October 15, 2026
Questions Every Parent Should Ask About Heat Safety Before the Season
Parents ask about the schedule, the uniform fee and the travel plan. Heat safety deserves a spot on that list. The questions below take five minutes to ask at a preseason meeting or in an email to the coach or athletic director, and the answers tell you how ready the program is if an athlete overheats.
Good programs welcome these questions. Each one comes with why it matters and what a strong answer sounds like, based on the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) position statement on exertional heat illnesses and other published guidance.
1. Is there a cold-water immersion tub at every practice and game?
Why it matters: Cold-water immersion is the gold standard treatment for exertional heat stroke. The goal is to start cooling within 10 minutes of collapse and reach about 102°F within 30 minutes, then transport. An ambulance cannot provide immersion on the way to the hospital, so the tub has to be on site. NATA says tubs for cold-water immersion should be on site, easily accessible and in good working order.
A strong answer: “Yes. The tub is set up and half-filled before every practice and game in warm weather, with ice in coolers next to it, and staff know who runs it.”
Read why every practice and event needs a cold-water immersion tub on site.
2. Who checks the heat, and how?
Why it matters: Air temperature alone misses humidity and sun. NATA calls for event guidelines based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which accounts for temperature, humidity, wind and sun.
A strong answer: “Our athletic trainer measures WBGT on the field before practice and during it, and we follow our state association’s chart for practice length, equipment and breaks.”
Read WBGT for schools.
3. Is there an athletic trainer at practices and games?
Why it matters: NATA identifies certified athletic trainers and other health care providers as the primary medical providers for athletes with heat illness, with the authority to pull an athlete from activity.
A strong answer: “Yes, at practices and home games. When the athletic trainer is not on site, a trained coach runs the heat plan and the emergency plan.”
4. Is there a written emergency action plan, and has the staff practiced it?
Why it matters: NATA says every institution should have an emergency action plan specific to each practice and game site, and that coaches, athletic trainers and EMS should review and rehearse it. A plan nobody has practiced is slow when it counts.
A strong answer: “Yes. It names who calls 911, where the ambulance enters, where the tub is and who runs it. We walked through it before the season.”
5. How do you check body temperature if heat stroke is suspected?
Why it matters: NATA calls rectal temperature the clinical gold standard for core temperature in heat stroke. Oral, ear, forehead and armpit readings are not valid after hard exercise in the heat and lead to the wrong treatment. NATA also says parents should be told ahead of time that this procedure is used in heat emergencies. In a 2021 survey of 531 high school athletic trainers, parent concern was the most-cited barrier to a rectal temperature policy, named by 58.5%.
A strong answer: “Our athletic trainer uses a rectal thermometer, following physician-approved orders. Cooling never waits for a reading.” Knowing this ahead of time helps you support the staff in an emergency.
Read why rectal temperature is the only reliable way to diagnose heat stroke.
6. How do you ease athletes into the heat at the start of the season?
Why it matters: NATA says athletes should acclimatize to the heat gradually over 7 to 14 days, and that the first 2 to 3 weeks of preseason carry the greatest risk. The benefits of acclimatization fade within 3 weeks if they are not maintained, so a long break resets the clock.
A strong answer: “We follow a written acclimatization schedule: shorter practices, limited equipment and no double sessions in the first days, building up over two weeks.”
Coaches can use the free Acclimatization Schedule.
7. Can athletes drink whenever they want?
Why it matters: NATA says players should have free access to fluids at all times, not just during designated breaks.
A strong answer: “Yes. Water and sports drinks are on the field the whole practice, and athletes never need permission to drink.”
8. What happens during breaks on hot days?
Why it matters: NATA says breaks should be in the shade or a cooling zone, long enough for everyone to drink, and players should be allowed to remove equipment such as helmets. The work-to-rest ratio changes as conditions get hotter.
A strong answer: “More breaks as WBGT rises, in shade, helmets off, with ice towels in the cooling zone.”
9. Does the preseason physical ask about heat illness?
Why it matters: NATA recommends a physician-supervised preparticipation screening to identify athletes with risk factors for heat illness or a past heat illness.
A strong answer: “Yes. Our form asks about past heat illness, medications, supplements, sleep and conditioning.” Tell the athletic trainer if your child has had a heat illness before.
10. What is the rule when an athlete is sick?
Why it matters: NATA says athletes with a fever, a viral illness such as a stomach bug or cold, or another illness should not participate until it resolves, and should be watched closely when they return to exercise in the heat.
A strong answer: “Sick athletes sit out, and we check in with the athletic trainer before they return.”
11. Does the heat plan cover every team that is outside?
Why it matters: Band, cheer, dance, cross country and summer conditioning face the same heat as football. Research on marching band has measured core temperatures above 106°F during a game.
A strong answer: “Yes. The same heat policy, emergency plan and cooling tub cover every outdoor activity.” See our marching band heat safety guide.
12. Will the plan travel with the team?
Why it matters: Away games, camps and tournaments happen at venues the school does not control.
A strong answer: “We confirm medical coverage and cooling at the host site, and our athletic trainer brings what we need if the site does not have it.”
What Parents Can Do at Home
- Sleep: NATA encourages at least 7 hours of sleep a night in a cool room, because heat effects build up from day to day.
- Fluids and food: Send a full water bottle and make sure your athlete eats and drinks before practice. NATA’s goal is light-colored urine in the morning.
- Supplements: NATA discourages supplements that dehydrate, speed up metabolism or affect body temperature. Talk to the athletic trainer before your athlete uses any.
- Speaking up: Teach your athlete that telling a coach they feel dizzy, confused or “off” is smart, not weak.
- Knowing the signs: Confusion, stumbling, odd behavior or collapse in the heat means heat stroke until proven otherwise, even if the athlete is still sweating. Read the warning signs.
One-Page Checklist
| Question | Strong answer includes |
|---|---|
| Cold-water immersion tub on site? | Yes, filled before activity, ice ready, someone assigned |
| Who checks heat? | On-site WBGT reading, state association chart |
| Athletic trainer present? | Yes, or a trained coach runs the plan |
| Written, rehearsed emergency plan? | Yes, site-specific, practiced this season |
| Temperature check method? | Rectal thermometer; cooling never waits |
| Acclimatization? | Written schedule over the first two weeks |
| Water access? | Any time, no permission needed |
| Breaks on hot days? | More breaks, shade, equipment off |
| Physical asks about heat? | Yes, past heat illness, medications, supplements |
| Sick athletes? | Sit out until well |
| Every outdoor team covered? | Band, cheer, dance, conditioning included |
| Away events? | Cooling and medical confirmed at host site |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should I ask?
Start with the head coach. The athletic director and athletic trainer can answer questions about the emergency plan, the tub and temperature checks.
What if the program does not have a tub yet?
Share our article on why every event needs a tub. A basic 100-gallon stock tank costs about $150.
Aren’t cold towels and ice packs enough?
No. They cool far more slowly than immersion. Read why cold towels, ice packs and fans don’t treat heat stroke.
Does my state require any of this?
Rules vary by state. Some states, such as Florida and Maryland, require schools to be ready for cold-water immersion. Your state high school association’s heat policy is the place to start.
What about club and travel teams?
Ask the same questions. NATA’s 2024 position statement on emergency action plans says plans belong in all organized sports at every level, including youth play, and that a whole-body cold-water immersion vessel should be available at all athletic events.
Share This Before the Season
Forward this list to your team’s parent group, and point coaches to our free heat safety tools, including the Emergency Action Plan Builder and Heat Rules Card. National Stay Cool Day is April 8, 2027. Ask your school to sign up.
References
- National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Position Statement: Exertional Heat Illnesses. Journal of Athletic Training. 2015;50(9):986-1000. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4639891
- National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Position Statement: Emergency Action Plan Development and Implementation in Sport. Journal of Athletic Training. 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11220767
- High schools’ adoption of evidence-based practices for the management of exertional heat stroke. Journal of Athletic Training. 2021;56(10):1142-1153. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8530428
- Core body temperatures in collegiate marching band artists during rehearsals and performances. Journal of Athletic Training. 2021;56(3):302-310. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8010928
- Florida Statutes § 1006.165. flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/1006.165
- Maryland Chapter 163 (2024), HB 1219. mgaleg.maryland.gov
This article is for education and planning. It does not replace medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.