Heat Takes Toll on High School Athletes

The deaths of two Georgia high school football players have Roswell area coaches taking the heat into account as they gear up for a competitive season.

Practice may make perfect, but winning isn't everything considering the cost - Forest Jones of Locust Grove and Donteria Searcy of Fitzgerald, Ga. each fell victim to the intense heat after practicing with their football teams recently, reports Fox Sports.

But local football coaches insist they are doing everything they can to prevent similar tragedies from happening in Roswell. 

"We are currently practicing at 5:45 a.m. and are generally off of the field by 8:30 a.m. at the latest," Head Football Coach Justin Sanderson said. "We then move inside for either weightlifting, position meetings or we send them home."

Similarly, Blessed Trinity Catholic High School Head Athletic Trainer Preston Bazemore says the school practices in the early morning and evenings. But, he says, it's not only football players that need to take precautions in this heat. Bazemore also keeps a close eye on the health of other student athletes, such as the cross country team, as they train. 

"We make our athletes take appropriate breaks to disapate heat," he said. "Sometimes [the football players] take the pads off or we'll altogether cancel the practice."

To avoid overheating, Sanderson said his football players have performed speed training four days a week during the summer so they are used to the morning heat.

"We will not be practicing in the afternoon until the students go back to school on Aug. 15," he said.

At - which begins school for all students next Tuesday, Aug. 9 - Bazemore uses a digital psychrometer to measure the humidity, air temperature and dew point to see exactly what sweaty athletes are up against and make sure it's within the body's ability to withstand the heat.

At Roswell precautions are taken with how practices are run.

Trainers and water at every practice station assure players are watched for signs of heat exhaustion and given the fluids they require, according to Sanderson.

Bazemore said Blessed Trinity players weigh in and weigh out before and after each practice to monitor their water weight loss.

"We want to make sure they put that [water] weight back on," he said.

So far, there haven't been any incidents at Roswell High School "and Lord willing not in the future," said Sanderson.

The only incident at Blessed Trinity has been some exhaustion cramps that occurred once the player returned home.

"I didn't even find out until the next day because it didn't cause him to miss any practices," Bazemore said. "We've been very fortunate."