Subscribe to the NCSA BlogTwo-a-Days May See Changes
June 23rd, 2009 - by
Two-a-days has become a staple in high school football practice. The common use of two practices a day during the summer in order to prepare for the upcoming fall season has been put to use by almost all programs throughout the Unites States. However, an ESPN article described that some changes may be on the horizon.
High school football teams should eliminate two-a-day practices during the first week of August drills when heat stroke has proven particularly deadly, a leading trainers’ group said Thursday in a report issued less than two months before the sweltering rite of passage begins at thousands of schools.
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association said its recommendations, which include longer breaks between practice and more time for players to ease into contact drills, are not radical changes and closely mirror policies already in place at the Division I college level.
“Thing aren’t going very well at the high school level. We’ve had a couple very bad years,” said Douglas Casa, director of athletic training education at the University of Connecticut and co-author of the report for the Dallas-based association. “This wasn’t done for the convenience of coaches.”
The executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association, D.W. Rutledge, said he declined an invitation to appear at a news conference announcing the proposals. Rutledge, who won four state championships in Texas, said he first wanted to review the guidelines with his membership.
Scaling back on two-a-days amounts to lost preparation time, he said, and that’s something that could concern coaches in football-crazed Texas.
Since 1995, at least 39 football players across all levels have died from heat-related causes and most of those cases happened in early August, said Dr. Frederick Mueller, director of the National Center for Catastrophic Injury Research at the University of North Carolina.
Many of the proposals are stricter versions of rules already in place. In Florida, contact drills are prohibited during the first three days of practice. Under the recommendations by the athletic trainers association, teams shouldn’t begin full contact until the sixth day of practice.
In Texas, schools must take a minimum one-hour break between practice during two-a-days. The report calls for a minimum three-hour rest, and would limit the second practice of two-a-days during the first week to only a light walkthrough without helmets or pads.
Rutledge said a three-hour break could actually force players into the heat, since some teams start practice early as 6:30 a.m. to avoid the hottest parts of the day. He also stood by the current guidelines that Texas coaches follow.
With two-a-day season looming, athletes need to take their own precautions in order to prepare themselves for its physical toll. First, they need to make sure they stay hydrated; lack of hydration can lead to heat stroke or hear exhaustion. Drink plenty of fluids during practice to replenish what you are losing, it is just as important to have high fluid intakes before and after practice. Secondly, get plenty of sleep, it is necessary to “recharge you batteries” for the next day. Finally, do not be afraid to inform your coaches or trainers if you are feeling dizzy or light headed during practice, your safety and well-being is their primary concern. Staying on top of your health is just as important as staying on top of your grades and athletic endeavors. Coaches are looking for responsible players who will be able to handle the high demands of college football.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
although 2 a days are a real problem for football programs they are not used in only football other sports also use this pratice. Inluding water polo and swimming. During their seasons this means 5 a.m. pratice followed by a full day of school and another 2 to 3 hour pratice after school. As i understand the need but question the cost as with home work, and time for rest and eating there is not enough time when pratice concumes 5 to 6 hours ad day and travel time to and from. We do not have the heat on the field but the heat does still have an effect. You can still suffer from dehidration and heat stroke in the pool.