Holt High football coach makes safety changes amid high heat index

This week Tuscaloosa County, like most of the rest of the state, is seeing triple digit temperatures.

The Holt High School football team has been practicing in the the heat all summer. And head football coach Brian Newton said the weather has taken a toll on his players and staff.

“Football is important here in Alabama and we love football. But that doesn’t compare to the safety of these kids.  We have to protect these kids at all cost, so we are putting a lot of time and effort into making sure the kids are hydrated all day long,” said Newton.

Heat index levels topped 100 degrees this week, and Coach Newton said this has prompted his staff to change football game times and the equipment the players wear while practicing in the heat.

“Now we are going to start at 7:30 instead of 7 in hopes to have the heat index down a little bit more before we play. We had the state regulate some measurements to make sure the kids are safe, so we haven’t been practicing in shoulder pads all week long,” said Newton.

Newton said other than pushing back game times, his staff also gives the players a break every 20 minutes.

Some county high school administrators pushed their games back as late as 8:00 p.m. or even to Saturday morning.