BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The first day of school is still several days away, but for many student athletes, including the Blades of East Bakersfield High School, practice is already underway. With the summer heat still on, the Blades football program is working to keep players safe.
Whether the sport is soccer, tennis, or football, concerns about the heat are always an issue. Student athletes at East High are expected to get to practice as early as 5:30 am to beat the heat.
Blades Football Head Coach Bibi Carrasco says sometimes, avoiding the heat is the safest option.
"They adjust very well, but it's how you approach it. I believe that if you get out of the heat and start things early, you can avoid it as much as possible," said Carrasco. "Sometimes you can't avoid it, but we do the best we can to avoid."
Carrasco has been head coach at East High for the last 3 years, but he's been coaching for 26. He says that during his time as a coach, pushing practice to be done in the morning has been the best solution in ensuring the students' overall safety, but he says that when school is in session, it isn't always an option.
"Be here at 5:30 in the morning and then they have to go to school, so we start right after school and we try to go after school, go to study hall maybe, a little weightlifting afterward, and then we have to start practice at 6:00 or 7:00," said Carrasco. "Sometimes we don't have a choice but to go late at night."
16-year-old Alex Newkirk, who is about to enter his junior year, is also on the school's football team. Newkirk says he's gotten used to the early morning routine and he appreciates the work Coach Carrasco does for the team.
"With a good coaching staff and good coaches and everything, they let time for tons of water breaks, and they never try to work us too hard, to a point where we start throwing up," said Newkirk. "They make sure we're safe."
Newkirk says there have been occasions where rather than practicing earlier, practice is canceled altogether. According to the Kern High School District, that decision is based on the daily Air Quality Index through guidelines sent to every school in the district.
Lacey Newkirk, Alex Newkirk's mother, says she is very appreciative of the coach's efforts, and although the switch in schedule may not be ideal for parents, it's about the kids and their overall health.
"Games have been pushed back several hours, so instead of playing at 6:00 in the heat of the day, we were now starting at 8:00, so it's a sacrifice," said Ms. Newkirk. "Because you're gonna get out of there at 10:00, but at least all the kids aren't falling over."
Coach Carrasco says that safety is always his number one concern, but even in the heat, he tries to make each practice as engaging as possible to try and get the kids out of that lethargic feel.
"We don't want them to overheat. We don't want them to have a heatstroke out here, so we really have to be very conscious about that," said Carrasco. "You can't just look at a cit and say you know he's not trying hard, you know? Every kid is different."
Carrasco says he is always looking for ways to support kids in the heat, however, he wants to remind students that they know their bodies best, and while he wants everyone to push themselves, he also wants them to be mindful of their limits.
