much of the U.S. and with extreme heat continuing into the new school year it can be a problem for students who play outdoor sports.
That's why schools are keeping a close eye on temperatures, to protect athletes as they work out and practice.
Jason Warr with the West Ada School District says his athletic trainers will pay close attention to the temperatures, add additional water breaks, and pay close attention to symptoms or signs of heat stress in student-athletes.
“The emphasis that our athletic trainers really stress is ‘stay out in front of it’, let’s not get in a situation where a kid is heat stressed,” said Warr. “So that means let's take water breaks every 10 to 15 minutes. If you take them at 15, then in this heat we need to take them at 10. We need to remember what practice was like yesterday and we may need to back off of that this next practice.”
Heat-related illness is a leading cause of death and injury among college and high school athletes. Common symptoms include disorientation, unusual behavior, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, and weakness.
With that in mind, Warr plans to consider practices in the evenings or mornings when needed and ensure all student-athletes are staying hydrated.
“As the temperature rises we’re going to set some time limits, as we got to the 100+ degree temperature we’re probably gonna be less than an hour and a half in practice, if it’s football practice we’re gonna limit how much time we’re in pads,” said Warr.
The American Red Cross says theirs ten ways school leaders and coaches can ensure players stay safe in the heat:
- Avoid scheduling outdoor workouts and exercise during the hottest times of the day; schedule them for early in the morning or later in the evening
- Reduce the intensity of the workouts or exercise until athletes are more accustomed to the heat
- Encourage players to drink lots of water to avoid muscle cramping or heat-related illness
- Incorporate warmups into practices; stretching muscles before strenuous exercise helps prevent injury
- Plan frequent and longer breaks; ideally pause practice every 20 minutes for athletes to drink fluids and rest in the shade, if possible
- Reduce the amount of heavy equipment athletes wear in the extreme heat; encourage net-type jerseys or lightweight, light-colored cotton T-shirts and shorts
- Use the buddy system to encourage athletes to drink water and watch for signs of illness in their teammates
- Know the signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke
- Have an emergency plan in place
- Ensure coaches are trained in First Aid and CPR as they are often the first to respond to an emergency situation
