MHSAA Provides Heat Management Reminders in Advance of 2023 Fall Practices
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 1, 2023
Temperatures reached record highs in some parts of Michigan at the start of this summer, and heat waves have made headlines nationally over the last month. Although the state didn’t experience similar extremes during July, the beginning of August always is a pertinent time for reminders that more hot weather is likely in many areas and should be prepared for as Michigan High School Athletic Association practices are set to begin Monday, Aug. 7.
Each year, the MHSAA provides information to its member schools to help them prepare for hot weather practice and game conditions during the late summer and early fall. Practices for all Fall 2023 sports – cross country, football, Lower Peninsula girls golf, boys soccer, Lower Peninsula girls swimming & diving, Lower Peninsula boys and Upper Peninsula girls tennis, and volleyball – may begin Monday, Aug. 7.
The “Health & Safety” page of the MHSAA Website has links to several information sources, including the MHSAA preseason publication Heat Ways, which is available for download and includes valuable information on heat management in addition to requirements and resources regarding head injuries and sudden cardiac arrest.
The first days of formal practices in hot weather should be more for heat acclimatization than the conditioning of athletes, and practices in such conditions need planning to become longer and more strenuous over a gradual progression of time. Schools also must consider moving practices to different locations or different times of day, or change practice plans to include different activities depending on the conditions. Furthermore, football practice rules allow for only helmets to be worn during the first two days, only shoulder pads to be added on the third and fourth days, and full pads to not be worn until the fifth day of team practice.
The MHSAA advises student-athletes to make sure to hydrate all day long – beginning before practice, continuing during and also after practice is done. Water and properly-formulated sports drinks are the best choices for hydration.
A number of member schools follow the MHSAA’s Model Policy for Managing Heat & Humidity, which while not mandated for member schools was adopted as a rule for MHSAA postseason competition in 2013. The plan directs schools to begin monitoring the heat index at the activity site once the air temperature reaches 80 degrees, and provides recommendations when the heat index reaches certain points, including ceasing activities when it rises above 104 degrees. (When the temperature is below 80 degrees, there is no combination of heat and humidity that will result in a need to curtail activity.) The model heat & humidity policy is outlined in a number of places on the MHSAA Website, including as part of Heat Ways.
Coaches Guide to Nutrition: What are Macros?
April 30, 2024
Planning your meals and snacks shouldn’t be challenging.
Break foods down into three categories: Carbs (energy), Protein (build and repair muscles), and Color (vitamins, minerals).
Adjust your plate based on your level of activity that day. Remember that your body needs carbohydrates like grains, fruits and vegetables for muscle fuel.
On hard training days, up to half of your plate should be carbs. On a recovery or rest day, make a quarter of your plate carbs.
Plan your meal
Check out these examples for your day’s main meals:
Breakfast
- Overnight oats with fruit
- Egg wrap with spinach, cheese and salsa
- Cereal with fruit and milk topped with nuts
- Smoothie made with milk, fruit, spinach and oats
- Don’t forget about school breakfast!
Lunch
- Turkey roll-up with cheese, tomato and lettuce, fruit and milk
- Grilled cheese sandwich, tomato soup, small salad, milk and pear
- Large salad with your choice of berries, grilled chicken, cheese and vinaigrette dressing, garlic bread and milk
- School lunches are made with student nutrition in mind!
Dinner
- Pasta with chicken, pesto, tomatoes and peas with milk
- Shrimp or tofu fajita bowl with brown rice, peppers, onions and shredded cheese. Add guacamole and plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
- Cheeseburger made with 90 percent lean beef or turkey on a whole grain bun with lettuce and tomato and a glass of milk. Add baked sweet potato fries on the side.
Information above is excerpted from UDIM’s A Coach’s Guide to Nutrition.