As an old trainer the heat in August is has always been the number one problem for football. Kids today do not get out and exercise like they did years ago. The invention of AC has softened kids as well. We didn't have AC until I was in Junior High. So we were outside all day long. The issue is that coaches and trainers need to work together to protect against the heat and acclimate the students to the heat. The onlu way todo this is to get them in the heat. What really bothers me is the coaches who come out and say the trainers basically need to mind their own business. Well they were hired to take care of the athletes and help take the responsibility off of the coaches so they can coash. I have always been fortunate to work with great coaches who really cared about the kids an worked with me to make sure they were well watered and watched. The majority of caoches do an outstanding job at protecting their kids but there are a few who don't want ot listen to their trainers. These guys are invaluable and can keep a coach out of hot water if something bad happens. Believe me I would always tell my coaches that I had never lost a kid and I didn't want to start this year. It was a good situation because they would ask me for ideas on conditioning. That is what it is all about. 2 a days will never go away but we have a responibility to the parents to take care of their children.
