August to October are known as the most humid months of the year in Florida. Tragically, in these last two months, about 8 kids from Florida have passed away due to heat-related illnesses. At Pines Charter, various sports games and practices have been canceled due to the poor weather and intense heat that the state has been experiencing.
With heat stroke being one of the leading causes of death to high school athletes, students have a growing concern that the heat is too much on them. Junior Giada Porven, a member of the PPCHS swim team, expressed how even while swimming, the heat can be a struggle to manage. “The heat [can get pretty] overwhelming,” Porven says. “Even though we’re in a pool, we’re still excessively sweating.” Heat has been at the forefront of many problems, but other hammering conditions have affected many other athletes.
With most sports being held outside, the weather can drastically affect the players while they play. Junior Alexander Young, a defensive end of the varsity football team, says, “Sometimes weather can get super hard to manage. I think that, on occasion, our team will be at a disadvantage due to the humidity and warm weather since it gets really hot and makes our uniform sweaty,” Young says, “It gets really rainy and muddy and causes the team to slip or get excessively dirty, sometimes it can lead to a lot of distractions and mess-ups.”
Countless practices for Charter sports teams have been canceled or rescheduled due to the excessive amounts of weather holds. Junior Armando Ayala, a member of the cross-country team, states, “We have canceled [about] 2-3 practices. [This is a] negative [thing] because even though I get a break for the day, it means we may not be as ready for our next meet compared to our competition.”
Porven also talks about how that can be a negative impact for swimmers. How even with one day out of routine, their bodies are thrown off, and causes them to lose practice.
Not only that, but the constant weather holds and rain pouring every day can cause sports grounds to occasionally become muddy. The cross country team expressed “Markham Park has been really muddy the past few days, I’ve seen people slip on the mud many times.” The football team adds “No one has an issue with being dirty, but [with the constant mud] sometimes it can lead to a lot of distractions and mess-ups”
Senior Abraham Penezola also expressed “I had made finals for my events in swimming and I couldn’t swim or attend any finals due to the terrible weather.”
Due to the rain hammering Florida, students have not been able to practice or participate in any team activities. This means no chemistry buildup between players, any team schemes or gameplan won’t be shared, and they would probably go into games clueless of what to do. Abraham and many students’ seasons have been ruined by these dreadful conditions.
While playing in different conditions can bring out unique experiences for many people, it is important that every athlete is safe. Student athletes in dangerous weather like the extreme heat or close lighting should be taken under precaution. For everyone, make sure to stay hydrated and be aware of the danger that is the weather.
