The start of high school football practice begins Friday as teams across the state prepare for this year’s upcoming opponents.
Although not on any team’s schedule, the first opponent every team will have to tackle is the oppressive heat.
Through the summer months temperatures have risen into the triple digits. That trend is expected to continue when teams don the pads and helmets.
Over the last 50 years, heat strokes has claimed the lives more than 100 high school and college athletes. Most of these cases are in the first two to four days of football practices.
On August 31, 2008, Barnwell High School   had its only heat related fatality when James Wooden collapsed during an afternoon practice.
Wooden died a few days later. Wooden’s official cause of death was listed as a heatstroke.
 The coaches from our local public schools are aware of the risks of exercising in the heat, particularly when players are also incased in an extra layer of padding and helmet. They have taken precautionary steps to insure the safety of their players, they said.
“I’ve been at Blackville-Hilda for 14 years and this this the hottest summer I can remember,” Blackville-Hilda High athletic director Michael Beasley said. “The goal is the stay out of the heat as much as possible.
“To beat the heat, we’ll start our practices in shorts and t-shirts. We’ll also have early morning and late in the afternoon workouts. The goal is to monitor the players. That’s including making sure they get  proper hydration and breaks,” he said.
“We definitely are going to be monitoring the heat very closely,” Barnwell head coach Ed Moore said. “Conditioning is also important when working out in the heat. I feel because of our off season workouts these players are in the best condition they’ve been in in years.
“The goal is to stay away from the hottest part of the day and keep the players hydrated with the right liquids. We’ll practice early in the mornings and late in the afternoons. We also have an athletic trainer on staff this year to help monitor the players,” Moore said.
The most important factor for anyone, especially an athlete, is knowing their own body. When an athlete feels that he or she is getting over heated they should stop, take a break and rehydrate.
Williston-Elko defensive back Byron Williams said players have to know their limitations.
“As a player, you get a feel when you’ve had enough. That’s the time when you take a break and get water,” Williams said.
Health exeperts at the University of South Carolina offers tips for beating the heat.
*Players need to drink 10-to-17 ounces of fluid 2-to-3 hours before practice and another 7-to-10 ounces afterwards.
*Don’t pour water on one’s head during breaks between drills as means of cooling down. This method of dumping won’t help restore body fluids or lower body temperature.
*Find shade if possible when not participating.
*Most of all, use common sense when getting overheated which also means don’t try to impress anyone during workouts. Stop, hydrate, take a break allow the body to cool down.
A player can easily get dehydrated or overheated. During the next few weeks of practice players are advised to avoid food heavy in fats and  high in sugar.
Foods higher in fat take a longer time to digest which an lead to cramping and fatigue during exercise.
Foods high in sugar will cause fluctuations in blood sugar, leading to early fatigue or even hypoglycemia. Try to avoid beverages high in sugar and caffeine. These can lead to dehydration.
Knowing the warming signs of heat-related illnesses may save a life. Symptoms of heat exhaustion can include muscle cramps, weakness, lethargy and nausea.
“The main focus is the safety of the players, so  I expect as many water breaks as whistle for the first few days,” Beasley said.