The summer of 2023 saw record-breaking temperatures in Texas, topping 110 degrees.
This poses a challenge for certain athletics students who hold their practices and events outside.
Tennis
For students who play tennis, the heat has caused practice times to change.
“To combat the heat, we have had practices at 6:00 a.m., before school starts, to have a chance to play. During the day it is too hot, and we have no other choice but to practice during that time,” said Akhilesh Singu, senior varsity tennis player.
Additionally, this has disrupted the length of practice.
“We are forced to have shorter practices,” said Singu. “In the morning, we get less time than usual, as opposed to our normal after school practices. If we do get a chance to practice during school, we get a limited amount of time because of the heat.”
Despite this, tennis is unable to hold practices inside.
“We don’t have a designated indoor workout area like the other sports, so we just try to do what we can in the area we get,” said Singu.
The change in schedule has made it harder for students to keep up with attendance.
“[Morning practices force us to wake up] extra early,” said Meghana Tummala, senior varsity tennis player. “People have accidentally slept in or were unable to show up due to the lack of sleep.”
The temperature has also posed health issues for athletes.
“We still have to go to matches regardless of the heat. However, we are getting dehydrated (easily) ” said Tummala. “Many of our players had to fight through cramping, dizziness, and nausea to persevere and help our team.”
Students have taken steps in order to prevent any illness.
“Hydration and eating foods high in potassium is key if you want to ensure that you don’t get dehydrated or cramp up. If you regularly do this, it will make sure that no difficulties come your way when having to play long, hard matches,” said Tummala.
The tennis coaches have also made sure to advise students on how to stay healthy by reminding players to eat nutritious foods, stay hydrated, and practice getting used to the heat.
Marching Band
Despite the heat, morning rehearsal times for the marching band have remained the same.
“The heat outside hasn’t changed the amount of time we practice very much at all. Since every band in the state is dealing with the heat right now, it’s important that we continue to practice,” said Shritan Khammankar, junior bass clarinetist.
In order to factor in the heat, the structure of rehearsals has shifted.
“We have this part in our rehearsal called tracking where we block up and march around the school, playing an exercise. Due to the heat, we do it at the end of rehearsal, but there’s still a decent amount of heat regardless,” said Suhas Ghatti, senior varsity drumline member.
Additionally, directors ensure that proper resources are allocated to students to keep them healthy.
“The band makes it mandatory that we have lots of water with us during rehearsals and competitions all the time,” said Khammankar. “This helps us stay less tired and deliver a better performance.”
Indoor rehearsals are also an option if the heat gets too intense.
“We have the option to stay inside and do music-only rehearsals,” said Khammankar. “This was really more common earlier towards the summer.”
With these resources provided, attendance is emphasized.
“[This] is a factor that the staff team takes very seriously, but earlier in the summer, some heat related illnesses dropped the attendance,” said Khammankar.
Despite the accommodations, practicing outdoors is inevitable.
“Drumline and marching is an outside activity meant to be performed on a football field. Therefore, the more time we practice outside in the heat, the better prepared we are for our performances,” said Ghatti.
The heat levels have tested student focus and mentality.
“In Drumline, we have to focus on a lot of things at once: listening to each other, playing the right beats, marching the right tempo, and looking the part. In the heat, it’s a lot to keep up with, but with each practice we only get better,” said Ghatti.
Whether it is playing long matches under the sun, or performing for hours in the heat, IHS marching band and tennis students have struggled face-to-face with the rise in temperatures. Despite this, students in both programs have continued to adapt and persevere.
