The high school sports season is already underway, with football starting earlier this week on Wednesday, August 20th, and volleyball, cross country, tennis, golf, swim/dive, and soccer starting this coming Monday, August 25th. Over the next couple of days, however, all these sports, with the exception of swimming, will face potential issues with the increasing heat across Washington. Schools will be seeing temperature ranges from 90-100+ degrees, which begs the question: how do schools handle the extreme heat?
Heat Regulations
The WIAA has specific rules in place to deal with hot weather, and the precautions are determined by the range the heat index that day falls into. Some schools might just have a notice warning if their area is between a heat index of 80-95. While other schools that are prone to higher index’s might fall into the severe warning or danger range as temperatures continue to rise. Fortunately, protocols are in place through the WIAA to ensure the safety of all athletes during times like these.
Regulations are in place regarding practice time, supply of water, and mandatory recovery for athletes. In the most extreme cases (any heat index over 105), all outside activities will be stopped, and inside activities will be suspended unless air conditioning is present. Athlete safety is priority number one above all else, and it’s vital that when the temperature starts to become dangerous, all necessary precautions are taken. Practices must be 2 hours maximum; you can practice twice in a day, but one practice has to be during a time of day with cooler temperatures. The absolute maximum time athletes can practice per day is 4 hours, and there must be a 3-hour recovery period between practices if schools choose to practice twice in a day. Unlimited water must be accessible for all athletes, and alterations to clothing and equipment will change depending on the heat severity.
Nikki Nelson’s Response to Rising Temperatures
Black Hills High School Athletic Director, Nikki Nelson, spoke on her approach when it comes to handling extreme heat and how she ensures her athletes stay protected. Nikki says “It is important to always be prepared and make sure our athletes are taken care of responsibly”. All schools follow the WIAA guidelines and keep a close eye on the weather for the week to make sure that all preparations are taken correctly. Nikki contacted the middle school and high school football coaches to let them know what needs to be done regarding water, cooling equipment, and practice times so all coaches would be aware. She says that is important to be smart and strategic as to when practice happens and where it takes place. For example, if volleyball has an outside workout scheduled then move it inside where the heat is not affecting the athletes. These next few days are particularly unique because it is the very beginning of the fall sports’ season. Many athletes are not as acclimated to playing their sport yet, let alone playing in severe heat. The WIAA does a great job of having safety measures in place when temperatures rise to dangerous levels and keeping all athletes safe is the number one priority.
