during athletic practice or games is a leading cause of death and disability among high school athletes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Moore, an associate professor of emergency medicine at UT Health San Antonio, said acclimate gradually, especially if you’re not used to exercising in hot weather. He recommends walking and then jogging, especially if you’ve spent more time inside during the summer. “So just make sure we don’t throw them right into the fire. You know, the old saying is ‘Once bread becomes toast, it can never be bread again,’” said Conley.
“The biggest thing — the people in charge of the kids have to be the smartest ones in the room. You can’t go out on day one and hammer a two-hour practice event. It should almost look easy in the beginning, and there’s a fine line between trying to develop a tough team and just being dumb,” said Conley.