By Justin Graves

Justin@athensnews-courier.com

ATHENS – With temperatures soaring to record highs, this summer’s heat wave has been hard on everyone. Now that local schools are starting back, it means football practice will be starting too.

So how are high school football coaches planning to deal with the extreme conditions? Most local coaches are saying they just have to be cautious.

“Getting our work and conditioning in is important, but the safety of our players is the number one priority,” Athens football coach Allen Creasy said. “Heat is always a factor you have to take into consideration, but with conditions like we are experiencing this summer, it is definitely an issue.”

Creasy said that they take preventive measures at Athens in an attempt to avoid dehydration.

“We have iced towels available, mist spraying in some areas, water at every station and are constantly making the players drink water,” he said.“ We also have plastic swimming pools full of water available incase we have a player fall out from heat exhaustion.”

Creasy also noted that at Athens, they always have a professional trainer on the football field at all times in case there is an emergency.

“Things have changed a lot over the years,” Creasy said. “Coaches are more educated on safety issues now than they were when I played. Every high school coach in the state is certified in CPR and first aid. We also attend different clinics where we are taught ways to prevent things like dehydration from occurring.”

One way Creasy said they monitor how hard they are pushing their athletes at Athens is by weighing every player before practice, and weighing them again after practice. He said they also educate their athletes on how to take care of their bodies while going through vigorous conditioning, such as eating and drinking the right things.

“In the old days, all coaches had was water and salt tablets,” Creasy said. “They would push the players until they couldn’t go anymore.

“Now we realize there is a fine line in what you can do. Every coach would love to hold a two-a-day practice and get as much in as possible, but if you are taking the chance of hurting one of your players it’s not worth it. I’d rather practice only two hours, and know that we aren’t putting any of our guys in danger.”

One thing that Creasy believes is making coaches’ jobs easier is the AHSAA’s new rule that allows seven days of competition in the summer.

“Now coaches aren’t having to condition their players in a short amount of time like they used to,” Creasy said. “Most athletes are coming into fall practice in better shape, and that is helping.

“The reason for that is because players are getting more work in the summer with the seven-days rule and good summer work out programs at their schools.”

The first official day of fall football practice starts Monday. The first football game in Limestone County is Thursday, August 31 when Tanner hosts Clements.