OKLAHOMA — Rules could change for student athletes practicing outside in the heat after the Oklahoma Secondary School Activity Association (OSSAA) votes on a new policy.
The policy includes requirements for coaches to complete heat and illness prevention training. It would also limit preseason practice to two hours and 30 minutes, per session, with a minimum of one hour between practice sessions.
No more than five hours of practice per 24-hour period would be allowed.
The OSSAA emphasizes that exertional heat-related illness is the leading cause of preventable death among high school students engaged in athletic or activity programs.
During heat exhaustion, body temperature rises above normal. Your brain usually keeps your body temperature within a degree or two of 98.6 degrees.
This temperature control is important because many processes in your body only work well within a certain range of temperatures.
FOX23 reported in 2024 when an East Central High School football player was hospitalized following a heat stroke.
Dr. Stacy Chronister with OSU-Tulsa says the key is to keep students hydrated.
“Especially when we’re talking about athletics, when we’re talking about heat like this, or if you were working out in the morning. I recommend start hydrating the night before. Make sure you go to bed with a glass of water. You start that hydration before you wake up,” said Chronister.
The vote on a statewide extreme heat policy takes Wednesday at 9 a.m. in Oklahoma City. FOX23 will follow the vote for updates.
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