"Sweat in August, win in December."
It's a phrase that suggests that if you train hard in the off-season, you will be rewarded by winning in the post-season. The 2002 ESPN original film entitled, "The Junction Boys," highlights the idea of sweating in August and winning in December.
The film depicts legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his 1954 Texas A&M Aggies football team struggling to survive his 10-day summer camp in Junction, Texas. In the movie, a ruthless Bryant puts his players through a grueling practice schedule and allows no water breaks in the heat, which topped 100 degrees. Although the "survivors," as they came to be known, did end up mentally tougher after their experience, their sweat did not translate into wins. The Aggies went 1-9 that season.
In those days, that's how they did things. Today, these practices would be regarded as dangerous and potentially fatal - and with good reason.
According to the National Federation of High School Associations, 20 high school football players died from heatstroke in the United States between 1995 and 2005. From 1955 to 1994, the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research reported that there have been 82 heat-related deaths at all levels of football (high school, collegiate and professional).
The death of Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer in 2001, from complications brought on by heatstroke, was the most prominent catalyst for change in summer conditioning programs.
Bob Otrando, director of strength and conditioning for University of Massachusetts athletics, has been coaching for 28 years and knows the importance of keeping players safe.
"You've got to know your athlete and know your conditions," said Otrando. "You want to push them, but safety comes first."
To "know your conditions," Otrando uses a device called a "wet bulb," which provides a reading based on the combination of humidity and air temperature. Otrando and his staff use the measurement to decide whether to hold practice on especially hot days, and in some cases, even close the weight room.
When the heat is on during the summer, practices are held early in the morning and at night. During practice, Otrando said that the most important thing is to hydrate a lot and take breaks. Additionally, a trainer is present at all running workouts to prevent any issues.
Only so much can be done physically to keep players cool in the summer heat. Over the past few years, changes in equipment have been made to keep players cooler and drier.
UMass football equipment manager Paul Bys noted several changes in the gear worn by the team.
"The new uniforms have more Lycra and are made of more breathable materials," says Bys. "It wicks water away from the body to keep players cooler in the heat and drier in the winter."
Bys says that uniforms have strayed away from their cotton predecessors, which has been beneficial to an industry that is reliant on speed and safety.
UMass football will be making the switch from Nike uniforms to Adidas this upcoming season, and although the full shipment of Adidas products hasn't come in yet, Bys and the team are eager to see the finished result.
"We are looking forward to working with an exciting company [Adidas] and the new products," said Bys. "Clima-Lite is new to us."
According to Adidas, the Clima-Lite fabric, used in T-shirts worn by players under their pads, pulls sweat away from the skin to the outer fabric face for quick evaporation, enhancing the body's natural temperature regulation.
The team may be looking to keep the temperature down in their off-season training, but the team and fans alike are hoping that they turn the heat up when the season resumes, looking to build off of last season in which they finished the season ranked No. 3 after the loss to Appalachian State in the NCAA Division I championship game.
The season opens at home against Holy Cross on Sept. 1st.
Jeff Shapiro can be reached at jashapir@student.umass.edu.
Sidebar
Source: Gatorade Sports Science Institute
• When the temperature is 80 degrees and the relative humidity is 50 percent, that's enough to be considered dangerous. And that's for people dressed in shorts and T-shirts. So, when you're dealing with players in pads and helmets, it doesn't take much heat to be dangerous.
• Heat-related problems, both minor and severe, have everything to do with hydration. Water and sports drinks are essential. A player should drink 20 ounces of water about an hour or two before a practice or game and then continue to drink throughout the practice.
• The first three days of training camp at any level of play are the most critical. According to Dr. Murray, all heat-related deaths in football camps have occurred in the first three days. That's because players must get acclimated to the heat. Two ways to get acclimated: sweat for at least an hour each day and spend time outside (away from air conditioning).
• Know what to look for. Some of the signs that a player might be feeling effects of the heat include: irritability, confusion, belligerence, hyperventilation, refusal to drink and staggering. It's also important to know how you yourself might feel in this instance. Some of the symptoms include: headache, dizziness, unusual fatigue, heat flush, chills and tingling fingers. It seems odd that feeling a chill could be a symptom of heat problems, but it's a sign that blood flow is slowing down, which leads to a quick rise in body temperature.
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