Are you ready for some football? Spring practice starts today for many Texas high schoolers and it comes during a record heatwave that's hitting much of the state, Newsradio 1200 WOAI reports
"You have to be careful, especially if you have not been outside, to be aware of what to look out for," Dr. Mandie Svatek says.
The University Health pediatrician and athlete has worked with sports programs to make sure coaches know how to protect their players. She says, this year, many kids have spent their summer inside because it's been unbearably hot. There have been stretches in San Antonio when the thermometer has topped 100-degree for more than two weeks at a time.
Dr. Svatek says that going from the air conditioner to triple digits with nothing in between can be dangerous
"You can put yourself at risk for heat cramps," she says. And from there, it gets worse."
While it has been hot this year, Texas is never cool in the summer. There has been work for years to make the start of football season safer for everybody involved. The University Interscholastic League, which governs high school sports, is constantly tweaking and changing the guidance they give to districts.
UIL Director of Athletics, Ray Zepeda, says you can never take all the risk away. But he feels that the work they've done over the years is paying off.
"I don't know if we've ever been as prepared as we are to deal with this type of situation," he says of this summer.
One of the biggest questions for parents is what to pour into their kid's water bottles. Water is cheap and easy, but grocery store walls are filled with powders and flavors that guarantee to help hydrate. Dr. Svatek says that athletes need to be careful about what they put into their water bottles. She says those supplements often are packed with sugar and caffeine.
"That can alter your heart rate. Water is, first and foremost, the best solution to be drinking."