MOREHEAD, KY (LEX News) — As temperatures rise, health and recreation officials in Morehead are taking steps to protect young athletes from heat-related illness as the fall sports season gets underway.
Morehead Parks and Recreation Director Matthew Hamilton said staff are watching closely for warning signs in youth athletes.
"You can tell heat exhaustion. You can tell if a kid's getting sick first of all, it's not just the weather. You obviously look for signs with kids you look for fatigue. You look for kids getting sick, Just overall exhaustion," Hamilton said.
Morehead Parks and Recreation says it is prepared to make adjustments if temperatures become unsafe which includes cancelling games. At Morehead State University, athletic trainers say they are also ready to change practices if the heat starts putting athletes at risk.
Lauren Curley, head athletic trainer at Morehead State University through UK Healthcare, said the approach goes beyond simply telling athletes to drink more water.
"Can we adjust their practice? Can we adjust what they're wearing at practice? Uh, football has a lot of equipment on, so if it's the temperatures are high, the humidity is high, the wet bulb is high, and it's in those danger zones, then what are we doing at that point?" Curley said.
Curley said proper nutrition and rest are just as important as hydration.
"Because everybody thinks, oh, I gotta hydrate, I gotta hydrate. You do, but you also need to eat. You need to get proper sleep, and the, the athletes don't always see that side of it," Curley said.
Curley also outlined the warning signs that athletes, coaches, and parents should watch for.
"The obvious one is that they start cramping, um, and if they stop sweating, if they get dizzy, they're disoriented, um, those are all things that we watch," Curley said.
Curley said the good news is that most heat-related illness can be avoided.
"Heat illnesses are mostly preventable if you take those steps," Curley said.
From youth leagues to college athletics, safety advocates say this week's heat is something athletes, coaches, and parents should take seriously.
Alex Barber is committed to covering stories in your community that matter to you. If you have an idea, reach out to him at alex.barber@wlex.tv
