With the summer days heating up and the calendar getting closer to when students are getting back to school, the National Athletic Trainers' Association is making recommendations with the goal of keeping student athletes safe while practicing in the heat.

In the recent NATA study, the organization gives recommendations to give student-athletes a period to get acclimated to warm weather, limiting practice amounts in the first two weeks of practice and outlining how much rest should be taken.

Recommendations during the first two weeks of practice, what the NATA call a "heat-acclimatization period" include athletes not participating in 2-a-day practices for the first five days; only helmets can be worn in the first two days; 2-a-day practice days should be followed by a single practice day and that an athletic trainer should be on site.

At Hanford West, it will be have been months of practice before 2-a-day practices begin, instead of the recommended five days.

Hanford West football coach Daryl Beck says the Huskies won't start 2-a-day practices until schools starts, around mid-August, almost three months after players started offseason training.

The team currently is practicing three days a week, including weightlifting and on-the-field practice, since school got out.

When school starts, Beck said the team will have a practice in the morning before school for an hour then another practice after school that doesn't last more than two hours.

Beck also said the staff is trained to handle situations that can come up in the heat.

"All the coaches receive training for heat-related illness as part of their CPR/First Aid certification," Beck said. "We have frequent water breaks and we have mobile water stations that we place near our drills so that players can get a drink during an activity if necessary."

According to the NATA, at least 29 high school players have died from heat-related illness since 1995.

Last August, a 15-year-old football player in Kentucky died three days after collapsing at a football practice.

The coach pleaded not guilty to reckless homicide and a trial is scheduled to start next month.

On July 8, a junior defensive back at Western Carolina University died after collapsing during an offseason workout after complaining of cramps at the beginning of sprints.

David Csillan, co-chair of the task force for the NATA, said "these recommendations are only minimum standards, based on the best heat-acclimatization evidence available.

"Following these guidelines provides all secondary school athletes an opportunity to train safely and effectively during the preseason practice period."

Beck said the most important part is educating the athletes.

"Hydration is a process that happens throughout the day," Beck said. "We encourage our players to drink plenty of water and sport drinks and to stay away from sodas."

The Huskies coach and others want to make sure the student athletes stay safe.

"We spend a lot of time with our players starting in the offseason and continuing through the season and we bond with them," Beck said. "We feel like they are our own children and we would never do anything that we feel would put them in danger."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

(July 19, 2009)