It's the beginning of October, and the heat is still affecting local student-athletes. Due to CIF regulations, schools in northern San Luis Obispo County are rescheduling, postponing, or canceling practices and games altogether.
Student-athletes at Templeton High School say the change to their schedules is better for their health.
"It's actually been pretty beneficial," said senior football player Mark Mitchell. "I'm kind of a morning person, so waking up early hasn't been a problem and the coaching staff makes it easy because now we just do film after school and then practice in the morning, so it makes it easy."
On a normal practice day, players wear full pads. Head restrictions mean sometimes shoulder pads are only used. If it's hot enough, just a helmet is permitted.
"For one of our games, we didn't get really a single day in full pads, so we really have to adjust the practice schedule [and] what we're doing that day," Mitchell added. "So it's typically annoying and I think, honestly, a lot of the days it's not even that hot.”
According to senior tennis player Addison George, the blacktop on the tennis courts can get so hot, it can add to heat-related illness.
“I had to go to the bathroom and I was dry heaving because it was so hot," George said. "And so I had to pull out of a match for a little bit and then I came back on, so it was fine. But I get overheated really easily.”
On Monday, practice was limited to an hour, with 20 minutes worth of water breaks.
"We only get to like hit the ball for 40 minutes, which really isn't that beneficial before a match," George said.
Girls' tennis had a home game scheduled Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. that was moved to Atascadero for a 5:30 p.m. start time due to cooler temps and the lighting on the court.
San Luis Obispo County is considered a category one when it comes to CIF restrictions. If the "Wetbulb" reads a certain temperature, the school must abide by those rules. There are three tiers of restrictions, with one being the highest and most restrictive.
According to Templeton Athletic Director Joe Farley, the school is tracking its Wetbulb Global Temperature Readings, heat stress in direct sunlight, to submit data to the state.
Templeton, Paso Robles, Atascadero, and other warmer-climate areas are included in the same category as Morro Bay, Los Osos, Cayucos, and other cooler-climate areas of the county. Farley would like to change that. The goal is to compare how north county schools have a different climate than coastal schools, in hopes that some of these restrictions will be lifted, allowing for practice to be allowed in warmer weather.
More information on heat-related restrictions can be found on the CDPH website.
