Dallas-based National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) released new safety guidelines last week designed to reduce heatstroke deaths and injuries among student athletes. The trainers called on high school football coaches to take steps to properly acclimatize athletes before high-exertion workouts begin and to use caution when conducting practices during the heat of summer.
LHHS Principal Walter Kelly takes the warnings seriously. “Student safety is our first priority, in athletics or in anything else,” he said. “Performance is important, but the way to achieve best performance is to take care of the athletes.” Head football coach Scott Smith agrees. “There isn’t a coach at Lake Highlands willing to run kids until they drop,” he told me. “In recent years, thought processes on coaching football in Texas have changed. We already do most of the things recommended in the new report as mandated by the UIL.”
The new guidelines limit the number of practices per day and the length of training sessions, among other restrictions, and they suggest easing into strenuous full-pad practices. The NATA is seeking to avoid deaths like that of Dallas’ Eric Brown, who died in 2004 after a three-hour practice at Carter High. Some schools, like Southlake Carroll, have the luxury of indoor training facilities. Teams which must practice outside should use a “heat acclimatization plan,” NATA stresses.
The LHHS team has already begun strength training sessions at 6 am on summer weekdays. When two-a-days start August 10, they’ll work from 6-7:45 am, then come inside to shower and rest. After 1-2 hours to recover, they’ll have squad meetings and go back out at 10 am before it gets too hot. They should be home by noon, Smith said. In the first few days, they’ll alternate two-a-days for the older boys and one-a-days for the freshmen, then switch the schedule. “There is a process to get them acclimated,” Smith said, “and our goal is to have them ready when games begin.”
Trainers Todd Holmes and Jessica Nelson will be walking around at practice with water bottles in hand, and 3-5 water breaks per session will be scheduled. Athletes can “come and go as they please” to get water without worry that they’ll anger the coach or lose their starting position. Trainers also will encourage pre-hydration, making water available during the school day and before practices. All students at LHHS are permitted to bring water bottles to class, Coach Smith said.
The real test of preparedness will come Friday, August 21 at Homer Johnson Stadium when the Wildcats scrimmage the South Garland Colonels. And LH’s debut at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco will be August 29 at the North Texas Classic. Go Cats!
