Prepare For A Hot Game! High School Football Adjusts For Extreme Temperatures

High School Football starts this week across Green Country. Many schools are pushing back the time of kickoff to avoid playing in extreme heat.

Getting ready for a football game in extreme heat is a lot of work. Along with delaying start times, athletic trainers are taking precautions to keep everyone safe like extra and longer water breaks.

"It’s adequate nutrition, adequate hydration, adding electrolytes to their drinks. Making sure they're getting adequate rest," said Michael Catterson, the Jenks Athletic Director.

To make sure it's safe for his athletes to play, Catterson uses a thermometer to measure the temperature, humidity, and sun angle. He says the coaches are altering practices because the temperatures can make it unsafe.

"We want our students to be used to the heat and everything like that but doing it in a safe manner. We have certain amount of work with a certain amount of rest period. So it may be fifteen minutes on with five minutes of rest," said Catterson.

The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Athletic Association has a similar protocol in place to prevent heat-related illnesses during games. Depending on the temperatures, they must follow guidelines like mandatory water breaks, checking the athletes, altering uniforms, and reducing time spent outside.

Referees like Ethan Rolen say these protocols not only keep the kids safe but the adults as well.

"We are not 16. The officials, we are 30, 40, 50 years old or older, so heat hits us differently than the athletes or even the coaches. Making sure everybody stays safe, that's our number one priority," said Rolen.