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Practicing caution

Wary football coaches and athletic directors plan few changes to guard against heat-related illnesses.

By JOHN SCHWARB

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 3, 2001

A small army of trainers attended to Minnesota Vikings tackle Korey Stringer on Tuesday when he collapsed after a workout.

Come Monday, when most area high schools begin two-a-day practices, similar help might not be readily available should an athlete succumb to heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

The deaths of Stringer and Florida freshman Eraste Autin in the last 10 days from heatstroke have raised awareness about strenuous exercise in extreme conditions, and consequently coaches and players at all levels of football are being reminded about the importance of proper hydration and rest.

But few area high schools have specific rules for working out in the heat. For the most part, athletic directors leave it up to coaches, who often have little or no medical training, to decide when to practice, how long and how hard to practice, and when to take a break for water.

The Florida High School Activities Association faxed a list of precautions to coaches and athletic directors Tuesday, but the organization makes no specific demands on schools. The FHSAA also doesn't require trainers to be on hand at practices.

"It costs money, and a lot of schools don't have money," said FHSAA associate commissioner Ron Allen. "A lot of it is good, common-sense coaching techniques. How do you legislate common sense?"

After years of wrestling with availability problems, this fall Pinellas County will have certified athletic trainers on hand for football practices at all 16 public schools. But in Hillsborough County, trainers are not available for every school.

"It's been a priority for us going back 25, 30 years, but it's a financial issue," Hillsborough County athletic director Vernon Korhn said. "We'd love to have trainers at all our facilities, but that's not the case."

Without a trainer, players' safety is in the hands of coaches. In most counties, coaches are required to earn certification for basic coaching skills, and many also take optional courses in first aid and injury prevention.

But can a certified coach be considered an adequate replacement for a certified trainer?

"Absolutely not," said Paul Hicks, a certified trainer and consultant to Pinellas County schools. "The coaches are busy with what they do -- coaching -- and they just don't have the time, the expertise or the background."

Hicks has been working with area coaches for 10 years and said many more coaches today are taking an interest in sports medicine issues, but that doesn't alleviate the need for on-site trainers.

"When we're there, that's our job. I watch for injuries to occur," Hicks said. "The coaches don't have time to do that. They don't look at a game the same way a trainer does. Same thing during practice."

Methods for dealing with the heat during practices differ with every school. Korhn and Pinellas County athletic director Bob Hosack haven't set guidelines on lengths of practices or frequency of water breaks, instead leaving coaches to set the standards. Both said they will continue to give coaches full autonomy when working in the heat.

Given the choice, most coaches opt for frequent water breaks. At Shorecrest, Phil Hayford gives his squad 15-minute water breaks and the option of carrying a water bottle on the field right up until the moment a play begins. Bill Vonada of Springstead arms his position coaches with a carrier of water bottles during drills, so players need not wait for group water breaks.

"We don't deny our kids water. If anything, we force it on them at times," said Vonada, who also starts his two-a-days at 6:30 a.m. to beat the heat. "We have kids telling us they're not thirsty, but if they wait until they're thirsty, then it can be too late."

The initial weeks of practice can be particularly difficult, as some players return from summer break out of shape.

Such players might become winded quickly in the heat and begin to physically suffer, but refrain from asking for water or a rest for fear of repercussions from teammates or coaches.

Even a coach with good intentions might not be able to readily identify early warning signs, with anywhere from 40 to 80 players on the field at one time.

"If you see a kid throw up or if he says he's sick, they've got to come off the field," said Crystal River athletic director Earl Bramlett, who said he never had a player pass out from heat exhaustion in more than 30 years of coaching. "If they're in a big group, it's kind of hard to pick out some of the earlier signs. But you have to try."

In 1994, the FHSAA deregulated summer activities, allowing coaches to work directly with players before the official start of football practice. This has been a boon to coaches, who can get a bit of a handle on the strengths and weaknesses of individuals before two-a-days.

"I know the kids I've been working with, and how far they can go," said Palm Harbor University coach Mike June, who runs his workouts between 3 and 8:30 p.m. "The ones who might struggle early on, I'll be more tempted to give them more of a break. We're not there to hurt anybody, believe me.

"(Working out in the heat) is just what we have to do to get ready."

Most coaches say they haven't changed how they run practices in the wake of the deaths of Autin and Stringer, but did note that the tragedies served as a reminder of the dangers of heat-related illnesses.

"I think it's got the attention of every coach in this county and all over the country," said Pasco coach Ricky Thomas, who finishes his workouts by noon. "You've got to make sure the kids have a lot of water."

-- Staff writers Greg Auman, Carey Freeman, Keith Niebuhr, Scott Purks and Jamal Thalji contributed to this report.

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