HAMPTON ROADS, Va. – As heat indexes hover around 105 degrees in some areas of Hampton Roads, many high schools are beginning their football practices.
At Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, they’ll be practicing from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. However, on the first day, practice was cut about 20 minutes short because of the heat.
Certified trainers on the sidelines are not only there to help injured players and ensure they stay hydrated, but also to monitor the heat.
Megan Pathoomvanh is the lead athletic trainer for Hampton City Schools. She says they use a heat monitor on-site that measures the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature. That takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover.
“Just going off the temperature, it’s not nearly enough,” said Pathoomvanh, “Especially where we are- humidity plays a huge role in our air quality.”
Kellam Head Coach Brian Neas is thrilled to have the assistance.
“I love the fact that the trainers now have that in their power. It takes the responsibility out of my hands,” he said. “Because, you know, me- old school guy, I’ve been coaching a long time, I don’t ever think it’s hot.”
Meanwhile, in part of Hampton Roads including Hampton, trainers are learning to use portable pods that can help bring down someone’s body temperature if they’re suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
“It unzips all the way down like a sleeping bag would. It’s got a little pillow we put their head on. You can lay them on the ground with that,” Pathoomvanh described. “You just pour in the ice and water into this sleeping bag and zip it up.”
Coach Neas says that another precaution they take, which is also a rule from Virginia High School League, is that during the first few days of practice, players are not allowed to wear full gear.
