Heating Up: How Simley Coaches Keep Players Safe on Hot Days

The month of August heralds the beginning of the fall sports season, but it's also the time of year when reports of athletes suffering heat-related illness or death start to surface in the news.

Already, four high school football players—and one coach—have died in the weeks leading up to the fall sports season, with initial reports citing heat as the cause.

It's been an excessively hot summer in Minnesota and as local teams and coaches head into the opening of the fall sports season on Monday, August 15, Simley High School coaches are well aware—and well-trained—on how to handle the heat as they open practice in what can be the hottest time of the summer.

"This summer has been an extremely hot summer and we understand as a staff that necessary precautions must be made to keep our student-athletes safe," said Simley football coach Rex King.

As part of their coaching certification, all Simley or Minnesota coaches who take the training discuss the heat and the role it can play with athletes. During training, King said, coaches also spend a great deal of time learning how to handle cardiac arrest incidents.

"One step our football staff has taken is to make all athletes aware of the location of the AED (Automated External Defibrillator) machines in case an athlete, coach or trainer happens to have an incident," said King. "We also make sure as a staff that we re-hydrate our players on a frequent basis. Times have changed and we embrace water breaks. Athletes cannot play to their potential level without taking care of their bodies. This is through nutrition and hydration. We also make sure to have open lines of communication with all our players. If they need water they will let us know. We watch for certain signs—change in color, change in play and breathing patterns."

Kevin Merkle, Associate Director with the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), said rules are put in place to help coaches, teams and trainers acclimate to the possibility of hot weather conditions. In football players cannot wear full pads until the fourth day of practice and the first week of practice is actually called conditioning week. Most teams will start with helmets only and then add shoulder pads and full equipment, while easing their way into full contact. In addition, the MSHSL educates high school athletic directors and works with trainers—many who are on site at practice—on how to prepare coaches and athletes for hot weather conditions.

"Coaches are strongly encouraged to have emergency protocols in place in case there are issues," said Merkle. "Coaches also work with their athletes to train them on how to stay hydrated. The key for them is to drink water the night before and again in the morning prior to practice and then to keep replenishing fluids, while staying away from drinks with caffeine. We also know that heat issues have an accumulating effect, so more care needs to be taken when we have multiple days where the heat index is an issue. Kids are also taught to notify coaches if they have issues with the heat or don’t feel right, and are also taught to look out for each other. Coaches should also be much more observant on those hot days."

Simley girls soccer coach Cassie Husemann says her team try’s to avoid any excessive heat conditions by practicing in the evening, outside the typical high temperatures of the day. As a coach, she says she follows the heat-related guidelines put in place by the MSHSL. Tim Kersey, the boys and girls cross country coach at Simley, said the team practices at 10 a.m., so they typically avoid the hottest time of the day during fall practice.

"Races are another story," said Kersey. "They are usually in the afternoon. If our athletes cannot compete in the heat they are at a minimum at a competitive disadvantage, and perhaps worse, are at risk for heat illness. Races are usually short enough that drinking water or a sports drink while racing is not necessary, but adequate hydration prior to exercise is always the key."

For more information on heat-related guidelines for coaches, athletes and parents, go to the MSHSL web site.

Coaches Checklist*

• Follow the Heat Index
• Watch kids closely
• Take lots of breaks
• Make sure athletes are hydrated
• Athletes who take antihistamines or beta blockers may be at a greater risk.
• Trust Kids...they know what their bodies can take.
• Don't let peer pressure force kids to make decisions that may cause harm

*Information courtesy of MSHSL.org