How to beat the heat as high school football practices begin in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Monday marked the first-day high school football teams in West Virginia could hold practices, but they have to do so in hot summer weather.

According to WVSSAC regulations, teams are allowed to begin holding organized practices effective August 5. The players are allowed to wear helmets, but no pads. As the week progresses, teams will gradually be able to put on more pads and have more contact.

By Aug. 10, players will be able to wear full pads in fully-padded practices.

TR “Trainwreck” Dues is an athletic trainer who says the number one way to prepare for summer practices is hydrating.

“All day,” Dues said. “They say you want to have 110, 120 ounces of water in you.”

Dues recommends players drink two bottles of water every hour leading up to a practice and have about eight to ten total. He also says players should have a full stomach for at least a few hours before hitting the field.

These are habits Dues says players should maintain even when the temperature drops during the season.

“You’ll practice hard all week. Wednesdays, Thursdays. If you play on Friday, you want to be hydrating heavy on a Tuesday night, Wednesday, and Thursday. You can’t hydrate Thursday night and think you’ll be ready to go on Friday. That usually starts 48 hours before. That’s for all sports,” Dues said.

South Charleston Head Coach Dustin Resler held a sunrise practice for the Black Eagles at 6 a.m. on Monday to beat the sunshine. He says the team will hold practice starting at 4 p.m. for the rest of the week, so students can get in the rhythm of a regular school year schedule.

But Resler knows he has to monitor the heat to protect the players so they have enough energy in the tank for the entire season.

“As a coach, you’ve got to look at your players and know when enough is enough. You’ve got to restructure your practice plan with the temperature like this,” Resler said.

Schools in West Virginia are also responsible for monitoring outdoor temperatures on the fields. Under 82 degrees, everything can run as planned. As the temperature rises, things like limited practice time, protective gear restrictions and mandatory breaks are enacted. If the reading is over 92 degrees, no outdoor activity can take place.

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