GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Hot.
On Tuesday, high school athletic departments had to make the call whether to cancel practices and games or otherwise accommodate to the weather as high heat and humidity settled over the state.
Per MHSAA policy, if the heat index is above 104 degrees, all sports must stop outside activity. If air conditioning is not available for indoor activities, those must stop, too, in both practice and play.
When the heat index is between 99 and 104 degrees, 10-minute water breaks must occur every half hour and contact sports with additional equipment, including football, are not allowed to use helmets and pads.
READ MORE: MHSAA Heat and Humidity Policy
"What it boils down to is, ultimately, we want safety at the forefront for all of our kids and our coaches," said Ben Sherman, the athletic director at Forest Hills Northern High School (FHN).
At hourly intervals on Tuesday, a FHN trainer took a psychrometer across the school campus, reading the feels-like temperatures in real time. Tennis courts? 100 degrees. Football field? 105 degrees shortly after noon. The numbers would likely only keep climbing.
"The numbers don't lie and we try to stick to what the heat index is telling us," Sherman said.
The school had already canceled its morning football and cross country practices due to stormy weather, though the former was rescheduled to the evening when the heat index — hopefully — would be below the 99-degree benchmark. A soccer game, meanwhile, was canceled when GRPS closed on Tuesday.
"A lot of it, we try to do ahead of time," Sherman said, referencing how the athletic department tries to plan ahead for heat. In some cases, though, calls to cancel or postpone are made at the last minute. "Our parents are pretty understanding and flexible in these times. Not an everyday situation."
When the heat of a late summer sun causes the air to shimmer above the turf of the football field, staying safe is a collective effort.
"Grab that gallon jug of water and try to drink that whole thing," Sherman said. "Don't pass a drinking fountain and make sure you're hydrating throughout the school day as well."
