FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. — It has been such a hot stretch as students return to school this week and that means it’s back to the fields for football practice.
Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Eboni Deon explains how Georgia schools are using technology, to keep their athletes safe in the heat.
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“Now we know when to change practices, change the time of practice or change the level of intensity of practices,” said certified athletic trainer Mark Mayfield.
Mayfield is the athletic trainer at Whitewater High School in Fayette County. He says he’s noticed fewer athletes experience heat-related illnesses due to improved equipment and sensors used on hot days.
They recently added a weather unit above the press box. It allows coaches to have access to weather information in real-time.
“I can tell the coaches, we either need to get more water breaks or we need to remove equipment to help keep the athletes safe,” Mayfield said.
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The Georgia High School Association has a heat policy with guidelines to cancel or modify football practice based on the wet bulb global temperature.
It is a measure of heat stress using temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and cloud cover in direct sunlight.
Sheila Wilson’s sons play football and now that school has started, practices have shifted to after school. The hottest time of the day.
“Just reminding them that this is not the time to be macho, if they’re starting to feel any signs of dizziness or nausea at any particular time they need to inform their coaches and go seek some cool shaded areas right away,” Wilson said.
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Deon spoke to Dr. Bud Cooper, a clinical professor at the University of Georgia, who helped create the heat policy.
“We have expanded it to every sport within the GHSA and other what I would call…performing arts, extracurricular activities, so it applies to the band, it applies to cheerleaders,” Cooper explained.
The GHSA policy to keep student-athletes safe from the heat is now being revised to include more sports teams and competitions.
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