How new heat meters protect student athletes in Hillsborough County sports complexes
New heat meters at Hillsborough sports complexes
Being outside for just five minutes in the heat right now is brutal, and student-athletes are practicing in it. So, Hillsborough County recently bought devices to measure the heat on their sports field to keep these young athletes safe. FOX 13's Briona Arradondo reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County installed heat stress meters at local sports complexes to protect youth athletes from dangerous extreme temperatures during outdoor practices.
Hillsborough field safety measures
What we know:
Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation recently purchased heat stress meters for its synthetic turf fields following an increase in heat-related illnesses among youth athletes.
The devices are currently deployed at Skyway Sports Complex and Apollo Beach Sports Complex, with official plans to expand to more locations. The meters detect wind speed, UV rays and humidity through an internal mechanism that mimics human sweat leaving the body.
Heat stress meter guidelines
What they're saying:
Community relations coordinator Mikah Collins explained that the campaign aims to educate the public on heat stress and its impact on player conditions. Collins noted that when readings hit specific levels, guidelines require teams to get off the field.
"We hit 92.1, there is data-backed science that tells us that is a completely unsafe environment for heat stress," said Collins. "What we do is, we come out here, we engage with the coaches. We let them know, ‘hey, we’ve reached that threshold. Unfortunately, we cannot be on the field right now, and we’ll continue to monitor on an hourly basis.’"
Cambridge Christian School head middle school football coach Geoff Parsley said the system takes the guesswork out of practices, adding that clear safety rules are essential given the risks of heat stroke.
"Coaches are all CPR certified. They’re all first aid certified. We’re having conversations with the kids, looking at them, talking to them," said Parsley. "Do you have blurry vision, do you have an upset stomach, do you have a headache? Everything that you’re looking for as you go through it, having those conversations on a regular basis."
Student athlete health protections
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the exact timeline for expanding the heat stress meters to additional sports complexes across the county. It remains unknown how many total devices the department plans to purchase in the next phase of the program.
Youth heat illness prevention
The backstory:
Hillsborough County modeled the pilot program after Florida's Zachary Martin Act, which protects high school athletes from exertional heat illness. County officials launched the initiative to extend similar protections to children of all ages participating in outdoor sports.
During a Thursday afternoon practice at Skyway Park, 13-year-old wide receiver Max Schneegold and his team took five-minute breaks for every 15 minutes on the field based on the meter's reading.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Briona Arradondo, who interviewed Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Community Relations Coordinator Mikah Collins, Cambridge Christian School head football coach Geoff Parsley and wide receiver Max Schneegold.