NAPLES, Fla. — Amid heat advisories, Collier County Public Schools' (CCPS) high school athletics programs moved indoors to followed the advice of their certified athletic trainers.
The school district also made the announcement that the start time of all CCPS varsity football home games on Friday, August 18, would be Delayed to 7:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, Courtney Schott, an athletic trainer at Gulf Coast High School, continued to make changes to the school's football practice because of the heat.
“I talked to my coaches earlier today and we decided that at least for the first hour of practice we are gonna go ahead and go inside in the gym,” said Schott.
It was an easy call, according to Schott.
“I joke that I went to school to do sports medicine, not necessarily to do weather, but I do all of it,” said Schott.
Schott said all of it plays an important part in keeping high school athletes like her Sharks safe during the summer scorchers.
“There is a weather station on top of the school and it takes the temperature readings for us,” said Schott.
“We go based off of these charts here ,so right now where the temperature is sitting as it just changed to 88.2, they are at a moderate risk for heat illness,” said Schott.
Those readings Schott said come from an athletic physician chart that tells them what type of practice they can have and when athletes need to stay inside.
Schott told Fox 4 that during practices she has to remain vigilant and be able to recognize the symptoms of any heat-related illnesses.
“I try to make sure that those kids that seem like they are kind of out of it... they are slower than everybody else they just aren't acting their normal selves, I pride myself on the relationship I build with these kids so I tend to catch on very quickly,” said Schott.
A shared responsibility since a state law passed in 2020, the Zachary Martin Act, means all coaches must be CPR/AED certified in case of an emergency.
On game day, the school district’s Director of Sports Medicine Doctor Patrick Joyner is on the sidelines.
“Giving that athlete immediate care before transitioning them to the next phase can be a game changer not only in their return to sports but in their overall healthcare,” said Doctor Joyner.
