As the California sun continues to blaze, high school athletes have found themselves in a heated struggle.
The extreme heat has posed difficult challenges from rescheduled games to health risks, leaving coaches scrambling to keep their sports programs running safely.
“Over the summer, we had to bounce back and forth between the turf and grass fields, as the thermometer had shown it was too hot to practice,” said junior Makayla Barry, linebacker for the girls flag football team.
On Jan. 1, 2024, a new law went into effect in California, requiring all schools to have an action plan in case of an unexpected emergency such as heat exhaustion.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California, has mandated new regulations for athletes practicing in extreme heat.
According to CIF, as stated in the CA State Law AB 1653 and other protocols, all CIF member schools must adhere to the CIF Heat Illness Prevention and Heat Policies.
“Coach Frith reminds us all day, everyday, to stay hydrated to perform to our potential in this heat,” said senior Manuel Maganda, kicker for the football team.
The rules require schools to hold outdoor practices during the cooler times, to avoid the heat. If the heat never cools off, schools are required to postpone or cancel any practices or games during the extreme heat.
“We haven’t been able to practice as frequently, which has limited our preparation time for upcoming games,” said senior Ava Laudorn, receiver for the girls flag football team.
High school sports are required to make changes to their practice and game schedule to follow the new rule. That being said, when it gets too hot to practice, it can be very difficult for a team to be in preparation for their next game.
“The heat has made us use the grass field more often, which is unfortunate considering it’s a sloppier practice and guys don’t want to be there,” said Maganda.
High school coaches are adjusting to this new rule, which requires them to have a back up plan, in case of unfortunate results of weather.
“Practice schedules are more difficult now as we’ve had to shorten the time of our practices. We have to be ready for any practice time when the heat is cooling off,” said Barry.
Each CIF member school is required to have a thermometer located on the field to ensure that outdoor practices are acceptable. The thermometer measures ground and air temperature in order to evaluate the risk of athletes practicing or playing in the heat.
The thermometer calculates the degrees and separates the number into colors. A number that falls in the green category means practice may be permitted. However, a number that drops into the orange or red category indicates that coaches are responsible to provide their players with lighter practices, filled with multiple water breaks throughout the practice. If the thermometer shows the black category, practice may not go on.
On Sept. 9, a girls flag football game was canceled due to the heat wave. The game is in the works of being rescheduled, but there is no guarantee of a finalized date.
“It’s a good concept but it’s definitely challenging. With the intense heat, it has changed the way I prepare for games and I’m always trying my best to hydrate before I play,” said Laudorn.
