Heat, Hydration, Concussions and Student Athletes: New Standards Set

Fall pre-season practices begin August 6 for players and their coaches who are urged to get up to speed on a new set of standards adopted by the Florida High School Athletic Association to safeguard the health of student athletes.

"New procedures are in place to protect the youths from the heat, inadequate hydration and concussions," notes the FHSAA in a report on the new measures. Sports set to get under way are football, golf, swimming and diving and girls volleyball.

"For coaches, parents and everyone else associated with high school athletics, nothing is more important [than] the safety of the students," said FHSAA director Roger Dearing.

FHSAA Heat-Related Policies

Adopted in June, these standards are meant to ensure that "young athletes drink plenty of water and do not practice too many hours each week." Under the new policies, school officials must:

• Limit weekly practice time to 18 hours during the first two weeks of practice, to allow students to adapt to conditions.
• Ensure that for every 30 minutes of practice, student-athletes get a minimum five-minute break for rest and hydration.
• Require unrestricted access to water for student-athletes at all times.
• Require coaches and other people in authority to never deny a student-athlete access to water, if requested.

FHSAA Concussion Standards

• Any student-athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion – such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems – must immediately be removed from the competition and cannot return to play until he or she is cleared by an appropriate health-care professional.
• All head coaches and other paid coaches are required to view an online education course about concussions.