As the heat index continues to hit triple digits on a daily basis, athletes, marching band members and others students in outdoor camps are getting more breaks and more hydration.

The combination of high temperatures and humidity can lead to a variety of heat-related illnesses, including dehydration.

Warning signs include profuse sweating, lethargy or dizziness. Heat cramps can be minimized with increased fluids and stretching, but full body cramps may require intravenous fluids, said Kathy Matthews, athletic trainer for Bremen High School.

“When they’re getting into the more serious stages, they’ve used all the water in their bodies and need to get emergency assistance,” she said.

If a student has stopped sweating and has hot dry skin, Matthews said, he or she needs immediate medical assistance.

“Get them to the shade and cooled of as soon as possible,” she said.

Matthews said the coaches do a good job watching the kids and keeping them hydrated. Practices are scheduled early in the morning or late in the day and are interrupted by frequent water breaks.

“We have water available to the players throughout practice,” she said. “If they’re standing in line to do a drill, they can get some water.”

She recommends kids drink plenty of water or sports drinks before heading to camp or practice.

Despite the heat, marching band members at Central High School took part in band camp this past week with sessions lasting from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with breaks. After an hour-long lunch break, the band members break into section practice inside the air-conditioned school. After a two-hour dinner break, students return at 6 p.m. to march on the field.

“We try to stay inside as much as possible during the hot part of the day,” said band director Neil Ruby. “The big thing is keeping our kids hydrated. We tell the kids the intake of water needs to be about double.”

Ralph Sanders, softball coach at Bowdon High School, said his players take water breaks every 10 to 15 minutes, though the team might stay on the field longer to make up for the breaks.

There are state regulations, he said, that prohibit students from being outside if the heat index is too high. On days when players aren’t able to be outdoors, the girls work out in the gym.

“I’m pretty careful about not letting people get overheated,” Sanders said. “We worry about the catchers because they have all that equipment on. We rotate them so they’re not in the equipment long.”

A misting device on the ceiling of the dugout and a box fan at one end help the players cool down quickly, he said. Sometimes, he turns on the outfield sprinklers.

“I don’t want them sitting on the bench the whole practice, but I want them to take breaks if they need them,” he said.

A former football coach, Sanders said it was more difficult to get the boys to tell him if they were feeling dehydrated.

“I had to rush some (football) players to the hospital,” he said.

Seth Rogers, Temple High School football coach, said when it is as hot as it has been, his players will not wear full padding during practice. Instead, the team may only wear shoulder pads and helmets. Sometimes, they take off all the padding.

“You want to get the work done, but you don’t want to risk the kids,” he said. “The heat is nothing to take lightly. ... The days of two or three-a-day practices are gone.”

Before each practice, which typically starts after 6 p.m., the humidity and temperature are checked. Throughout practice, one of the coaches will check the gauge, he said. The practice field is partially shaded by practice time, which helps keep the team cool. If players get too hot, there are towels in ice water available.

“We try to break every 10 minutes,” Rogers said. “Depending on the heat index, sometimes it’s more often than that.”

Players are told to hydrate before they come to practice and to try avoiding extremely cold air-conditioned areas.

He said because it takes 10 to 14 days to get acclimated to the heat, the air conditioner is turned off in the weight room to allow the students to get accustomed to warmer weather.

“We do a pretty good job identifying the kids in the group that are ... overheated,” Rogers said. “If I’m out there coaching and sweating, I know the kids are hot.”

Throughout his 12 years of coaching, he said he’s never had a problem with players and heat illnesses because everyone on his staff knows the signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion.

“I think everyone in the area has done a good job with it,” Rogers said.

Rob Cleveland, Villa Rica High School football coach, said he has also been fortunate enough to not have had players with heat-related illnesses over his 22-year career.

“We tell the kids from day one ‘If you’re starting to feel weak or starting to feel light-headed, let us know immediately,’” Cleveland said.

He said three water stations and towels in ice water are set up around the field. Helmets are taken off in situations when they are not needed.

“We tell the kids at the end of practice to go home and get fluids,” Cleveland said. “If you go one day without proper hydration, it can affect your performance for days after. ... We have to be really cautious through the end of September.”

Mike Mason, Carrollton High School cross country coach for the boys and girls teams, said he will tell the kids where to run before turning around, then meet them at the halfway point with a water cooler in his truck.

He tried scheduling workouts for early mornings, but few runners would show. Now, he has practices scheduled to begin around 7 p.m. to avoid some of the heat.

“On longer runs, they’ll find somewhere to stop and get water,” Mason said, noting that some of the runners will occasionally go into fast food restaurants to get water.

A trainer watches the kids and the heat index during practice. If it is too hot, the kids do not run.

“I tell the kids we’re not out here to be heroes,” he said.