During the fall sports season, many student athletes at UC High are practicing and competing in weather that poses a risk to their health. Temperatures are frequently in the 80s and 90s, especially in August and September, occasionally venturing into the triple digits. Several heat-related illnesses are serious dangers to an athlete’s health and safety, and must be appropriately managed.
According to the Mayo Clinic, dehydration and heatstroke are among the primary health risks caused by hot weather. Dehydration is more likely when exercising in hot weather because of the water lost when sweating, which must be replaced by drinking plenty of fluids. Heatstroke is a more acute danger, and it causes the body’s temperature to go erratically high. If not treated immediately, it can cause permanent damage to the brain and other organs, and can even be fatal (mayoclinic.com).
Humidity also plays a role in heat-related injuries, and compounds the issues posed by high temperature alone. When the humidity is higher, sweat evaporates less quickly, and because perspiration is the main way the body gets rid of extra heat, cooling is not as effective. Heatstroke is more likely, and the positive feedback loop contributes to dehydration. This is a particular problem during pre-season athletics, which occur in August, when humidity often reaches 83 percent, according to WeatherSpark (weatherspark.com).
“Having practice when it’s too hot can be extremely dangerous, and even deadly in the case of heatstroke,” said Junior Gwyn Curry. Even though many students know this, few are willing to speak up, perhaps because they don’t want to sound like they are complaining about a trivial issue. However, high temperatures are a matter of safety, not just comfort, and should be treated accordingly.
Despite the presence of lots of useful information regarding training and competing in hot weather, there are rarely set limits on a temperature that cannot be exceeded. Competitions, especially large ones like tournaments that are difficult to reschedule, are often held in dangerously high temperatures. But student health cannot be risked for the sake of athletic prestige.
To protect students, all coaches must be well informed on the symptoms and treatment of heatstroke, and know the preventative actions, like taking frequent breaks and making sure that athletes are drinking lots of water. Practices and competitions should be canceled or rescheduled if the temperature reaches a predetermined limit. Most importantly, both coaches and athletes need to remember that victory is less important than student health, and that proper safety measures can prevent potentially life-threatening emergencies.