Category: Heat Illness

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Restrictions in place for football players due to extreme heat

The first high school football games of the season are still weeks away, but practices are underway in the peak of summer’s heat.

At Kennesaw’s Harrison High School, practice began this week for the more than one hundred freshman, junior varsity and varsity football players. The air temperature is in the 90s; on the artificial turf field, it’s even hotter.

“On a day like today, you could easily add an additional 30 degrees to the temperature. There’s no cloud cover it’s direct sunlight,” said Adam Freeman, head athletic trainer for Cobb County Public Schools.

It’s Freeman’s job along with the coaches to monitor the health of the players, especially in these early season practices. Restrictions are in place for the first week helmets only, no pads.

“That’s one of the safeguards we put in place several years ago.  Because of the heat a five day aclimatization period all football players before the season starts,” said Freeman.

Harrison was one of more than twenty schools across the state that participated in a Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and University of Georgia study on how heat affects players.

They looked at “temperature data, injury data all the way down to doing it by position and class,” said Freeman.

Three years ago, new standards went into place that govern whether practice can be held outside, how long practice can last, how many breaks teams must take each hour, and whether players can be in full pads.

It’s not the temperature Freeman monitors, but a combination of the heat and humidity that reveals how efficiently players can cool off. The higher the number, the less room for evaporation and necessary cooling

“What I have is a device that can take all those factors in and give me a number the wet bulb global temperature,” Freeman said.

Freeman monitors that number several times an hour, constantly updating coaches.

It’s all in an effort to keep players safe from the intense summer heat and humidity, “heat illness is the most preventable sports injury out there,” Freeman said.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE;
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/restrictions-place-football-players-due-extreme-he/nm9n3/

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Haywood football player hospitalized one day before teammate dies

One Tomcat football player’s mom said the death of a high school football player Wednesday could have been prevented.

Tiffany Worles spoke exclusively to WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News about the extreme dehydration and heat exhaustion her son suffered after football practice Tuesday morning.

A day later, another Tomcat football player, Tekarian Maclin, died after being flown to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.

Worles said her son, Darrian, also had to be hospitalized after practice.

“He was close to dying — he was close to death,” she said. “He had no body fluids. His lips were blue. His eyes were sunk in the back of his head. He couldn’t urinate.”

Worles said Darrian called her from practice Tuesday complaining of severe leg cramps. She said once he got home he collapsed in the doorway of the family apartment.

Once at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, doctors told Worles her son had severe heat exhaustion and dehydration. Worles said she reported the incident to school officials one day prior to Maclin’s death.

“He said when it reaches 104 we don’t practice. I said, well, it was 104 before Darrian had even left the house,” Worles said.

Darrian was released from the hospital Tuesday. He said he began feeling better until he heard of the death of his teammate. “I truly believe he died because of the heat,” he said.

Worles said the heat was too much for her son and the entire team. “If they had took into consideration what had happened with Darrian, maybe another child would not have lost his life due to the same issue,” she said.

State regulations require football players to stop outdoor practices if heat indices go higher than 105 degrees. Meteorologists say the heat index hit 109 degrees in Haywood County by 11 a.m. Wednesday.

“I didn’t want to be in the heat myself, but we’ve got to do what coach tells us to do. I hope nobody else dies,” Darrian said.

Haywood County Sheriff Melvin Bond confirms the death of Maclin is under investigation. He wouldn’t release many details since it’s still an open case.

Worles said her son will no longer be on the team. “I almost lost my son the other day, but due to the heat another player may have lost his life, and their life is more important than playing football.”

Darrian said he will always be a proud Tomcat.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.wbbjtv.com/news/local/Haywood-football-player-hospitalized-one-day-before-teammate-dies-320212331.html

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Athletic Trainer Bree Clayton Provides heat illness expertise

Warm weather brings the joys of summer, but also a few additional risks for active children and teens.

Athletic Trainer Bree Clayton from Arkansas Children’s Hospital stopped by THV11 This Morning with tips on how to keep them safe.

Why are young athletes at such risk for heat illness?

-Children and teens don’t get rid of heat through sweat as effectively as adults

-Young athletes often are disciplined enough to make themselves drink

-During practices and games, young athletes are easily distracted and they forget to take breaks and hydrate

Is heat illness still a worry for young athletes, even when we’ve had cooler weather like recently?

– Cooler weather recently means that young athletes are not as acclimatized to warmer temperatures

– Humidity is as important as temperature-with high humidity even temperatures in the 80’s can create dangerous a dangerous heat index

– Full sun exposure can also add as much as 15 degrees to the heat index

– Practice surface, especially artificial turf, also adds radiant heat

– Heat illness can even occur indoors if the temperature is not being controlled.

What are the signs parents/coaches should look for in their young athletes if they suspect heat illness?

– Noticeable Thirst

– Muscle Cramps

– Weakness

– Decreased Performance

– Nausea

– Headache

– Fatigue

– Lightheaded feeling or dizziness

– Difficulty paying attention

What is the best way to prevent it?

– Acclimatization-spending progressively longer times exercising outdoors is very important

– Good night’s sleep

– Well balanced diet consisting of fruits and vegetables

– Plenty of water and sports drinks

–Avoid products that contain lots of sugar and caffeine

–Absolutely no energy drinks! They can actually raise your body temperature.

– Wear as few layers as possible of light weight, moisture wicking material

– Change into dry clothes often

 

Will it help to wear a cooling bandana or other type of cooling towel when they are practicing in pads/helmet and playing games?

– Headbands and cooling towels are only helpful if they stay exposed to the wind.

– If they become wet and stay wet and are under shoulder pads and helmets, they are just going to trap heat in.

– Great for after practice, but probably not good to wear during practice.

What should parents ask of coaches to know that there is a plan in place to address heat illness?

– What type of rest plan does the coach have in place?

– Where can athletes go to cool off during breaks?

– How often are players allowed to drink water during practice?

– What is the school’s plan to treat an athlete that overheats?

– Does the school have an emergency action plan?

– Who monitors the athletes during practice to make sure they are not overheating?

Is water better than sports drinks for preventing heat illness or does it matter?

– Drinking compliance is the key!

– Water is better for overall hydration, but if kids do not like it they won’t drink it.

– Sports drinks have flavor so often times athletes are more likely to drink them.

What role can parents play in keeping their young athletes healthy during the heat?

– Have plenty of their favorite flavor of sports drink at home for before and after practice

– Make sure to have healthy snacks at home.

– Provide well balance meals and make sure your athlete eats-if they are tired they may not feel like, but encourage it

– Allow them to rest indoors in the air conditioning after practice

What should your first steps be if you identify heat illness in your child or another young athlete?

– If minor symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or cramping:

–Rest in a cool place

–Remove wet, constricting clothes

— Give them plenty of water and sports drink

– If they collapse, lose consciousness, or become confuse this is an emergency and could be a heat stroke

–Cool them as rapidly as possible

—Ice bath is preferred method

—Ice packs over as much of body as possible

—Cold shower or ice towels

–Dial 9-1-1

–Remember to cool first and transport second

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://www.thv11.com/story/news/health/2015/07/27/keeping-active-teens-children-safe-during-warm-weather/30723431/

 

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Athletic trainers urge caution as teenage athletes begin hot summer practices

Last year, six out of 11 high school football player deaths were blamed on heart conditions, heat stroke or drinking too much water too fast. This year, athletic trainers are asking schools to implement emergency preparedness procedures to avoid health-related issues triggered by heat.

“It shouldn’t be that a kid has to die for the school to be prepared,” Jonathan Drezner, a University of Washington sports medicine physician and co-author of an editorial in the Journal of Athletic Training, told Reuters.

Among the recommendations by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association: schools should have automated external defibrillators on hand. But only 19 states have laws mandating them. In fact, just 14 states have adopted all of the organization’s best practices.

Another recommendation: Make sure athletes acclimate to the heat and intensity. Yet another: schools should have a full-time athletic trainer; currently, 37 percent of schools do, according to the editorial in the Journal of Athletic Training. Many schools also schedule practices for evening or early morning hours to avoid the heat.

In Kansas City, Mo., for example, the football team recently started practice indoors in an air-conditioned gym, according to KMBC, heading outdoors after the sun set.

Symptoms of mild dehydration include swollen hands or feet, cramps or lightheadedness, according to Philly.com. Symptoms of more serious dehydration include confusion, lack of coordination, skin that is hot and dry, nausea, goose bumps and headaches. Athletes with those symptoms should be cooled immediately, preferably via whole body ice water immersion. And call 911, Dr. Thomas Trojian advises via Philly.com.

Some health experts think athletes should have electrocardiograms (EKGs) during their athlete physicals, the Miami Herald points out, to catch potential heart problems.  Some hospitals have even started offering them to kids for free. But others, including the American Heart Association, say both the costs and possibility of inaccurate screenings mean the tests should not be mandatory.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://bringmethenews.com/2015/07/25/athletic-trainers-urge-caution-as-teenage-athletes-begin-hot-summer-practices/

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Waxahachie’s AT David “Doc” Bowdoin featured in article about heat illness

Temperatures nearing triple digits, seldom cloud coverage, and long days. There isn’t a better time to be outside.

Most kids in high school are probably spending their summers inside where air conditioning is on full blast.

But for athletes on the Waxahachie football team, a typical day consists of morning workouts at the gym followed by conditioning that takes them outside where two-a-days start in a few weeks.

As it stands, football players have a grace period between spring training and the first day of official practices, which is the second Monday in August, per UIL mandate.

Coaches are not allowed to hold practices during the summer, leaving off-season training up to the athletes between May and August.

And although athletes might not like working out in the summer because of the heat, maybe instead they should embrace it, said David “Doc” Bowdoin, Waxahachie’s head athletic trainer.

“When you’re talking about heat, you’re not going to get away from it in Texas unless you get an El Niño season when it’s cooler,” Bowdoin said. “And you’re going to play in it. When we go to Midlothian, we’re going to be sitting in a hole. And on that turf, it’ll probably be 115 degrees at game time. Maybe more.”

Waxahachie opens its season at Midlothian on Aug. 28 and unlike Lumpkins Stadium, the field at Midlothian’s Multi-Purpose Stadium was built beneath the ground, making it hotter during the summertime.

But if the players at Waxahachie become as used to the heat as they should, said Bowdoin, then there won’t be any health issues come game day.

“I truly believe that you have to get those kids exposed out there. Because that’s what they’re going to be playing in,” Bowdoin said. “You have to get them out there in it, but you have to be careful. Have to be real careful.”

Heat illnesses aren’t uncommon for football players, especially those in Texas where temperatures typically reach the high 90s and stay there for the duration of the summer.

That’s why Bowdoin and Indians head coach Jon Kitna take no exception to stressing the importance of heat awareness to athletes and parents.

At a recent parent player meeting, Kitna highlighted three of the four heat related disorders: cramps, syncope, and exhaustion. Heat stroke is the final stage of a disorder and can result in death as the body stops secreting sweat to cool itself down, Bowdoin said.

Waxahachie’s goal is to avoid the final stage at all costs, which is why Kitna and Bowdoin emphasize the other three disorders with the intent to get high school athletes to understand just how vital it is to drink fluids and eat, especially in the summer.

“The heat isn’t going anywhere. It’s not disappearing at all,” Bowdoin said. “The cramps and stuff that you see during games, we can deal with that. What you don’t want is to get them so bad where they’re nauseous, vomiting, in-and-out of consciences, stuff like that because then that tells you they’re so depleted, they’ve lost so much fluid and stuff that their body doesn’t want to do it anymore and that’s when you have to make a decision.”

As severe as some of the symptoms are for heat illnesses, Bowdoin said it’s still difficult to teach athletes the importance of taking precautions and bracing yourself for working out in the heat.

Bowdoin has worked in sports medicine the last 24 years and has been the athletic trainer at Waxahachie for 21 of those years.

He’s seen it all when it comes to high school athletes working out in the summer.

Since beginning his career at Texas Christian University, he’s also seen the changing influence PlayStation’s and Xbox’s have had on students.

“They want to stay inside and play their video games and that’s cool, but when I was growing up we were outside all the time. We were used to it,” Bowdoin said. “The dynamics have changed in society.”

PlayStation, however, isn’t the only thing that’s changed since Bowdoin was a trainer for the Horned Frogs.

He’s also seen technology improve and how different medical practices are more beneficial today.

“In the old days, you fill up an ice tub full of cold water, no matter how cold it is, and you dunk them in it. That’s not good,” Bowdoin said. “We’ve learned now that if we do that with a kid that’s having some problems with heat illness, the later stages maybe or in between stages, you send the body into shock and you drive the heat that’s inside their body further down and it damages their organs. Our answer to that is cool water, not just cold cold cold water.”

In addition to changing treatment methods, Bowdoin also said teams have adjusted their workouts so athletes can respond better to the heat.

“Instead of just running wind sprints back in the old school days where you run 100 yards and turn around and run another 100 yards, the coaches do some things like dynamic stretching and dynamic ballistic stretching,” he said. “They do different types of conditioning. We’ve got a lot smarter with that.”

Given Waxahachie’s new direction on offense and defense, the Indians will rely heavily on their speed, which comes from conditioning, Bowdoin said.

Kitna and the coaching staff have been implementing a spread offense, similar to what Baylor University runs and plan to go without huddling this season.

The increase in pace could be a toll on the player’s, but the goal for the team is to suffocate each of their opponents based on their speed, Bowdoin said.

“You have to be in shape. It’s a necessity based on upon what we want to do,” he said.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://www.waxahachietx.com/waxahachietx/bowdoin-get-used-to-heat/article_da6246e3-3381-5b06-ad69-d314efcdfadb.html