Hot, hot, hot: How students beat the heat

FlipSide illustration by VINCENT TILEY/George Washington High School

By Mary Heath
George Washington High School

“It’s gettin’ hot in here.”

This line from Nelly’s popular song “Hot in Herre” describe how students feel during their summer and early fall practices for band and sports. But they can’t follow Nelly’s suggestion to “take off all your clothes,” so how exactly can they beat the heat?

“I try to keep hydrated, so before practices I drink a lot of water since sometimes we go awhile without a break,” said Karen Ryall, a George Washington senior and head majorette. “Then I bring Gatorade to drink during practice. If you stay hydrated, then it’s all cool. When you get dehydrated, you start seeing weird colors and fall down. So I try to keep that from happening.”

Until the weather cools down for good, musicians and athletes still must practice at some of the hottest times of the day. How do they know if they have pushed themselves to the limit?

The signs for heat stroke and dehydration are easy to tell, but serious or even deadly if ignored. Symptoms of heat-related illnesses include weakness, muscle aches and cramps, nausea and lightheadedness. With dehydration it’s not uncommon to have an upset stomach, stop perspiring, or see the skin start turning gray.

Students who encounter these problems should find a shady place to sit down, rest and slowly drink some cool water. If they feel sick, they should not be afraid or ashamed to tell someone.

During the last week of July, when temperatures neared the upper 90s, bands from GW and other schools were already on the field, learning the basics of marching and their halftime shows. Musicians from GW attended band camp in August at Cedar Lakes, where they endured some of the hottest temperatures all summer.

“The hot weather made us feel fatigued quicker than usual,” recalled junior piccolo player Lauren Morris. “It was especially hard to stay focused on the task at hand, but I think we all managed. The fact that most of the summer prior to camp was cooler made it harder. We just weren’t used to the hot weather, especially after being indoors a lot.”

After the band returned home, practice continued from 8 a.m. to noon every day until the first day of class. And now that school’s in session, the band is on the field from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. every afternoon. How do students stay cool?

“I pretty much just drink cool water or use the [wet] washcloth the band provides,” said junior baritone player Matthew Jackfert.

Junior clarinetist Rebecca Dolph said it’s mind over matter. “I try not to think about it and drink water. I’m not a quitter, so I have to keep going,” she said.

Clothing choice plays a role in staying cool, too. “I usually wear light clothing, but when given a break I drink a lot of water and put cold washcloths on my neck if they’re available,” junior majorette Jessie Hogue-Morgenstern said.

Sophomore trumpet player Christina Joseph said it’s been hard for her to adjust to the heat. “It was intense. I had never been in a band before and I didn’t know how to deal with it, but after a while I got used to it,” she said.

Regardless of the heat and not knowing when the next break might be, band students must keep marching. “My motivation is knowing that our hard work will pay off with an exciting field show that will provide lots of entertainment and, hopefully, be a success at competitions,” Morris said.

Junior clarinet player Katherine Smith agreed. “I know that if I try my hardest, it will help overall. And once we all do what we have to and do our best, the reward will be worth the sweat.”

As sophomore flag corps member Catherine Ameli pointed out, “There’s always something I need to improve on, so I try to think about that and not the heat.”

Musicians are not the only ones dealing with the heat. During the first week of August, another group at GW took the field — the Patriot football team. Players initially practiced from 9 to 11 a.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m.

“During practice we just have to go through the heat and try to drink as much Gatorade and water as possible,” junior Edwin Neal said.

“They give us plenty of water breaks and there is a fan outside that sprays water,” added sophomore Jason Smith.

Junior Corey Starcher said the team took water breaks every 30 minutes. “When it is really hot during our conditioning, the coaches will allow us to take our equipment off — but not always.”

However, the time between breaks can get tough and the right attitude outlook keeps them going. “My motivation is my love for the game,” junior Omar Wazir said.

“I think our motivation comes from our attitude toward the game,” Starcher said. “We know that we have a pretty good team this year and have a chance to go far in our season. Every extra play, drill or practice we have will help us get that extra step over the competition. We know we have to make it through the practice and when we do and the big game comes along, it will all pay off with a victory.”

Smith said the coaches also help. “They encourage us to keep going.”

Neal explained that the ultimate inspiration for him is “the big games coming up this year and just that [feeling of] ‘Hey, you’re playing football and it’s fun.’ ”

Soccer practice at GW started around the same time that football did. The girls took the field daily from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 6:30 p.m., while the boys practiced roughly the same amount of time.

Junior Sharon Briggs said she always feels committed to practice. “Since I’m an upperclassman, I know I have to set an example to the other players. Plus, I need to be in the best shape to play competitively, and the other girls are really good at encouraging everyone on the team to keep going.”

How do the soccer players manage to stay cool while they run drills? “Other than drinking tons and tons of water, we take a lot of breaks in the dugout,” Briggs said.

Whether they do it for band, football, soccer or another activity, students who practice in the heat know the end result can be worth it.

“When it’s hot and miserable you really have to push yourself. My motivation is knowing what we are working for,” Ryall said. “We have an award-winning band. It feels awesome to hear your name called at the end as the grand champion at a competition. Working with the overall goal in mind helps me stay motivated through the agonizing heat.”

So the next time you near Nelly’s tune, take a break, drink something cool and remember those students who must find ways to beat the heat. And when you see them on the field, remind them that they’re hot, hot, hot.