A historic heatwave across California this week is counting for the athletic department and athletes ushering in a new normal.
Over the past seven days, heat domes covering the Bay Area have broken record temperatures in multiple locations, prompting high school and college athletics in the area to postpone or cancel events and reduce practice times to one day. I was forced to reconfigure during the cooler hours.
Although unprecedented, climate change and more general extreme weather may lead to long-term adaptation.
“There is an element of adaptation,” he said. will come.”
San Jose State University has moved Thursday’s women’s soccer game to later in the evening. Women’s volleyball His tournament was moved to Loyola Marymount because Spartan’s indoor facility lacks air conditioning.
Across high school sports, the Contra Costa County Department of Health has issued guidelines to stop outdoor activities when temperatures rise above 105 degrees.
“It’s not going to be an outdoor activity for anyone,” said Pittsburgh High Football coach Vic Galli. “It covers all sports and physical education in the district.”
Livermore High School coach James Petersdorf said his district came to a screeching halt at 100 degrees.
“We changed almost everything this week,” said Petersdorf. “All games (Tuesdays) have been rescheduled and practices will take place before school or late in the evening after sunset to avoid direct heat.”
Livermore faced temperatures above 115 degrees on Tuesday. Area high school football teams have already adjusted their start times to later in the evening as Fresno issued an excessive heat warning from 11:00 am on August 31 to 8:00 pm on Tuesday at 108:00 Friday. There was a need and other local schools were doing it. same. Some, like Pittsburgh, changed their practice to 6am before it got too hot.
Alexander said there is no “final” temperature guide he considers unsafe for athletes, but used a wet-bulb thermometer to measure a combination of humidity and heat – covered with a damp cloth. Run the air through a thermometer – . Anyone can check the predicted wet bulb global temperature for their area using the National Weather Service website.
The Cory Stringer Institute, named after the Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman who died of heatstroke in 2001, says, “Don’t train outdoors if the wet bulb temperature is over 92. Wet bulb.” Please delay practice until the temperature of the
Some teams play eight-minute quarters and move the clock to the second half to limit exposure to extreme heat.
Campolindo High football coach Kevin Macy also opted for an early morning practice that ends at 8:30. You can,’ he said.
CIF requires all coaches to receive training on the signs and symptoms of heat stroke.
On Tuesday, a football player at Del Oro High School in Placer County was reported to have collapsed twice on the field during practices in temperatures above 115 degrees Celsius. He was treated for heat stroke.
The World Health Organization says climate change-related heat stress is likely to kill 38,000 people annually globally between 2030 and 2050. Heat stroke deaths in soccer have occurred in the past few years, creating alarm over the safety of heat stroke. coach and athletic trainer.
“Sports medicine staff must keep an eye on student-athletes,” Alexander said. “You can look around at a player and see that they are red in the face, sweating profusely, or have low energy levels, and you know that action needs to be taken.”
Alexander emphasized hydration as the strongest preventive measure against heatstroke.
Cooler temperatures are expected from Friday onwards, but this heat wave won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Gali. “Whether coaching or playing. These kids would know what to do now.”
Marisa Injemi is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle.
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