McGREGOR, Texas (KWTX) – As temperatures rise, the University Interscholastic League’s recommendations for athletes training in the scorching Texas heat are also changing.
Some school districts use the Perry Weather app, which alerts athletic departments to the heat and determines what safety precautions staff should take based on the school district’s policies for dealing with heat stress.
Chelsea Hooten, McGregor ISD athletic trainer, said the heat can be difficult for some athletes.
“Texas always presents a unique challenge in August,” Hooten said.
Hooten said she therefore appreciates that the UIL has recommendations to ensure athletes do not suffer from heat exhaustion while exercising outdoors.
Depending on the temperature level, the UIL has different guidelines.
For example, if the heat reaches the yellow level, it means players must take three breaks per hour.
At Level Orange, athletes must train for two hours. Football and field hockey players are allowed to wear helmets and shoulder pads.
Level red means one hour of training and level black means either no outdoor training or delayed training.
“It’s basically a protective barrier,” Hooten said.
Using the Perry Weather app provides an additional layer of protection.
Based on a school district’s policies, automatic heat stress alerts are sent to your phone.
Hooten said she has to check the app 15 minutes before and 30 minutes after practice begins to know what precautions staff need to take.
“Everyone who uses your app system gets the same app or notification, so our middle school, our high school. All the people get the same thing, so everyone is on the same page and it’s easy to communicate, ‘Hey, what are we doing for practice today?'”
From supporting athletes to setting up cooling stations, their job is to make sure the team is as safe as possible, Hooten said.
She said she was glad that there was another alternative that would ensure her achieve her goal.
“Not only does it protect the student-athletes out there and make sure we don’t overwork them and overstress their bodies so they can perform at their best, but it also protects the spectators and our coaching staff,” Hooten said.
Hooten said the Perry Weather app can collect data by pinging the nearest weather station.
She explained that for McGregor ISD, the closest weather station is in Woodway, about 8 miles from the district.
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