Cross Country athletes running at night after practice was rescheduled. Photo credit to Nick Sacco

Fall high school sports in Iowa experience extreme heat and extreme cold. The current heat wave sweeping over the midwest has caused multiple fall sports at PV to prepare for their seasons differently.

At Pleasant Valley, after school practice times typically start around 3:30 pm and can stretch to 7 p.m. depending on the sport. This schedule was derailed due to the heat wave. Many outdoor practices such as football and cross country were moved later in the day. The usual sunny 3:30 start time turned into a practice under the lights.  

The practice times were moved back due to the extreme heat and for concerns of the safety of the athletes. Regulations have been put in place by the IHSSA and IGHSAU —the governing bodies of high school sports—to prevent illnesses like heat stroke and heat exhaustion. The schools can face different kinds of punishment if found disobeying the regulations during periods of extreme heat.

The extreme heat is especially concerning for football players. They wear full pads and are often in close contact with their teammates.  This results in higher body temperatures of the athletes. The increased heat and humidity can cause dehydration and extreme fatigue very easily. The temperature regulation for football is different than other sports because of this.

Senior football player Adam Bullock found it difficult to have a productive practice in the heat. “The different practice schedule threw off everyone’s rhythm for the week. Also, the practices were lower in intensity which did not help anyone improve their skills,” said Bullock. 

The cross country team also had to overcome adversity in the extreme heat. ¨It was harder because it was too hot. It required more effort for a smaller gain,¨ conveyed sophomore cross country runner Zach Zuiderveen.

Over the years, the emphasis put on athletes’ safety regarding heat has greatly increased. Heat stroke is the leading cause of preventable death in high school athletics. Across the nation it has become increasingly evident that the safety of athletes is much more important than missing one or two practices.