The University Interscholastic League has introduced new requirements for Texas high schools that take effect Aug. 1. Moving forward, school athletics departments must use Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) to determine if it is safe to hold athletic practices outside.
WBGT measures temperature along with humidity, wind and solar radiation, and other heat stress conditions. This move comes on the brink of football season, which tragically sees a handful of student-athlete deaths each year due to heat-related illness.
According to Yahoo Sports, the UIL recommends adjusting practice lengths, hydration breaks and scheduling depending on the WBGT reading. WGBT readings must be recorded at least 15 minutes before the start of practice and be continually monitored throughout the practice window. The organization also updating its requirements for rapid cooling, reminding athletics departments that schools must have the equipment for a “full body immersion in ice water if an individual is experiencing heat illness and distress.”
Related: How to Prevent and Treat Heat-Related Illness
For any athletics practice or competition held when the WBGT reaches 79.7 in Class 2 or 82 in Class 3, the UIL stated that rapid cooling zones must be immediately available.
“The last couple years, the wet bulb has been basically a suggestion, a guideline to go by. Now it's a restriction, so everybody in the state of Texas is going to have to follow the same guidelines," said East Chambers High School football coach Russ Sutherland. “I've always been an evening practice guy, but August camp we'll practice in the morning every day.”
The UIL also recommended giving student-athletes unlimited access to water, adding shade structures or tents to outdoor facilities, completing warm-ups indoors, and setting up fans and misters for evaporative cooling.
For schools without access to physical WBGT testing, the UIL. Also provided an online tool that can estimate temperatures and humidity levels. School officials must input the exact address or location of practice, then select “Texas UIL Class 2” or “Texas UIL Class 3.” The webpage will then provide WBGT activity guidelines.
