Mississippi HS Association Mandate Aims to Keep Athletes Safe During Hot Weather

The Mississippi High School Activities Association this week passed new rules to keep high school athletes safe during hot weather. 

The MHSAA now mandates the use of wet-bulb globe temperature readings for determining the safety of outdoor practices. 

"The sports medicine community has long recognized that the thermometer alone does not tell the story of heat safety, with factors like direct sunlight, humidity, wind, and air pressure playing a large role in how hot it “feels” compared to what the thermometer reads," a statement on the association's website reads. "The single best method we have of measuring all of those factors is WetBulb globe temperature, a method of measurement that takes into account the other factors that can drive up the risk while being outside in the heat.  With the ready availability of free apps for smartphones that give temperatures in WBGT measures, this eliminates the need to purchase equipment specifically for making these readings, and added cost to schools difficult to prescribe during tough post-COVID financial times for some districts."

MHSAA executive director Ricky Neaves told WAPT that using the WGBT is going to be extremely beneficial for the safety of children and coaches.

“I think with the state of sports and the way society is now, to make parents feel better about allowing their kids to play does nothing but help sports,” Neaves said. “I think it’s a real good thing. Our coaches do a great job of monitoring this, along with (having) ice tubs that we have mandated in case they need those.”

The WGBT is now mandated for use in all sports, including cross country, cheer and soccer.