MISSOURI CITY, Texas — A Texas football field on a Friday night -- at the end of August -- is expected to be filled with energetic student-athletes who are running drills and obeying the commands of a whistle. But in the midst of an unrelenting heat wave, the Fort Bend ISD Marshall High School football program is instead having to run an audible.
"We moved our practice to the morning," said head coach James Williams. "Then after school, we'll get a little extra work done. Everybody's had to make a little adjustment. This is unusual weather, unusual circumstances."
It's adjustments the University Interscholastic League, which governs high school sports in the state, has been constantly communicating with schools.
“We have dramatically increased the frequency of the communication and what that has looked like, and try to offer up some really practical suggestions that schools could take," said Ray Zepeda, the UIL director of athletics.
According to Zepeda, the organization's medical advisory committee has recommended the use of a wet bulb globe thermometer, which measures multiple environmental factors.
“Our recommendation is as when we start to approach 91.2 degrees on that wet bulb globe thermometer, that at that point, you really need to consider where you know, whether you need to be outside," Zepeda said.
Other recommendations from the UIL include:
- Shade structures
- Misters
- Ice towels
- Elongating half times
- Official timeouts during play to allow kids and referees more time to recover
"We've seen several of those implemented on the local level throughout the state," Zepeda said.
Several districts have pushed game times back to allow for cooler temperatures for athletes and their families. Zepeda said hydration and nutrition play an important role.
“We know that being fully hydrated and having adequate nutrition as you go into a high-stress environment, that that's going to help you to handle the heat a little bit better," he said.
For now, the Marshall High School Buffs are limiting afternoon practices to just walk-throughs as they prepare for the upcoming season.
“This is unheard of degrees out there that these guys have to deal with every day," Coach Williams said. "So you know, just being cautious and I think it's a good idea.”