Heat Training

Heat Policy & Kestrel Heat Stress Tracker Training

Presented By:

  • Glenn Briggs – Athletic Director

  • Dr. Steve Amaro - Principal

Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) Emergency Action Plan

NATA Guidelines

WBGT (°F) and Activity Guidelines:

  1. Normal Activities (< 82.0°F):

    • Provide more than 3 separate rest breaks, each lasting a minimum of 3 minutes, during workouts.

    • Ensure hydration is maintained with ample water available to athletes.

  2. WBGT 82.0-86.9°F:

    • Vigilantly monitor at-risk players for any signs of heat-related distress.

    • Implement greater than 3 separate rest breaks, now with a duration of 4 minutes.

    • Limit maximum practice duration to 2 hours.

    • For football activities, players must only wear helmets, shoulder pads, and shorts during practice sessions to reduce heat stress.

    • All forms of protective equipment must be completely removed for conditioning activities to promote cooling.

  3. WBGT 87.0-89.9°F:

    • Ensure a minimum of 4 separate rest breaks of at least 4 minutes each are provided.

    • Practice duration maximum is reduced to 1 hour.

    • Prohibit the wearing of protective equipment during practice to avoid additional heat load.

    • Conditioning activities are strictly forbidden at this temperature level.

    • Allocate 20 minutes specifically for rest breaks within the hour of practice to allow for adequate recovery.

  4. WBGT > 92.1°F:

    • All outdoor workouts should be canceled immediately to protect the health of the athletes.

    • Practice sessions must be delayed until a significantly cooler WBGT reading occurs.

Emergency Action Plan (EAP) - Heat Policy

WBGT Zones

  • LUHSD: Zoned as Cat 3

  • Antioch USD: Cat 2

  • Pittsburg & Dublin: Cat 1

Kestrel 5400 Heat Stress Tracker

EAP - Emergency Action Plan

Flags Indicating Heat Stress:

  1. Green Flag (< 82.0°F):

    • Provide ample amounts of water; encourage regular intervals for water intake.

    • Schedule water breaks approximately every 20 minutes, lasting about 5 minutes.

    • Ice-down towels should be provided for cooling, especially for athletes showing signs of heat stress.

    • Continuous monitoring of athletes is essential to ensure necessary actions are taken as required.

  2. Yellow Flag (82.0 - 86.9°F):

    • All conditions above must be applied along with heightened vigilance regarding intense or prolonged exercise.

    • Keep a close watch on at-risk players and provide increased break times of at least 4 minutes.

  3. Orange Flag (87.0 - 89.9°F):

    • All previous conditions apply, with the maximum practice time now set at 2 hours.

    • Contact sports must proceed without helmets and other non-essential equipment to reduce heat retention.

    • Conditioning exercises must occur without protective gear present.

    • Athletes should receive more than 4 rest breaks of at least 4 minutes each to facilitate recovery.

    • Halt activities to re-check WBGT temperature every 15-30 minutes to ensure it remains within safe limits.

  4. Red Flag (90.0 - 92.0°F):

    • All conditions stated above continue, with a maximum practice time limited to 1 hour.

    • Protective equipment must not be utilized during practice sessions.

    • Conditioning activities must cease, and modify uniforms where feasible (removing unnecessary items) to assist with heat dissipation.

    • Ensure athletes receive 20 minutes of rest during the 1 hour of practice, with significant reductions in the time allotted for both outdoor and indoor activities that lack air conditioning.

    • Consider rescheduling activities to cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or later in the evening.

  5. Black Flag (> 92.1°F):

    • Immediately halt all outdoor activities, whether practice or competition, until a cooler WBGT reading is achieved.

    • Stop indoor activities if air conditioning is unavailable, ensuring prompt action is taken to prevent heat-related illnesses.