Coaches won't take heat lightly

By JOEY KNIGHT
Published July 31, 2006

TAMPA - Despite Al Gore's cinematic pontifications on global warming, many such as Hillsborough football coach Earl Garcia insist it's no more sweltering this summer than it was, say, 50 years ago.

But what is hotter is the topic of heat-related maladies, particularly among football players at all levels. The recent deaths of two local youth players - one of which already has been attributed to heat stroke - has only intensified talk on the subject.

"It all starts with education," Garcia said. "That's more of an education issue than it is a health issue."

Now, the education of Garcia and his area colleagues on how to properly prevent heat-related illness gets put to a stern test.

Today, in the wake of the two deaths, county prep football players begin official preseason practices. While most already have spent the last two months in grueling voluntary conditioning programs, they did so wearing little more than shorts.

Starting today, they begin wearing helmets. On Thursday, teams are permitted to begin practicing in full pads.

And the heat figuratively will be on those charged with monitoring their exertion and hydration levels. As players in a previous era, many of these coaches were deemed weak if they requested a drink during practice.

Now, they talk as if Adventure Island couldn't supply their aquatic demands.

"We tell them, 'If you're not in the drill, you're drinking,' " Garcia said.

"We have water available at all times," Jesuit coach Joe Ross added. "I tell my kids there's absolutely no sport worth dying for."

While every local coach will take the blanket precaution of having water upon request, other schools - such as Jesuit and Berkeley Prep - plan to avoid the hottest portions of the day for workouts.

Some will have more certified trainers than linebackers at practice.

Many will avoid keeping their players on the field more than a couple hours at a time.

All will stress the importance of pre-practice hydration.

"You've got to prepare yourself the day before," new Leto coach Hugh Dehnert said.

"The water you're drinking the day before is what's going to get you through the next day. Water is the key. We tell our players they have to drink at least a gallon of water and eat properly every day. We take at least three water breaks any time we're practicing."

Berkeley Prep coach Frank Sullivan will take his preventative measures a step further, weighing his players between three-a-day practices at the Buccaneers' week-long camp that starts today.

The team will hold a brief walk-through practice each morning at 6, hold a two-hour practice starting at 8:45 a.m., then return for a final workout around 5:45 p.m. If a player hasn't effectively maintained a certain weight between morning and evening sessions, he sits.

"I think the hardest part this time of year is, you get 15 or so kids you don't know," Sullivan said.

"If you've been watching a kid run around six years, you know how they move and their gait and you can tell if something's different. Maybe with the new kids, you don't know how they respond."

Hence the need, perhaps now more than ever, for a fluid ounce of prevention.

"It's something that we're always aware of," said Ross, who will conduct his practices at 5 p.m. each day. "We have a certified trainer who attends every practice and we just warn the kids as much as possible, 'Don't wait until you get to practice (before hydrating).' "

Otherwise, it could be too late, as recent headlines have suggested.

"We've had a moment of silence for those (deceased) kids," Armwood coach Sean Callahan said, "and told everybody that hydration starts at home."

KEY PREP FOOTBALL DATES

Monday: First day teams in Florida may practice

Thursday: First day teams may practice in full pads

Aug. 17-19: Preseason kickoff classics

Aug. 25: First Friday of regular season

Oct. 28: Last day district games may be held

Nov. 3: Last Friday of regular season

Dec. 1-2: State title games (classes 1A-2B), Miami

Dec. 8-9: State title games (classes 3A-6A), Miami

[Last modified August 1, 2006, 10:24:21]