Blistering heat is affecting after school activities as 2023 is on track to be one of the hottest Texas summers ever.
“This is year 14 [for me], and is one of the first times we’ve really lost some outdoor rehearsal time due to heat,” band director David Kraft said.
Football has been impacted as the junior varsity teams’ practices and games are usually scheduled during peak temperatures.
“The worst part of the heat is not getting a good practice in because you can’t wear pads or go full speed,” sophomore linebacker Zymraan Khan said.
The marching band also had to battle the heat during after-school rehearsals and preparations for football games, even during “black zones,” which the band directors call periods where nobody can be outside.
“When we desperately had to get stuff on the field before the football game, we took the brass and woodwinds for little 30-minute segments,” senior trombone David Long said. “It was horrible. There were no clouds, no wind, just the heat beating down on us.”
The extreme temperatures may be tolerable for experienced juniors and seniors, but underclassmen may not know how to fully deal with the heat with it only being their first or second year in their respective electives.
“We’ve been doing this for a while, so our bodies are prepared,” Long said. “But the younger members, they’re not used to [the heat], so the freshmen are sitting out.”
This season has highlighted the need for safe practices regarding the heat, such as staying hydrated and taking breaks.
“When you’re outside and you’re sweating that much, you have to replenish fluids and just make sure you take care of your body,” Kraft said. “A lot of it also has to do with acclimation.”
Weather has caused delays to games, but practices and rehearsals get moved inside rather than fully canceled. Long said the band prioritizes the music more than the on-field aspect when they’re forced inside.
“We mostly just focus on doing music, which is really good,” Long said. “I know some people [are] so worried about getting everything on the field done that they don’t focus at all on the music.”
Despite the extreme conditions, Kraft said the students responded “really well.”
“[The students] have really risen to the occasion, are powering through and getting a lot of really good stuff accomplished,” Kraft said. “So the kids are doing a great job overall with persevering through the heat.”
