By 4:00 p.m., temperatures in Milton have ranged from high 80s to mid-90s during most of August. With the Georgia humidity, often it feels 100 degrees or higher.
These are conditions in which Cambridge students have been expected to practice.
After two-hours of practice, athletes’ faces are red as fire with sweat dripping down like a never-ending waterfall. Working out in the summer sun can lead to passing out, heat stroke and heat exhaustion if not dealt with properly.
These uncertain conditions force coaches to take plenty of precautions to maintain players safety a priority.
Head Football Coach Craig Bennett said he does everything in his ability to prioritize the safety of his players.
Some precautions he takes include more frequent water breaks, the removal of pads and helmets as well as even rescheduling practices to the morning if the heat becomes too brutal.
Bennett said practicing without pads obviously limits what they can do for certain drills but is what needs to be done regarding the safety of his players.
Bennett also said the team uses a device called a “wet bulb,” to measure the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere which ultimately determines whether it is safe to practice.
“Temperature doesn’t really matter,” Bennett said. He said the ultimate factor in whether practice will be canceled is the humidity, which the device measures.
Cross Country Coach Bradley Coulter also puts the wet Bulb to use.
“It gives a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) reading, and if it’s over 92 then I usually just reschedule to the morning,” said Coulter.
Coulter also said that he isn’t the one taking the wet bulb measurements – he is just the person taking action in terms of conducting practices similar to Bennett.
“I realized how bad the weather was and started moving practices to the morning,” said Coulter.
Coulter always prioritizes the safety of his runners making sure he always takes the proper precautions in order to set them for the best possible shape.
“There’s always a coach that’s driving in the road,” Coulter said, regarding the supervision on their afternoon runs.
Coulter also said they have a cooling blanket and ice bath ready if ever needed.
The big concern with the heat also comes with the sureness of players themselves.
“It’s so hot that sometimes I question why I signed up for this,” said sophomore Christian Reese, who plays football for the school.
Reese said that it’s always been hot, but the heat he’s been experiencing this summer was something else.
These precautions are in place for these reasons. The safety of players, but also so that players make sure they take care of themselves as well.
“It’s harder to run, breathing is a little bit harder,” said Junior Francisco Palacios, who runs cross country.
He said that the heat really takes a toll on the body. That’s why having proper hydration is so important, especially for athletes.
“I consume a little over a gallon a day,” said Palacios.
He said that drinking before and after running is the most important thing.
“Before running you want to consume electrolytes to keep you going through the day, so when you get to running it doesn’t take as much as a toll,” said Palacios.
