I run track in Florida, so practicing in the afternoon with all the heat is a real thing for me. That’s why this topic matters so much to me.
According to sports medicine experts, heat stroke is the leading cause of preventable death in high school athletes. More than 9,000 high school athletes get treated for heat illness every year. And climate change is making hot, humid practice days even more common, which only raises the risk.
Exertional heat stroke is close to 100% survivable if people recognize it fast and cool the athlete down right away though, usually by getting them into cold water within 10 minutes. The difference between a tragedy and a kid being totally fine often comes down to how quickly the people around them react.
Think of your body like a phone or a laptop. If you push it too hard with no way to cool off it overheats and shuts down to protect itself. The fix isn’t magic, it’s just paying attention and listening to your body. Water breaks, easing into the heat early in the season instead of going full speed day one, and coaches and trainers knowing the warning signs.
I think we treat being tough and pushing through like it’s always the right call, but with heat, it just isn’t. Knowing when to stop and helping a teammate who’s in trouble is the actual best move. This is one where being informed literally saves lives.
