UIL requiring new mandatory heat safety rules for outdoor activities

AUSTIN, Texas - Starting August 1, the University Interscholastic League will require schools to monitor heat conditions at sports and marching band practice. 

They will need to use a WBGT device, which stands for "wet bulb globe temperature." Previously, it was only a recommendation, and now it's becoming a requirement. It doesn't only look at heat index. It also factors in humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. 

This change follows the death of Preston Malone III in Lancaster, Texas, in August of last year. 

What they're saying:

The Korey Stringer Institute, based at the University of Connecticut, is named for the NFL player who died from heat stroke. It is dedicated to heat safety. 

"The anniversary of his death is August 1st. This year will be 25 years, and I think there's something sort of serendipitous about this rule going into effect on August 1," Christianne Eason, president of sport safety and education at KSI said.

If the WBGT is in the "red flag zone," there will be modifications like more hydration breaks or limiting heavy equipment and uniform gear.

"The World Cup was a really great example of the effectiveness of hydration breaks. If professional athletes have to do it, then student athletes should have to it too," Capt. Christa Stedman with Austin-Travis County EMS said. 

She says coaches need to be cognizant.

"Kids make more heat than adults do for their body size. There's also some behavioral things that go into it. Kids are less likely to take breaks if they don't have to. They may not recognize how thirsty they are and dehydrate more easily," Stedman said.

If the WBGT is at 92, that means outdoor practice should be canceled. 

"It's really important to recognize that a heat index reading of say a 92, for example, that's not the same as saying it's 92 degrees outside. I know that there was some concern like, 'oh, if you use the WBGT, they're never going practice because at 92 degrees, you have to cancel,' and that's just not accurate," Eason said.

She hopes more states will adopt this requirement.

"The whole reason that we advocate so strongly for this is that we are looking to protect the student athletes, but we also know that through gradual exposure to heat, you can perform better," she said.