jambo67
08-04-2009, 07:26 PM
by Brandon George Dallas Morning News
Many area school districts aren't following established guidelines for keeping football players safe from the side effects of practicing in the heat, such as muscle cramps, heat stroke and, in rare cases, death, according to a survey conducted by The Dallas Morning News.
Several area varsity football teams begin practice Monday under the supervision of athletic trainers and coaches. A check of more than 40 area school districts' heat policies shows that most don't fully follow the recommendations of the University Interscholastic League and the Dallas-based National Athletic Trainers' Association.
And very few post their heat policies online so parents can view them easily and help police the guidelines.
High Schools
HS GameTime/DFW
High Schools blog
Dallas-area districts fail to follow heat guidelines for athletics
Selected ISD policies (.pdfs):
Carrollton-Farmers Branch | Frisco
Grand Prairie | Hurst-Euless-Bedford
Lewisville | Mansfield | McKinney
Mesquite | Red Oak | Royse City
More high school football
Among the most common lapses in area school districts:
← Many modify practices based on the heat index, the combination of temperature and relative humidity that determines how hot it feels. But schools' heat-index charts often vary greatly, some 5 to 10 degrees apart on when practices should be modified. For more precision, the UIL and NATA recommend using a sling psychrometer. The $100 device measures wet bulb temperature and gives a more accurate reading of the danger level posed by heat and humidity.
← Most districts aren't fully prepared for the worst-case scenario of an athlete suffering from heat stroke, because they're not equipped with ice baths (also called cooling tanks) on the field during practices.
← Several don't weigh their athletes before and after practices to help monitor the percentage of weight lost through sweating. Generally, if an athlete loses more than 2 percent of his body weight and doesn't regain that weight by the next practice, he shouldn't participate, according to the NATA report.
Seven suggestions
A NATA task force released a consensus statement in mid-June for preseason heat-acclimation guidelines for secondary-school athletics aimed at eliminating heat-related illnesses and deaths. It listed seven recommendations for a 14-day heat-acclimation period before full-scale athletic participation.
When an athlete undergoes a proper heat-acclimation program, according to the statement, the body's response to exercise and heat is enhanced. Athletes who don't follow a proper program face measurable risks for heat illness.
The recommendations included limiting two-a-day practices for varsity teams. NATA suggested that teams not start two-a-days until the sixth day of practice and follow each double-practice day with a single-practice day.
Officials from most area school districts said they plan to continue with back-to-back two-a-day practices. But most said they'll use two morning workouts to avoid practicing in the heat of the day.
DMN file photo
During early-morning practices in August, the heat index in Dallas is typically between 80 and 85. On a hot, dry afternoon, it will rise to 105. Rainy conditions generally keep the heat index in the 90s.
View larger More photos Photo store Varsity football practice begins Monday for all Class A, 2A and 3A teams, and 4A and 5A schools that didn't hold spring workouts. Class 4A and 5A teams that held spring practice begin preseason workouts Aug. 10. The first four days of workouts are noncontact, with players not wearing pads.
According to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, a typical early-August morning in Dallas will feature a heat index between 80 and 85. The index will rise to 105 by early afternoon on a typical hot, dry day. Rainy conditions would keep the heat index in the 90s.
David Csillan, an athletic trainer at Ewing (N.J.) High School who was co-chairman of the NATA task force, said heat-related deaths among secondary athletes have risen the past five years. From July to October of last year alone, 18 high school athletes suffered a heat-related death, including six from heat stroke, he said.
"And it's preventable," Csillan said. "I've had coaches say to me from all parts of the country that we have thousands of athletes practicing every day and if we have one guy go down, that's not a bad percentage. One is not a bad percentage until it's your son or daughter."
Though Carter High School football player Eric Brown died of heat stroke after an August 2004 practice, heat-related deaths in Texas have been rare, said D.W. Rutledge, executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association.
"The track record in Texas shows that our coaches do a good job of hydrating their kids and keeping them safe," Rutledge said.
But Phil Francis, the Dallas Independent School District head athletic trainer who is entering his 32nd year, said he talks to area athletic trainers all the time who aren't taking necessary precautions by following UIL or NATA guidelines.
For example, I.C. Little, Arlington ISD's athletic director, said he uses the heat index to determine when it's too hot to practice. Little also said Arlington ISD schools don't weigh their athletes and don't have ice baths at practices. Instead, Little said, players have ice towels available.
Arlington ISD isn't alone. Garland ISD uses fans on the field instead of ice baths, athletic director Homer Johnson said.
Many area school district officials said they use whirlpools to ice down players if needed. But the whirlpools typically are in the field house or trainer's room away from the practice field. Medical experts say the best way to immediately reduce the core temperature of a person suffering from heat stroke is to immerse him in ice water. The longer it takes to get the person's body cooled off, the more severe the damage will be.
"I would love to have ice baths, but right now it's not economically feasible," Little said. "Right now we have 12 junior high programs and six high schools. In this day and age with the money situation we have, we have to piece it together the best we can."
Francis said all DISD schools and stadiums have been equipped with ice baths since 2005, when the district mandated their use. He said he bought about 50 Rubbermaid 50-gallon stock tanks from a Tractor Supply store in Mesquite that cost about $60 each.
"They have to be on the sideline," Francis said. "Some schools say we have some things ready in the locker room for them, but that's the wrong answer. Anyone who uses towels or fans, they're completely uninformed."
Many times, the final decision on modifying 每 or sometimes canceling 每 practices because of the heat lies in the hands of the football coaches. Coaches say they always err on the side of caution, but they also have to get their teams ready for games and face the pressure of winning. Some athletic trainers say that creates a conflict of interest that shouldn't be there.
Little recognized that and took matters into his own hands. He said he makes the call on when to modify practices after taking heat-index readings for each high school's ZIP code from five Web sites each day.
"Those trainers actually work for those coaches, and I feel like if they're sitting by those coaches, they're going to be pushed by those football coaches and listen to them," he said. "I've been a football coach, and I know how important it is for these kids to practice.
"Those trainers understand those head coaches' jobs are on the line. It's easier to take that decision out of their hands. All of my coaches have the kids' best interest in heart, but in the heat of the battle, that's when you need an independent voice to come in. I'm the independent voice."
No mandates
Even when school districts follow UIL and NATA recommendations to structure their heat policies, they are just that 每 recommendations. None of the guidelines are mandated. School districts have the leeway to do what they want.
"People fix it how it works for them. I think it is scary with everybody not doing the exact same thing," longtime South Grand Prairie High School athletic trainer Ted Perry said. "That would probably be the ideal way to go. Then there is no gray area."
Csillan said Texas isn't alone in leaving school districts' heat policies unregulated. He said 42 states have heat guidelines for high school athletes, but no state requires that the recommendations be followed.
"You can't mandate it because there is no way to police it, and what happens when a school breaks the rules?" Csillan said. "This is the first time we've had national guidelines, and all you would need is one athlete to go down and have the least-savvy attorney pick them up.
"And what's going to happen is they're going to say, 'I know the state has recommendations, but these are national and why don't you follow them?' I think we all know the answer to that question of who will be liable at that point."
Staff writers Brian Davis, Daniel Sanchez and Matt Wixon contributed to this report.
SUGGESTED GUIDELINES NATA GUIDELINES
The National Athletic Trainers' Association released a consensus statement in mid-June on preseason heat-acclimation guidelines for secondary-school athletics. The purpose was to work toward eliminating heat-related illnesses and deaths. The statement lists seven key recommendations for a 14-day heat-acclimation period before full-scale athletic participation:
← During the first five days of heat acclimation, athletes may not participate in more than one practice per day.
← If a practice is interrupted by inclement weather or heat restrictions, the practice should resume once conditions are deemed safe, but total practice time should not exceed three hours per day.
← A one-hour-maximum walk-through is permitted during the first five days; however, a three-hour recovery period should be inserted between the practice and walk-through (or vice versa).
← During the first two days, a helmet should be the only protective equipment permitted. During days three through five, only helmets and shoulder pads should be worn. Beginning on day six, all protective equipment may be worn and full contact may begin.
← Beginning no earlier than the sixth day and continuing through the 14th day, double-practice days must be followed by a single-practice day. On single-practice days, one walk-through is permitted, but it must be separated from the practice by at least three hours of continuous rest.
← On a double-practice day, neither practice should exceed three hours total, and athletes should not participate in more than five total hours of practice. Warm-up, stretching, cool-down, walkthrough, conditioning and weight-room activities are included as part of the practice time. The practices should be separated by at least three continuous hours in a cool environment.
← Because the risk of heat illnesses during the acclimation period is high, the consensus statement strongly recommends that an athletic trainer be on site before, during and after all practices.
NATA also recommends that the air be tested before practices and games by a sling psychrometer for more precise readings, that athletes should be weighed before and after practices to determine percentage of weight loss, and that an ice bath should be readily available on the sideline for all practices.
UIL RECOMMENDATIONS
Like NATA, the University Interscholastic League lists several recommendations for preventing heat-related illnesses. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine, all heat-related illnesses are preventable. The UIL recommends the following practices and precautions:
← Each athlete must have a physical exam with a medical history when first entering a program and an annual health history update.
← Coaches should know the physical condition of their athletes and set practice schedules accordingly.
← It is important to provide gradual acclimatization to hot weather.
← The most important is the replacement of water. Water must be on the field and readily available to athletes at all times. It is recommended that a minimum of 10 minutes be scheduled for a water break every half-hour of heavy exercise in heat.
← Cold water should be available in unlimited quantities.
← Salt should be replaced daily. Modest salting of foods after practice or games will accomplish this. Salt tablets are not recommended.
← Know both the temperature and humidity. The greater the humidity, the more difficult it is for the body to sweat and cool itself. Test the air before practices or games using a sling psychrometer, which measures wet bulb temperature.
← In extremely hot and humid weather, reduce the amount of clothing covering the body as much as possible. Never use rubberized clothing.
← Athletes should weigh each day before and after practice and weight charts should be checked. Generally, a 3 percent weight loss through sweating is considered safe and more than 3 percent is in the danger zone. If over 3 percent, the athlete should not be allowed to practice in hot and humid conditions.
← Observe athletes carefully for signs of trouble, particularly athletes who lose significant weight. Some trouble signs are nausea, incoherence, fatigue, weakness, vomiting, cramps, weak rapid pulse, visual disturbance and unsteadiness.
← Know what to do in case of emergency and have written emergency plans with all your staff. Be familiar with immediate first aid practices and prearranged procedures for obtaining medical care, including ambulance service.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ...
To view more information from NATA's heat-related guidelines, go to www.nata.org/heat acclimatization/index.htm. To view more about the UIL's preseason practice regulations and heat-related recommendations, go to www.uil.utexas.edu/athletics/health/heat_stress.html and www.uil.utexas.edu/athletics/pdf/pre_practice_regs.pdf.
LOCAL DISTRICTS' PRACTICES The Dallas Morning News surveyed more than 40 area school districts to find out how each handles heat-related guidelines. Four key questions were asked:
← Will you continue to use two-a-day practices?
← What do you use to determine if it's too hot to practice?
← Do you weigh your athletes before and after practices?
← Do you have an ice bath (cooling tank) on the sideline during practices?
Seven districts 每 Coppell, Kemp, Lancaster, Little Elm, Northwest, Prosper and Terrell 每 did not provide information.
Many area school districts aren't following established guidelines for keeping football players safe from the side effects of practicing in the heat, such as muscle cramps, heat stroke and, in rare cases, death, according to a survey conducted by The Dallas Morning News.
Several area varsity football teams begin practice Monday under the supervision of athletic trainers and coaches. A check of more than 40 area school districts' heat policies shows that most don't fully follow the recommendations of the University Interscholastic League and the Dallas-based National Athletic Trainers' Association.
And very few post their heat policies online so parents can view them easily and help police the guidelines.
High Schools
HS GameTime/DFW
High Schools blog
Dallas-area districts fail to follow heat guidelines for athletics
Selected ISD policies (.pdfs):
Carrollton-Farmers Branch | Frisco
Grand Prairie | Hurst-Euless-Bedford
Lewisville | Mansfield | McKinney
Mesquite | Red Oak | Royse City
More high school football
Among the most common lapses in area school districts:
← Many modify practices based on the heat index, the combination of temperature and relative humidity that determines how hot it feels. But schools' heat-index charts often vary greatly, some 5 to 10 degrees apart on when practices should be modified. For more precision, the UIL and NATA recommend using a sling psychrometer. The $100 device measures wet bulb temperature and gives a more accurate reading of the danger level posed by heat and humidity.
← Most districts aren't fully prepared for the worst-case scenario of an athlete suffering from heat stroke, because they're not equipped with ice baths (also called cooling tanks) on the field during practices.
← Several don't weigh their athletes before and after practices to help monitor the percentage of weight lost through sweating. Generally, if an athlete loses more than 2 percent of his body weight and doesn't regain that weight by the next practice, he shouldn't participate, according to the NATA report.
Seven suggestions
A NATA task force released a consensus statement in mid-June for preseason heat-acclimation guidelines for secondary-school athletics aimed at eliminating heat-related illnesses and deaths. It listed seven recommendations for a 14-day heat-acclimation period before full-scale athletic participation.
When an athlete undergoes a proper heat-acclimation program, according to the statement, the body's response to exercise and heat is enhanced. Athletes who don't follow a proper program face measurable risks for heat illness.
The recommendations included limiting two-a-day practices for varsity teams. NATA suggested that teams not start two-a-days until the sixth day of practice and follow each double-practice day with a single-practice day.
Officials from most area school districts said they plan to continue with back-to-back two-a-day practices. But most said they'll use two morning workouts to avoid practicing in the heat of the day.
DMN file photo
During early-morning practices in August, the heat index in Dallas is typically between 80 and 85. On a hot, dry afternoon, it will rise to 105. Rainy conditions generally keep the heat index in the 90s.
View larger More photos Photo store Varsity football practice begins Monday for all Class A, 2A and 3A teams, and 4A and 5A schools that didn't hold spring workouts. Class 4A and 5A teams that held spring practice begin preseason workouts Aug. 10. The first four days of workouts are noncontact, with players not wearing pads.
According to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, a typical early-August morning in Dallas will feature a heat index between 80 and 85. The index will rise to 105 by early afternoon on a typical hot, dry day. Rainy conditions would keep the heat index in the 90s.
David Csillan, an athletic trainer at Ewing (N.J.) High School who was co-chairman of the NATA task force, said heat-related deaths among secondary athletes have risen the past five years. From July to October of last year alone, 18 high school athletes suffered a heat-related death, including six from heat stroke, he said.
"And it's preventable," Csillan said. "I've had coaches say to me from all parts of the country that we have thousands of athletes practicing every day and if we have one guy go down, that's not a bad percentage. One is not a bad percentage until it's your son or daughter."
Though Carter High School football player Eric Brown died of heat stroke after an August 2004 practice, heat-related deaths in Texas have been rare, said D.W. Rutledge, executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association.
"The track record in Texas shows that our coaches do a good job of hydrating their kids and keeping them safe," Rutledge said.
But Phil Francis, the Dallas Independent School District head athletic trainer who is entering his 32nd year, said he talks to area athletic trainers all the time who aren't taking necessary precautions by following UIL or NATA guidelines.
For example, I.C. Little, Arlington ISD's athletic director, said he uses the heat index to determine when it's too hot to practice. Little also said Arlington ISD schools don't weigh their athletes and don't have ice baths at practices. Instead, Little said, players have ice towels available.
Arlington ISD isn't alone. Garland ISD uses fans on the field instead of ice baths, athletic director Homer Johnson said.
Many area school district officials said they use whirlpools to ice down players if needed. But the whirlpools typically are in the field house or trainer's room away from the practice field. Medical experts say the best way to immediately reduce the core temperature of a person suffering from heat stroke is to immerse him in ice water. The longer it takes to get the person's body cooled off, the more severe the damage will be.
"I would love to have ice baths, but right now it's not economically feasible," Little said. "Right now we have 12 junior high programs and six high schools. In this day and age with the money situation we have, we have to piece it together the best we can."
Francis said all DISD schools and stadiums have been equipped with ice baths since 2005, when the district mandated their use. He said he bought about 50 Rubbermaid 50-gallon stock tanks from a Tractor Supply store in Mesquite that cost about $60 each.
"They have to be on the sideline," Francis said. "Some schools say we have some things ready in the locker room for them, but that's the wrong answer. Anyone who uses towels or fans, they're completely uninformed."
Many times, the final decision on modifying 每 or sometimes canceling 每 practices because of the heat lies in the hands of the football coaches. Coaches say they always err on the side of caution, but they also have to get their teams ready for games and face the pressure of winning. Some athletic trainers say that creates a conflict of interest that shouldn't be there.
Little recognized that and took matters into his own hands. He said he makes the call on when to modify practices after taking heat-index readings for each high school's ZIP code from five Web sites each day.
"Those trainers actually work for those coaches, and I feel like if they're sitting by those coaches, they're going to be pushed by those football coaches and listen to them," he said. "I've been a football coach, and I know how important it is for these kids to practice.
"Those trainers understand those head coaches' jobs are on the line. It's easier to take that decision out of their hands. All of my coaches have the kids' best interest in heart, but in the heat of the battle, that's when you need an independent voice to come in. I'm the independent voice."
No mandates
Even when school districts follow UIL and NATA recommendations to structure their heat policies, they are just that 每 recommendations. None of the guidelines are mandated. School districts have the leeway to do what they want.
"People fix it how it works for them. I think it is scary with everybody not doing the exact same thing," longtime South Grand Prairie High School athletic trainer Ted Perry said. "That would probably be the ideal way to go. Then there is no gray area."
Csillan said Texas isn't alone in leaving school districts' heat policies unregulated. He said 42 states have heat guidelines for high school athletes, but no state requires that the recommendations be followed.
"You can't mandate it because there is no way to police it, and what happens when a school breaks the rules?" Csillan said. "This is the first time we've had national guidelines, and all you would need is one athlete to go down and have the least-savvy attorney pick them up.
"And what's going to happen is they're going to say, 'I know the state has recommendations, but these are national and why don't you follow them?' I think we all know the answer to that question of who will be liable at that point."
Staff writers Brian Davis, Daniel Sanchez and Matt Wixon contributed to this report.
SUGGESTED GUIDELINES NATA GUIDELINES
The National Athletic Trainers' Association released a consensus statement in mid-June on preseason heat-acclimation guidelines for secondary-school athletics. The purpose was to work toward eliminating heat-related illnesses and deaths. The statement lists seven key recommendations for a 14-day heat-acclimation period before full-scale athletic participation:
← During the first five days of heat acclimation, athletes may not participate in more than one practice per day.
← If a practice is interrupted by inclement weather or heat restrictions, the practice should resume once conditions are deemed safe, but total practice time should not exceed three hours per day.
← A one-hour-maximum walk-through is permitted during the first five days; however, a three-hour recovery period should be inserted between the practice and walk-through (or vice versa).
← During the first two days, a helmet should be the only protective equipment permitted. During days three through five, only helmets and shoulder pads should be worn. Beginning on day six, all protective equipment may be worn and full contact may begin.
← Beginning no earlier than the sixth day and continuing through the 14th day, double-practice days must be followed by a single-practice day. On single-practice days, one walk-through is permitted, but it must be separated from the practice by at least three hours of continuous rest.
← On a double-practice day, neither practice should exceed three hours total, and athletes should not participate in more than five total hours of practice. Warm-up, stretching, cool-down, walkthrough, conditioning and weight-room activities are included as part of the practice time. The practices should be separated by at least three continuous hours in a cool environment.
← Because the risk of heat illnesses during the acclimation period is high, the consensus statement strongly recommends that an athletic trainer be on site before, during and after all practices.
NATA also recommends that the air be tested before practices and games by a sling psychrometer for more precise readings, that athletes should be weighed before and after practices to determine percentage of weight loss, and that an ice bath should be readily available on the sideline for all practices.
UIL RECOMMENDATIONS
Like NATA, the University Interscholastic League lists several recommendations for preventing heat-related illnesses. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine, all heat-related illnesses are preventable. The UIL recommends the following practices and precautions:
← Each athlete must have a physical exam with a medical history when first entering a program and an annual health history update.
← Coaches should know the physical condition of their athletes and set practice schedules accordingly.
← It is important to provide gradual acclimatization to hot weather.
← The most important is the replacement of water. Water must be on the field and readily available to athletes at all times. It is recommended that a minimum of 10 minutes be scheduled for a water break every half-hour of heavy exercise in heat.
← Cold water should be available in unlimited quantities.
← Salt should be replaced daily. Modest salting of foods after practice or games will accomplish this. Salt tablets are not recommended.
← Know both the temperature and humidity. The greater the humidity, the more difficult it is for the body to sweat and cool itself. Test the air before practices or games using a sling psychrometer, which measures wet bulb temperature.
← In extremely hot and humid weather, reduce the amount of clothing covering the body as much as possible. Never use rubberized clothing.
← Athletes should weigh each day before and after practice and weight charts should be checked. Generally, a 3 percent weight loss through sweating is considered safe and more than 3 percent is in the danger zone. If over 3 percent, the athlete should not be allowed to practice in hot and humid conditions.
← Observe athletes carefully for signs of trouble, particularly athletes who lose significant weight. Some trouble signs are nausea, incoherence, fatigue, weakness, vomiting, cramps, weak rapid pulse, visual disturbance and unsteadiness.
← Know what to do in case of emergency and have written emergency plans with all your staff. Be familiar with immediate first aid practices and prearranged procedures for obtaining medical care, including ambulance service.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ...
To view more information from NATA's heat-related guidelines, go to www.nata.org/heat acclimatization/index.htm. To view more about the UIL's preseason practice regulations and heat-related recommendations, go to www.uil.utexas.edu/athletics/health/heat_stress.html and www.uil.utexas.edu/athletics/pdf/pre_practice_regs.pdf.
LOCAL DISTRICTS' PRACTICES The Dallas Morning News surveyed more than 40 area school districts to find out how each handles heat-related guidelines. Four key questions were asked:
← Will you continue to use two-a-day practices?
← What do you use to determine if it's too hot to practice?
← Do you weigh your athletes before and after practices?
← Do you have an ice bath (cooling tank) on the sideline during practices?
Seven districts 每 Coppell, Kemp, Lancaster, Little Elm, Northwest, Prosper and Terrell 每 did not provide information.