Starting Saturday, August 1, Texas schools will be required to use a new kind of heat and humidity monitoring to determine when it is unsafe for students to be outside for sports and marching band practice. What had previously been only a recommendation is now a requirement, marking a significant shift in how the state approaches heat safety for young athletes.
The rule centers on a device known as a WBGT, which stands for wet bulb globe temperature. Unlike a simple heat index reading, the WBGT does not rely on temperature alone. According to Christiane Eason with the Corey Stringer Institute, it incorporates humidity, but it also incorporates wind speed and radiant heat, providing a more accurate representation of the conditions that athletes are actually participating in.
The Corey Stringer Institute, based at the University of Connecticut, is named for the NFL player who died from heat stroke, and it is dedicated to heat safety research. Eason noted that the anniversary of Stringer's death falls on August 1, and that this year marks 25 years since he died, calling it serendipitous that the new rule is going into effect on that same date.
The University Interscholastic League requirement also comes after a more recent loss closer to home. Officials pointed to the death of 15-year-old Preston Malone III in Lancaster, Texas, in August of last year, an incident that has helped drive the push to make heat monitoring mandatory rather than optional for schools across the state.
Under the new system, the readings will trigger specific actions on the field. If the WBGT is in the red flag zone, there will be modifications such as more hydration breaks or limiting heavy equipment and uniform gear. If the WBGT reaches 92, outdoor practice should be canceled altogether, a threshold meant to protect athletes during the most dangerous conditions.
Officials were careful to stress that a WBGT reading of 92 is not the same as saying it is 92 degrees outside, addressing concerns that the standard would force practices to shut down constantly. Captain Krista Stedman with Austin-Travis County EMS said coaches need to be cognizant of the risks, explaining that kids make more heat than adults do for their body size.
Stedman added that there are behavioral factors at play as well, noting that kids are less likely to take breaks if they do not have to, may not recognize how thirsty they are, and can dehydrate more easily. Advocates say they hope more states will adopt the requirement, arguing that the goal is to protect student athletes while noting that gradual exposure to heat can also help them perform better.