Preventing heat-related illnesses has become a priority

Bentonville junior running back Tyler Pike cools down Aug. 7, 2015, during football practice at the Tiger Athletic Complex. Most of the area was under a heat advisory through the day.
Bentonville junior running back Tyler Pike cools down Aug. 7, 2015, during football practice at the Tiger Athletic Complex. Most of the area was under a heat advisory through the day.

ROGERS -- Players practice to be at peak performance on game day.

So do cheerleaders, band members and even the people who operate the scoreboard in the press box. It makes sense then that school employees rehearse and have a plan in place for an emergency that occurs because of a heat-related illness.

HYDRATION GUIDELINES

Flavored, cold, and appropriately salty sports drinks like Gatorade improve voluntary fluid replacement by players, especially young athletes.

Athletes need to hydrate before, during, and after physical activity. Fluids lost through sweat and breathing should be replaced by fluid consumption.

Players should have unrestricted access to fluids during activity. Thirst is not a good indicator of the need to hydrate.

The best approach, especially in hot environments, is to have players weigh in and out each day to help determine adequate fluid replacement needs.

Players should consume food and drinks that contain a liberal amount of salt. Sports drinks help maintain fluid balance.

"They should have an entire emergency action plan," said Brendon McDermott, an assistant professor in kinesiology at the University of Arkansas. 'Who's going to make the phone call, who gets contacted, what is the policy. That should all be rehearsed. It takes everyone working together to prevent sudden death in sports."

McDermott was among the guest speakers Thursday at the fifth annual Mercy Coaching Summit at the John Q. Hammons Center. He talked to a group for nearly an hour about heat illnesses, their prevention and treatment.

"We're not used to the heat like in the day where there was no air conditioning," McDermott said. "We walk into Wal-Mart in the summer and it's kind of cold, right? We walk back outside and it's like an oven to us because we're not used to it. That's why heat stroke is more deadly and common now than it's ever been."

State law in Arkansas now requires schools to have an emergency action plan in place for after-school practices and events, and there is a detailed guide available on the website of the Arkansas Activities Association.

"A lot of coaches have played the game, football or basketball," said Arkansas men's basketball coach Mike Anderson, who spoke at the luncheon. "You've got to look at the signs the players are giving you, whether it be dizziness or where kids come to you and say, 'Hey, I'm not feeling right.' We've got to take those things to heart."

Anderson recalled an era when heat-related illnesses and their prevention were mostly overlooked.

"I'm old school," said Anderson, who played college basketball at Tulsa from 1980-82. "When you got water breaks, it was kind of like a reward. Coaches would drive and drive you and that was just part of it. With the awareness of it now, I think it speaks volumes about trying to educate our coaches and the participants as well. And we're not just talking about athletes. We're talking about cheerleaders and band members working outside during the hot summer months."

Heat stroke prevention became a priority in professional sports after the death of offensive lineman Korey Stringer during training camp with the Minnesota Vikings in 2001. In Rogers, the Kendrick Fincher Foundation was established after Fincher collapsed and later died from complications of heat stroke while practicing with the Elmwood Junior High Raiders in 1995.

The Coaching Summit has grown from a Rogers-only gathering to an annual event that helps educate coaches on a variety of topics. Over 350 coaches from several Northwest Arkansas schools attended last week's meeting.

"The turnout was tremendous," Rogers girls basketball coach Preston Early said. "Our position as coaches also allows us a wonderful opportunity to affect lives in a powerful way. Our sponsors like Mercy and the Kendrick Fincher Foundation have invested tremendously in our area coaches and, along with our administrators, have better equipped us to meet our professional responsibilities."

Sports on 07/31/2016

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