Photo from Butler CC Athletics
The death of a 17-year-old Kansas high school football player during practice has brought more attention to the dangers athletes can face while practicing in hot weather. Rylan Reece, a junior at Pawnee Heights High School in western Kansas, died after collapsing during practice on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The weather around the time of his “death was about 90 degrees with 58% humidity,” although it was not known at the time whether the weather played a role in his death. KCUR reported that Reece was the fifth Kansas football player to die around conditioning since 2018.
Hot weather can make sports practice harder for athletes. Spending a long time outside while exercising can cause athletes to become dehydrated, tired, dizzy or nauseous. Football players can face an added challenge because they may practice while wearing helmets and protective pads.
The issue goes beyond Kansas. A 2024 study published in Sports Health found that the National Registry of Catastrophic Sports Injuries examined “159 deaths from exertional heat stroke among youth, high school and college football players from 1955 through 2021.” An NPR article explained that this accounts for “about two deaths per season.”
Because of this, taking water and rest breaks is important during practices. For Butler Community College (CC) football player Marquise Barrett Jr., dealing with the heat is part of practicing during the warmer months. Barrett said players get water breaks throughout practice after different periods.
“On a typical August practice, on a hot day, we typically get water breaks after a period,” Barrett said. “We get a water break after different types of periods.”
Barrett said players can also tell the coaches or trainers if they are not feeling well. He said the trainers make sure players stay hydrated and can help if a player feels dizzy or nauseous.
“I feel like the coach, he understands that we (are) out there working hard,” Barrett said. It’s hot.”
Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) has also addressed heat safety. Its Recommended Practice and Competition Modification Policy uses the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, or WBGT, to help schools decide when practices should be changed because of heat and humidity. The policy explains athletes should have unrestricted access to water during activities. It also recommends regular rest breaks and changes to practice when the WBGT level becomes higher.
For football, the KSHSAA policy includes specific changes when the heat level increases. At certain levels, protective equipment should be limited, and at higher levels, football players should not wear protective equipment during practice. The policy also says outdoor activities should be delayed when the WBGT reaches the highest level.
Barrett said Butler coaches and trainers also pay attention to the weather when deciding how practices should be handled.
“The coaches and the trainers, they're on the same page,” Barrett said. “If it's too hot, then we can't be in full pads, or we'll go to a different time period where it's cooler during the day.”
Practice times can also change because of other team schedules and school activities. Barrett said the football team sometimes practices early in the morning when it is cooler, but class schedules can also affect practice times.
During practice, Barrett said players are allowed to speak up if they need a break.
“I feel like I can do that because, understandably, the players and also the coaches and everybody else that's out there, that we can't just be out there and pass out and stuff,” Barrett said.
For athletes, heat is something they have to take seriously during practices. Water, rest breaks, trainers and changes to practice conditions can help athletes stay safe while continuing to prepare for their sports.