As a blistering week of high temperatures baked Atlanta this week, it’s triggered changes to practices and the rescheduling of sporting events to protect athletes from the heat.
The temperature spike is part of a strong wave of heat daunting much of the U.S., where swaths of the country are under extreme heat advisories. Temperatures in Georgia peaked in the mid-90s at the week’s onset and are expected to touch the upper-90s later this week. “Feels like” temperatures, which factor in humidity, have surged into the triple digits.
The links between human-caused climate change and extreme heat have been known for decades. Countless studies have found that as the planet warms — primarily due to emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels — heat waves are expected to grow more frequent, intense and long-lasting.
Much of the disruption this week has centered on cross country, girls’ softball games and in-school physical education classes. High school football kicked off across Georgia earlier this month after weeks of preseason practices, but so far, the football schedule has not been widely impacted.
On Monday, the DeKalb County School District moved its first cross country meet of the year to Oct. 10.
“When the meet was cancelled, to me it’s actually a good thing,” said Deshaun Craig, Druid Hills High School head cross country coach, “because we don’t want these kids passing out or anything, even though we do keep them hydrated.”
Schools within the DeKalb district such as Druid Hills and Dunwoody moved practices to 6:00 a.m., when the heat is less severe. The early practice time gives the athletes time to complete their run, then go home and freshen up before school, Craig said.
DeKalb also cancelled all softball games scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday. It is unclear if the softball games will be rescheduled. Start times for Atlanta Public School varsity softball games were pushed later into the evening to 6:30 p.m., the district told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Clayton County Schools restricted outdoor activities and physical education classes on Monday and Tuesday, according to releases from the district, but left scheduling decisions to the discretion of the Georgia High School Sports Association (GHSA).
GHSA has rules for practice in extreme heat, using what is known as the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, which measures heat stress under direct sunlight. DeKalb County’s actions included an advisory to athletic director’s in the district, reminding them of GHSA guidelines on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature.
If the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature reaches above 92 degrees Fahrenheit, all practices must move indoors. At 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures at University of Georgia weather stations across the metro were coming in between 90.1 and 92.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The 92.8 was reported from the Alpharetta station at The Golf Club of Georgia.
Dr. Ashley Brouillette, a primary care physician in pediatric sports medicine at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, said most of the heat-related illnesses she finds come from teen athletes. August is a particularly dangerous time of year because many young athletes are coming out of summer, where activity was likely lower, and into their school sports seasons, all at a time when temperatures are scorching.
So far this summer, Brouillette and Children’s team of trainers have only seen minor heat-related impacts from sports. Most of the incidents are cramps or a few cases of dehydration, Brouillette said. It’s likely due to low humidity, which may be ramping up this week.
“I think the last couple weeks we have been lucky that when it’s been really hot, the humidity hasn’t been so bad,” Brouillette said.
Craig, the Druid Hills cross country coach, said he saw the intense summer coming when there were abnormally warm temperatures in the winter. He’s prepped his team by telling them to rest if they start feeling too tired and to remain hydrated throughout the days.
The early morning practices haven’t posed any problems with preparation for a potential meet this weekend, Craig said. And with temperatures expected to cool back down next week, Craig expects the team to be back to normal schedule soon.
“That’s a good thing for us,” Craig said.
A note of disclosure
This coverage is supported by a partnership with 1Earth Fund, the Kendeda Fund and Journalism Funding Partners. You can learn more and support our climate reporting by donating at ajc.com/donate/climate/
About the Author
