ROCKY HILL, Conn. — Despite Wednesday's hot weather, young athletes in East Hartford still took the field for football practice, while parents and coaches took extra precautions to keep them safe.
East Hartford Hornets football coach Jack Massey said on days that get very hot, they focus more on drills and technique rather than a lot of contact.
"It's tough, what we do is try to give extra water breaks, if it's too hot they'll take off their helmets," he said.
He said hydration is the key to keeping the players safe.
"We tell them when you need to take a water break just ask, nobody can tell you no so they spend a lot of time at the water cooler," said Massey.
Dr. Charles Johndro, the System EMS Medical Director at Hartford Healthcare agreed.
"It's really, really, important that the coaches really take rest into consideration when they're thinking about cycles of practice and in games. Giving children, young adults even, a good amount of rest in the shade and time to hydrate between repetitions," he said.
Johndro also said it's important to be proactive with those precautions when kids are playing outdoors in hot weather. He said children should be given a chance to rest once they start showing the first signs of being hot, like red cheeks and sweating.
"Sometimes you can get differences, especially in kids and young adults, in the way they're acting. If they act tired or sleepy or just aren't responding appropriately, it's already too late. So, I would just urge you to intervene early in that process," he said.
At the East Hartford football practice, parents came prepared.
"I brought extra water, I got a washcloth so I could wet it just in case, and I kind of just checked my emails to see if the coaches had any advice about today," said Jessenia Delgado.
The kids didn't seem to mind the heat, however.
"It was good and we tackled each other and it was great!" said six-year-old Ethan Rodriguez.
The coaches said if it gets too hot out, they will either move practice later in the day or cancel it altogether.
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