One of the major challenges that comes with being an athlete in a fall sport is the summer heat. Recently, two athletes belonging to the Dodge City Community College (DCCC) cross country team were sent to the St. Catherine Hospital in Dodge City, on Thursday, August 7th. The recorded high that day was 102° fahrenheit with a heat index of 105°fahrenheit.
“When the body overheats, it can no longer cool itself, causing dizziness, nausea, confusion, and in severe cases, collapse or organ damage,” Mattie Silva, GCHS Outreach Athletic Trainer, said.
One of the runners was able to be treated and released. The other runner–who was found unconscious in a field after practice–was flown to Wichita for further treatment where they were considered to be in critical condition.
The DCCC Athletics department would later put out a statement to address the situations regarding the two athletes. According to the statement, the family of the athlete that was transported to Wichita requested privacy, leaving limited information on recovery progress. It was also stated that the 1:30 P.M. practice that took place was monitored and determined to be well within the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) Heat Policy guidelines.
The DCCC athletic department has given out no further information regarding the situation. The risk that is involved with the sport leads many coaches to have their own protocols in place when sending runners out.
“We’re really good about keeping eyes on our kids and making sure that we know where they’re at and who has made it back and who hasn’t. We’re diligent about that, but we have had kids who have passed out or been heat exhausted, but mostly during competition,”Coach Linenberger, GCHS cross country coach, said.
While rare, heat based injuries or conditions are something commonly faced by outdoor fall athletes which is why Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) has their own policies and tests to determine if weather is safe to practice outdoors.
“I harp a lot on being hydrated, making sure they’re eating right. We follow KSHSAA mandates on wet bulb thermometer reading and we follow that very carefully and make sure we give them the right amount of breaks for the right amount of time,” Linenberger said.
As the summer turns into fall many athletes including middle school, high school, college and professional athletes are headed into the season in which they face the highest risks. It is very important that athletes prepare their bodies to be able to thrive in extreme conditions that they are not used to.
“I think coaches are very good at telling us, and letting us be aware of what you have to do to be prepared before a workout, and to prevent any accidents,”Gabriel Martinez-Acosta, trade academy senior, said.
