Austin, Texas, on Friday broke the record for the longest streak of triple-digit temperatures the city has ever seen, and schools in the area are taking extra precautions to keep students and athletes safe.
“I have been doing this a long time and this is one of the hottest. Clearly, clearly one of the hottest,” David Mobley, band director at Round Rock High School, told CBS Austin.
Shade and water have been key to keeping everyone safe.
“We drink a lot of water and we take breaks and go indoors when we have to in the air conditioning,” said Mobley, adding that some students have stayed home because of the heat.
Round Rock ISD has also teamed up with Ascension Seton to ensure that athletic trainers are monitoring high-intensity practices for sports like football.
“They work with the coaches to make sure there are plenty of rest breaks and drink breaks as well as looking for the signs and symptoms of heat illness,” said Dr. Leigh Romero, sports medicine physician with Ascension Seton.
Romero says some extreme precautions are often taken to deal with extreme conditions.
“Sometimes we’ll weigh athletes before and after practice so we can see if they’re losing a lot of water weight during practice,” said Dr. Romero.
Keeping athletes hydrated is also a priority.
“A bottle of water before you go. While you are doing the activity out in the sun have water and some kind of electrolyte drink. Then after (practice) is really when you want to push more of the electrolytes,” said Dr. Romero.
