ORLANDO, Fla. — The recent extreme heat wave has delayed some high school football practices and could end up impacting games this season.
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This year, teams have new rules to follow, and coaches and trainers have to find alternative ways to keep student athletes safe, all while making sure they don’t fall behind preparing for the season.
This week, the state’s High School Athletic Association sent a memo to all high schools, urging staff to stay vigilant to heat stress of all players and requiring limited practice times, increased breaks and, sometimes, the removal of gear which could result in game delays.
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“I do believe that it will delay the development of programs where you’ll see us not start as fast, because we hadn’t had the opportunities to tackle this much,” said Jermel Jones, head football coach for the Lyman Greyhounds.
Since the start of practices, Severe Weather Center 9 has recorded daily heat advisories with temperatures surpassing 110 degrees, potentially dangerous territory.
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The goal is to move ahead with all games in a safe manner. However, if a game is canceled, the state sys depending on if it’s a district game and how far along the season is, it will be rescheduled.
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