The University Interscholastic League recently implemented new heat safety protocols for student-athletes and marching band members. As South Oak Cliff football prepares for another year in the spotlight, they’re mindful of the guidelines and adjust as needed.
The new guidelines include cooling stations and restricted outdoor practice hours. A Dallas ISD spokesperson told NBC 5 Thursday these new rules were relatively easy to meet, considering the district had its own heat safety guidelines in place for a decade.
Thursday was the first day practicing in pads this school year for the South Oak Cliff Golden Bears football team. Before the team could start, the coaching staff decided to push practice back based on heat readings from the UIL-approved wet bulb globe temperature measurement.
Head coach Jason Todd said the team is eager to get to work, but their priorities are clear.
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“They do a wet bulb test out on the field. They tell us at a certain time they can go out,” he said. “We kind of meet and watch some video with the kids. We prepare ourselves, and whenever they tell us we can go out we head on out to the field.”
He said they’ve been ahead of the curve for years combating heat-related illness.
“The water pool they have out there is one thing. We also have wet towels, constant water breaks, just a multitude of things where for us the kids always come first,” he said.
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The new UIL protocols and procedures for athletics and marching bands address outdoor practice, ratio of workout and rest time, and emergency action plans to prevent heat-related illness.
South Oak Cliff varsity quarterback Carter Kopecky said players take the rules just as seriously, starting with water.
“Every day I know I’m drinking about a gallon and a half. We work out in the weight room to build out muscles so we can keep out bodies healthy,” said Kopecky. “We go get in the cafeteria, get some food in us, stay hydrated. We weigh in, we weigh out see what our hydration's like.”
The health and safety habits practiced now could very well be the start of what propels them into another trip to the state championship game.
“Every week we find something new to get better at and we really focus on it. And I think our goal this year is to go get back what we lost,” Kopecky said.
For more information on the UIL outdoor heat safety guidelines click here
