PREP: Recent heat affecting area teams (08/25)

Neal Cardin

A John Hardin High School football player looks to cool off with a drink of water during a preseason practice in Radcliff earlier this summer.

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By GREG CREWS gcrews@thenewsenterprise.com HARDIN COUNTY — A recent event at Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park High School has reminded area coaches just how dangerous the summer can be. Two PRP football players suffered heat-related problems during practice Wednesday. Sophomore Max Gilpin, who collapsed during the practice, died Saturday night at Kosair Hospital. It is the most recent case in what has become an annual problem — one that constantly lingers in the minds of area coaches. “Oh yeah, that’s always in the back of your mind,” Elizabethtown football coach Brad Todd said. “You’re always trying to push the kids to get them in shape, but you also have to know there is a limit.” The heat hadn’t been much of a factor in what was a mild summer compared to recent years. In the past few weeks, however, that has changed. In July, the temperature never exceeded 93 degrees in Elizabethtown, while slightly above average amounts of rain kept the humidity fairy low. This month, temperatures have already surpassed July’s high, while the humidity has consistently stayed above 70 percent, raising the heat index over 100 degrees several days. “Their preseason was pretty mild,” Central Hardin girls’ soccer coach Hal Bender said of his Lady Bruins. “Then, this first week of the season we have been playing in a tournament. After three games and three days (the heat has) had a pretty clear effect on us tonight.  “Not necessarily exhaustion. It just drains them a bit and fatigue sets in a little earlier.” But it is not just soccer players that are having to adjust to the recent heat. Football season is just around the corner and coaches have tried to take advantage of their first opportunity to expose players to the type of heat they may be faced with in the first few weeks of the season. “It has definitely been an important week as far as training,” North Hardin football coach Crad Jaggers said. “Fortunately, it’s the same for every team. It’s not like any team, at least none around here, are at an advantage.” Something else every area team has shared this summer, is the way it has handled the heat. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association requires coaches to monitor the heat index before, and periodically throughout, practices and game. The coaches are also required to take appropriate precautions depending on the heat index. Some of the precautions include optional 10-minute water breaks every 30 minutes when the heat index is below 95 degrees. Water breaks are mandatory every 30 minutes if the index is between 95-99. When the index is between 100 and 104, activities should be moved to later in the day or inside if air conditioning is available. If the index reaches 105, outdoor activity is to be canceled. “They (the KHSAA) really kind of dummy-proof it and every coach tries to err on the side of caution,” Jaggers said. “But really, the biggest thing is the kid. We are only with them for two hours out of the day. It is their job the other 22 hours to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.” Area coaches seem to agree that the KHSAA regulations take most of the risk out of playing and practicing in the heat, unless a player ignores their body and tries to “tough it out.” In the competitive atmosphere of the preseason, in which players are battling for starting spots, sometimes the urge is to keep playing in the hopes of impressing the coaches. It is the coaches’ job, however, to let them know it is okay to take a break and get a drink of water. “You want them playing at their peak performance,” Bender said. “You have to get it in their head that they can’t be playing at their peak performance if they are not staying hydrated.” But no matter what is said, or what regulations are put in place, the worry will never be completely gone. “On a day like today (Friday), when the humidity is high, it’s always in the back of my mind,” North Hardin boys’ soccer coach Jim Stone said. “As a coach, I know I am responsible and I will be held accountable for the kids’ safety. “You do everything you can, but it’s always going to worry you.” Greg Crews can be reached

at 505-1754