As Florida high school and college athletes prepare for fall sports, experts are doing what they can to keep them safe after a July of above-average heat, and the next few months are forecast to be the same.
"The humidity is wicked high, and the heat index is even higher," said Dr. Jason Zaremsky, a sports medicine physician at the University of Florida.
Acting as the supervisor physician for the Eastside and Bradford high school football teams in Gainesville, Zaremsky sees players as a susceptible group to heat illnesses like exhaustion and heat stroke.
He says the players are strongly encouraged to acclimate themselves, or condition, in the June and July heat before August training begins. If they don't, they could face heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. It's why he encourages coaches to acclimate players to the heat before training gets too intense; otherwise, they could begin to dehydrate and overheat.
"If your body gets that level, your internal temperature rises above 104 degrees, that's when something can become very severe, and you can go from having exertional illness to exertional heat stroke, and that could be life-threatening in some instances," he said.
Since 1995, an average of three athletes (mostly high school football players) have died annually due to heat stroke, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. That average has remained steady despite education and preventative efforts, the organization said.
FHSAA protocol
To keep players safe, Zaremsky said high schools are encouraged to follow the Florida High School Athletic Association's acclimatization schedule, which involves easing the players into intense practice.
Only one practice and players do not wear pads for the first three days. After about four or five days, it's helmet and shoulder pads only. Two-a-day practices begin the second week.
"You're basically building the body up," Zaremsky said.
Zaremsky said players are told to wear loose and lightly colored clothing. They're given frequent water breaks and told to rest in the shade, making sure everybody is ready for the game.
"When you get out there and start sweating with the pads on and figuring a collision, contact and collision-based sport like football, it is something that should not be taken lightly," he said.
College football's season is also under way, with several Florida teams at home this week, two with afternoon kickoffs: University of South Florida on Thursday and Florida State University on Saturday. The heat is a main focus at that level as well.
Central Florida Public Media reached out to the University of Central Florida athletics department about how it keeps players safe and received this statement:
"The health and safety of our student-athletes is always our top priority at UCF. During summer workouts and practices in the Florida heat, we follow strict protocols that are based on medical expertise and best practices. Our training staff closely monitors heat and humidity levels, adjusts practice schedules when necessary, and builds in mandatory water breaks and cooling periods. Every workout is supervised by our certified athletic trainers, and our coaches and staff are trained to recognize signs of heat illness. Ultimately, we want our athletes to compete at the highest level, but their well-being will always come first."
Heat by the numbers
The summer has been brutal for not just athletes, but also those who haven't taken such precautions to manage the heat.
The state as a whole has also been experiencing more emergency department visits due to heat exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2005, the rate per 100,000 people to be admitted to the ER was 3.5. Twenty years later, it's 7.6.
In the most recently available data, 2023, Florida ranked No. 1 with the highest number of patients entering the ER for heat-related illness, with over 8,000 visits.
In Central Florida, Orange, Seminole, Marion, and Volusia counties recorded increases in the number of heat exposure calls in June and July compared to last year. Orange and Volusia led in the number of calls – Orange with 164 and Volusia with 143.
In the region, June and July tracked above-average in temperature, with average highs of 91.7 (June) and 92.8 (July.)
There have been 14 heat advisories this summer, said Brendan Schaper, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. It's the third-highest amount since 2020.
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Leesburg experienced a record-breaking heat in July with temperatures reaching 100 degrees, two days in a row, Schaper said.
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