Due to the excessive heat, athletes that participate in outdoor sports this fall must weigh in at the beginning and end of each practice. If athletes aren’t properly hydrated, they must sit out at practice. Hailed by some as a necessary safety measure but sometimes considered an uncomfortable waste of practice time, the new policy is certainly a big change for athletes.
“I like that we are worrying about hydration,” tennis coach Heather Beal said. “But the implementation is still hard to do.” When an athlete is dehydrated, they lose two percent of their body weight according to Mercy Hospital. Sponsored by Mercy Hospital, this new policy encourages coaches to weigh athletes for hydration. Its purpose is to limit the amount of injuries in the athletes that can be avoided with hydration. Because of this policy, many athletes have been drinking more water.
“If I drink more water,” freshman cross country runner Sam Gillespie said. “I run easier and faster.”

Gillespie has been drinking a lot more water due to the hydration rule while Zach Hresko, a senior, varsity soccer player has been noticing he is less tired when he drinks more water.
“It’s kind of annoying [to get weighed at each practice],” Hresko said. “But for health reasons I understand.”

So far, there are no soccer players who have sat out due to being dehydrated. Ken Weinstein, a senior varsity soccer player hasn’t been feeling the need to drink a lot of water during practice because of how hydrated he is.
“We’ve been very fortunate to make sure that our athletes are getting everything they need and this [new hydration rule] adds to it,” Coach Brian Adam, soccer coach said.
Some athletes feel uncomfortable getting weighed, like junior Mallory Horn, a varsity tennis player.
“I kind of don’t like it, but because it’s a coach I know, it’s okay,” Horn said.
This new rule was supposed to start last fall; however, implementation began this fall.
“I think any policy that is in place for the safety of our athletes is a good policy,” athletic director John Theobald said. “We didn’t feel ready to do this last year.”