Sunburn and heatstroke are not typically on the minds of fall athletes, but right now, they may be their biggest threats.
State College is not safe from the heatwave currently engulfing the planet. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, there have been over 35,000 wildfires in the United States alone this year, touting the summer of 2023 as the hottest summer ever recorded.
As the temperatures heighten, Centre County has been hit with a cycle of extreme heat followed by rain and storms. Due to this sudden shift of weather, activities and programs hosted in the early weeks of fall are off to a rocky start.
Lyla Higgins, captain of the State High girls tennis varsity team, has felt the effects of this heat on her team.
“It’s actually really annoying,” Higgins said. “We have to walk all the way up to the courts past Delta, and everybody has two backpacks on. Then when we get up there, it’s so hot.”
Student athletes have had to practice and play in temperatures nearing 100°F, a stark contrast to the typical weather during this time. This intense heat may not just be affecting players, but their games as well.
“One of our games was moved back by a few hours,” Ella Gourley, State High freshman and member of the girls field hockey, stated. “It was one of our away games and because it was really hot in the middle of the day, they moved it to the evening.”
The SCASD Athletic Department has taken note of the weather, and has policies in place to help beat the heat.
“We have protocols, guidelines, actions, in place that we continue to use and communicate with our coaches,” Chris Weakland, Athletic Director for State College Area High School, said. “We also have guidance from the district administrative office downtown and if they feel if any special restrictions need to be put in place, we work with them on that as well. We’ve always had standing procedures for heat and humidity, as well as cold, and any extreme weather.”
The weather is expected to return to normal within the coming weeks, but if it does not, the district is prepared to continue with its tactics.
“We work closely with both school districts when we have competitions to make sure that we’re following their protocol and their expectations as well,” Weakland added. “When we provide whatever accommodations we need, whether pushing the games later in the day — which we’ve done — or even rescheduling games, which we’ve [also] done.”
Even once this heat concludes, it will still be remembered by the athletes that had to endure it.
