High schools adapting football practices to accommodate triple-digit heat

Aug. 1 was the first day high school athletes could practice for fall sports. Much of the week has featured triple-digit heat. Throw in some football pads and a helmet, and there could be a heat-related disaster.

"We can't do what I did 20 years ago with you guys because [the] climate's changed. It's gotten a lot hotter, and the kids have changed. They don't go outside. They're not as active as they were before, so we've got to adjust that so they get used to the heat here," said Sochovka.

For Raleigh, this summer is already one of the hottest on record

Coaches are making sure players aren't developing heat related injuries like dehydration, which is when someone feels lightheaded, dizzy or can have dry mouth and eyes.

Heat exhaustion is when a person's core body temperature really heats up, and they will have headaches, feel sick and sweat excessively.

Then there's heat stroke when a person's body temperature soars, and someone stops sweating because their body has given up on trying to cool you down. People can experience shortness of breath and loss of consciousness.

Dangerous triple-digit heat has summer camps, sports teams changing plans

But there are things parents can do to make sure their student-athletes stay safe in the hot weather before they hit the field.

"Hydration and nutrition. Nutrition during the day, nutrition at night when they get home. Hydrating them all day long," said Pine Forest High School head athletic trainer Chris Green.

Could extreme heat trigger power outages in North Carolina?

"Don't let them sit around in the house in the air conditioning all day long. They need to get out and they need to get into the heat."

Some schools hold practice in the early morning, others, like Pine Forest, start practice at 6p.m.