PAGE A22, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 20, 2021
Precautions urged to protect athletes from high temperatures
DR. KARISSA L.NIEHOFF
By KARISSA L. NIEHOFF
High schools are currently preparing
for the fall sports and activities season.
Unlike last year when many states were
facing shutdowns, the outlook appears
much more favorable for 2021 as a return
to normalcy continues.
With so many disruptions last year,
there is an excitement about the return
to competition, particularly knowing that
parents, students and other fans will be
in the stands. While school leaders must
continue to take necessary mitigation
steps related to the recent rise in COVID-
19 cases, preparations for this year must
include a return to one of the basic tenets
of high school sports – minimizing risk
of injury.
In some states that experienced delays
in completing winter and spring sports,
state culminating events did not end until
late June or early July, which means that
recovery time for student-athletes has been
reduced significantly in these cases. Steps
should be taken to ensure these individuals
have had appropriate rest and experience a
slower return to normal activity levels.
Record high temperatures that have
been gripping parts of our nation are
among the most significant concerns.
Although the Western states have received
most of the headlines, coaches, athletic
administrators and athletic trainers every-
where must have effective prevention plans
in place to ensure that student-athletes are
fully protected from heat-related illnesses
and injuries.
In addition to football, other fall sports
conducted outdoors and sports played
indoors without adequate air conditioning,
heat prevention plans must be in place for
students involved in marching band. Long
practice sessions in the summer heat can
place band students in similar situations.
Even during a normal year, many
schools on a year-round or balanced cal-
endar have practice sessions for fall sports
that start in late July or early August. It is
dreadfully hot and humid in many parts of
the country at this time, and the results, in
some years, have not been good.
The National Center for Catastrophic
Sports Injury Research (NCCSIR) reported
that 51 high school football players have
died from exertional heatstroke (EHS)
since 1995. Although there are about one
million young people who play high school
football each year, none of these individu-
als should die from exertional heatstroke.
In fact, EHS is the leading cause of pre-
ventable death in high school athletics.
The NFHS, through its Sports Medicine
Advisory Committee (SMAC) and the
NFHS Learning Center, offers many edu-
cational tools to assist schools in develop-
ing a proper heat acclimatization and heat
illness prevention program. In addition,
many state associations have developed
state-specific guidelines for dealing with
heat issues and safety challenges.
The SMAC has developed a “Heat
Acclimatization
and
Heat
Illness
Prevention Position Statement” which is
brainfood ANSWERS
sudoku
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available on the NFHS website. This doc-
ument contains seven fundamentals of a
Heat Acclimatization Program. In addi-
tion, the SMAC’s “Position Statement
and Recommendations for Maintaining
Hydration to Optimize Performance and
Minimize the Risk for Exertional Heat
Illness” is also available on the sports med-
icine page of the NFHS website. .
In addition, the NFHS offers a free online
course entitled Heat Illness Prevention.
This course, which is available at www.
nfhslearn.com, also reviews the seven
fundamentals of a Heat Acclimatization
Program. Three other Learning Center
courses should be a part of the preseason
tutorials for all key members of the school’s
team: The Collapsed Athlete, Sudden
Cardiac Arrest and Concussion in Sports.
Among the fundamentals of a Heat
Acclimatization Program are 1) a slow pro-
gression in activity level – duration and
intensity; 2) adjusting workouts as heat and
humidity increase, including close moni-
toring and a prompt response to develop-
ing problems; and 3) proper hydration.
While coaches only have a prescribed
number of practices before that first con-
test in all fall sports, the rush to have the
team in prime shape for the first game
cannot come at the expense of the players’
health. The varying physical conditions of
players must be considered, and special
attention should be directed to higher-risk
students, including students in some parts
of the country who haven’t participated in
sports in 17 months due to the pandemic.
If it still exists anywhere in this country
– and hopefully it does not – the old-school
mentality of “run ‘em till they drop” must
be eliminated from high school sports. In
extreme heat and humidity, this philoso-
phy will not have a good ending.
Certain parts of the country continue
to deal with extreme heat and humidity, as
well as poor air quality from fires. In those
cases, practice sessions must be adjusted.
And, be aware that even less-than-extreme
conditions pose a risk as well. Heroes are
those who adjust their plan accordingly to
effectively and sufficiently reduce the risk
of exertional heat illness – not those who
“tough it out” no matter the elements.
While there is an abundant amount of
educational material available, deaths from
EHS will not be eliminated unless school
leaders make this a No. 1 priority. We
strongly encourage you to require every
coach in your school to take the free online
course – Heat Illness Prevention – at www.
nfhslearn.com. It could be the best invest-
ment of time they will spend this year.
Karissa L. Niehoff is the Executive
Director of the National Federation of
State High School Associations.