LONGVIEW, Texas — As marching bands, cheerleaders, drill teams and football players across East Texas are returning to practice soon, staff plans to protect students from heat.
During the summer, a football field can reach up to 100 degrees. Longview High School assistant athletic trainer Justin Rivers said this is Texas, so the Longview Lobos and their training staff are no strangers to the extreme heat.
"We stress a lot (for) people to drink fluids constantly," Rivers said. "It’s not when you get here, (you) drink water. It doesn’t do you any good. If you are hydrating the night before (and) the day before, that’s when you see the benefit the next day."
The staff is teaching these basic safety principles to students returning to practice this season. On Monday, the Lobos begin their preseason training camp, and it's going to be a bit more intense as temperatures continue to rise. But head coach John King ensured that safety will be the number one priority.
"Water breaks about every 20 minutes, and a big break about every 40 minutes. We’ve got plans in place to hydrate kids throughout the day," King said.
King also added that lessons they've learned from the past are now guiding their decisions today.
"We’re smarter now. I mean, the days of having two a day practices and not allowing kids to have water are gone," King said. "If anybody’s still doing that, they’re living in the stone ages."
Training camp is less than one week away, and King can't wait to get back out on the field with his team.
"2023 can be an exciting year for the Lobos. We’ve got the potential to be a good football team, but we got to put it in production and see how it turns out," King said.
The Longiew Lobos open their season on August 24 against McKinney.