07/25/16 – Reminder about Heat Index Procedures – FB & FH

July 25, 2016 Athletic Department Blog Updates

While the media coverage has been great about our schools and their compliance with the mandated heat index monitoring and activity adjustment protocols, it is important that our Football and Field Hockey programs be reminded of important subtleties within the procedures.

When no additional protective equipment is being worn (i.e Football has on helmet only or Field Hockey does not have the goalie in protective gear), the threshold of 104-degree heat index is the point at which all activity must stop. But it is important as we face the hottest week of the year thus far, that all be reminded that once football adds shoulder pads or the field hockey goalie puts on gear, that threshold drops to 99 degrees. No activity can continue above a 99-degree heat index if that additional gear is being worn. The same is true for any school-based activity in baseball and softball (due to catching gear) at other times of the year.

For those sports and sport-activities without those additional pad requirements (which naturally accelerate the heating of the bodies internal temperatures), the threshold for total activity cessation remains at 104. 

Keep in mind that this is the acclimation and acclimatization time of the year, calling for a gradual increase in activity, not simply a switch where the kids go from nothing to all. This gradual build-up is essential to maintaining a continuously minimizing risk for the participants.

For complete information, remember to see the KHSAA website at http://khsaa.org/special-programs/sports-safetysports-medicine/ and click on the Heat Index program.

– KHSAA –

The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list of those blogs, go to http://khsaa.org/news-stats-pubs/sports-blogs/