High school football players prepare for dangerous heat as practices are set to begin

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — High school football teams are returning to the field this week — just as dangerous heat arrives back in the Cape Fear.

Football players at Eugene Ashley High School are preparing for the upcoming season as practices are set to begin early Wednesday morning.

Temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s, with the heat index reaching triple digits. Athletes will need to take extra precautions while training in the extreme heat.

Dr. Dominick DeFelice, a family and sports medicine physician with Novant Health, who has previously spoken with WWAY about marathon training and other sports-related health concerns, says athletes should begin hydrating before practice and continue drinking fluids throughout the day.

“Pay attention to, during your training, how you do with your hydration status and your electrolytes. Some people are very salty sweaters, and some people aren’t. So, tailoring your…exercise regimen and your training regimen to how you are as a runner and as an athlete will help set you free, “said DeFelice.

Players should also take breaks when needed and alert a coach or trainer if they begin feeling dizzy, nauseous, unusually tired or confused, which can be signs of heat-related illness.