Trainers offer different view for coaches
A common phrase used during the summer is, “beat the heat.” That’s actually a misnomer. No one beats the heat. Smart people respect the heat.
Early August temperatures are no joke, especially for those working outdoors under the sun. Area football teams have been braving those temperatures for the past week with conditions only getting tougher with full pads.
El Dorado athletic trainer Morgan Atkins said watching how the players react to the heat is critical to any football program.
“I really believe every high school should have an athletic trainer,” said Atkins. “Athletic trainers, they’re going to keep your kids safe, not that a coach won’t. But when a coach is out there coaching, they have a one-track mind. They’re coach, coach, coach. Well when you have a kid get hurt, that athlete is usually thrown to the side or told, ‘get back in there.’ It’s not because the coach is wanting to put their life at risk but because the coach is coaching. Athletic trainers are trained to recognize different injuries and we’re trained on how to deal with that – when they need to go to the doctor and when we can treat them. It’s very important for all high schools to have an athletic trainer.”
El Dorado football
coach Steven Jones said having a trainer, who’s only concern is the health of the players, makes his job easier.
“It takes a lot off our coaching staff to not have to worry about the medical side of things,” Jones said. “On days where it’s pretty hot outside, she communicates with us on, maybe throwing in an extra water break if we need that. Last week, she wanted us to take helmets off during practice because it got up over a 105 (degree) heat index. Little things like that that she throws in really keeps our guys safe and gives them the best chance to be successful.”
Atkins came to El Dorado from Smackover and starts her 15th year as an athletic trainer. She said there are signs she looks for when the players start exerting themselves in the heat.
“A lot of times you look at how they’re dealing with the heat. Are they slumped over? This is where getting to know your athletes is important,” she said. “If you have a kid that’s usually go-go-go and he’s standing with hands on his knees bent over, that’s something you need to check out and make sure they’re doing alright. If you have a kid limping, stumbling, not running, you get to know your kids, know which ones are running their routes or can hit that cut or turn. If they’re struggling with that, that’s something you need to check into.”
Atkins said she talks with Coach Jones before practice and, together, they implement a strategy to keep the athletes safe.
“We revised the emergency action plan once I got there, which includes heat illnesses. We have certain degrees that we go by,” she said. “We see how hard that workout is in the weight room and if it’s too hot outside, we’ll modify practice. They’ll remove helmets. They’ll get more breaks. They’ll get more water. I have a lot of managers and training students that help with water.”
“The summer heat and the first day of pads is always a day of paranoia,” said Junction City athletic trainer Charlie Wardlaw. “You always worry about somebody getting really amped up. First day of pads, going through Oklahoma Drill, big hits, wanting to prove their spots. One day we had a team camp over the summer at Rison, the heat index on their turf was 140 degrees. Making sure no one has a heat stroke, and everybody is properly hydrated and eating right so they can fuel their body and don’t go into a diabetic shock. Summertime is a big time of paranoia. You’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to make sure all 50 guys on the sideline are taken care of and in good health.”