The calendar may be moving toward fall, but Arkansas heat does not always follow the calendar.
Football, soccer, cross country, marching band, cheer and other fall activities are well underway, yet practices, rehearsals and games can still take place when temperatures are well into the 90s. That makes sports heat safety important long after the traditional summer preseason has ended.
At Healthy Connections and My Kids Pediatric Clinic, we want Arkansas families to understand the risks and the tools available to help manage them. Parents do not need to become athletic trainers or weather experts, but understanding what heat illness can look like, what Wet Bulb Globe Temperature means, and when a child needs medical attention can make a real difference.
Athletic trainers, pediatricians, sports-medicine researchers, high-school associations, college athletic programs, and professional sports organizations now use environmental monitoring, hydration strategies, heat acclimatization, and emergency planning to reduce the risk of heat-related illness. (nata.org)
The goal is not to make sports easier. It is to allow athletes to train and compete hard while reducing risks that can be prevented.
Heat Safety Is About More Than Water
Hydration matters, but sports heat safety involves more than bringing a water bottle.
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association recommends heat acclimatization, planned rest, modifying exercise based on environmental conditions, and preparation for recognizing and treating exertional heat illness. (nata.org)
USA Football recommends a gradual 10- to 14-day acclimatization period, along with changes to practice times, equipment and rest when conditions warrant. (usafootball.com)
The American Academy of Pediatrics identifies excessive exertion, inadequate recovery, dehydration and heat-retaining clothing or protective equipment among the modifiable factors that can increase heat-illness risk in young athletes. Its policy statement was reaffirmed in March 2025. (publications.aap.org)
The NCAA Sport Science Institute likewise says adequate hydration before, during and after physical activity is critical and that intense exercise, hot and humid weather and dehydration can increase exertional heat-injury risk. (ncaa.org)
Heat safety is a system — not a single water break.
The Thermometer Does Not Tell the Whole Story
Air temperature matters, but it does not tell us everything an athlete’s body is experiencing.
Humidity affects how effectively sweat evaporates. Direct sunlight adds radiant heat. Wind can help the body release heat. Cloud cover changes solar exposure. Uniforms and protective equipment can make cooling more difficult.
That is why athletic organizations increasingly use Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, or WBGT.
What Is Wet Bulb Globe Temperature?
WBGT is different from both air temperature and heat index.
The National Weather Service explains that WBGT considers temperature, humidity, wind, cloud cover, and sun angle. Heat index is based primarily on temperature and humidity and is calculated for shaded conditions. WBGT is especially useful when someone is exercising or working in direct sunlight. (weather.gov)
A National Weather Service example helps explain the difference:
| Measurement | Reading |
|---|---|
| Air temperature | 90°F |
| Relative humidity | 52% |
| Wind | 6 mph |
| Sky | Mostly sunny |
| Heat index | 96°F |
| WBGT | 88°F |
All three headline numbers can describe the same afternoon because they measure different things.
A WBGT of 88°F does not mean the air temperature is 88°F.
Behind the scenes, a WBGT instrument combines natural wet-bulb temperature, globe temperature and regular air temperature. The National Weather Service formula weights those measurements at 70%, 20% and 10%, respectively. Modern WBGT meters perform the calculation automatically.
Two days with the same air temperature can also have very different WBGT readings. In National Weather Service examples using 90°F air temperature, changes in wind and cloud cover produced WBGT values from about 81°F to 89°F. (weather.gov)
When Does WBGT Become a Concern in Arkansas?
There is no single WBGT number that applies identically to every climate. USA Football recommends region-specific WBGT guidance and following applicable state and local rules. (usafootball.com)
Arkansas uses a tiered approach for school practices. Current 2026-27 Arkansas policy summaries reflect these ranges: (perryweather.com)
| WBGT | Arkansas practice precautions |
|---|---|
| Below 82.0°F | Normal activity may continue, with 10 minutes of separate rest breaks per hour. |
| 82.0–86.9°F | Use discretion with intense or prolonged exercise, closely monitor higher-risk athletes and provide additional breaks. |
| 87.0–89.9°F | Maximum participation of two hours; 20 minutes of rest per hour; football equipment restrictions apply. |
| 90.0–92.0°F | Maximum participation of one hour; 30 minutes of rest during that hour; football protective equipment and conditioning restrictions apply. |
| Above 92.0°F | No outdoor workouts. Practice should be delayed until WBGT falls to a cooler level. |
Where the reading is taken matters. In August 2026, the Arkansas Activities Association clarified that a WBGT device should be placed in the same location and on the same surface as the practice — not moved into the shade to obtain a different reading. (ahsaa.org)
What About Games?
A game does not make heat stress disappear.
Arkansas distinguishes between practices and contests. In its August 2026 clarification, the Arkansas Activities Association said its practice WBGT requirements do not apply to benefit games because those are contests, but administrators should consider starting time and additional breaks when planning games in hot conditions. (ahsaa.org)
At the national level, the NFHS has emphasized that schools should alter or shut down outdoor activity when conditions warrant and has promoted WBGT monitoring as an objective way to evaluate heat stress. The NFHS Foundation has distributed more than 5,000 WBGT devices to high schools nationally. (nfhs.org)
Game-day precautions can include later start times, additional hydration and cooling opportunities, close athlete monitoring and a well-rehearsed emergency response plan.
The human body does not know whether the scoreboard is turned on. Heat stress still matters during competition.
This Is Happening at Every Level of Sports
USA Football describes WBGT as the preferred measurement of environmental conditions and recommends modifying practices, reducing equipment, increasing breaks and having cooling methods available when necessary.
The NCAA provides college programs with heat and hydration resources and identifies exertional heat stroke among the catastrophic medical conditions athletics programs must prepare to address.
In August 2026, NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills spoke with Dr. Douglas Casa of the Korey Stringer Institute about heat-stroke prevention, recognition and treatment. Their guidance included hydration, frequent rest, gradual exposure to heat, and rapid recognition and cooling when exertional heat stroke occurs.
These are elite professional athletes with extensive conditioning, medical staffs and resources. Heat precautions are still part of the game.
“We Practiced in 100-Degree Heat and Turned Out Fine”
Many adults remember playing sports, working outside or attending practices in extreme heat, sometimes with few water breaks.
Those experiences are real.
But today’s young athletes are not simply less capable of handling heat.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says current research does not support older assumptions that young people inherently have poorer thermoregulation, cardiovascular capacity or exercise tolerance than adults in the heat when adequately hydrated. Most healthy children and adolescents can participate safely in challenging hot conditions when preparation, monitoring, and appropriate modifications are used.
So this is not about which generation was tougher. It is about having better information.
Today we understand more about hydration, acclimatization, recovery, workload, protective equipment, and exertional heat illness. We can also measure environmental conditions much more precisely.
Using that information does not make athletes less tough. It makes training more informed.
Tough Practices and Safe Practices Can Be the Same Thing
Athletes improve because training challenges the body.
Heat precautions do not eliminate hard work. The distinction is between productive training stress and preventable dangerous heat stress.
National sports organizations recommend changing duration, intensity, equipment, rest periods or timing as environmental stress increases. (nata.org)
Sometimes practice proceeds normally. Sometimes athletes need additional breaks, reduced equipment, a shorter session or a different start time. And sometimes outdoor activity should wait.
Know When It Is an Emergency — and When to Call Your Healthcare Provider
WBGT can help prevent problems, but no number replaces watching the athlete.
Heat-related illness may begin with headache, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps or pain, unusual weakness or fatigue, heavy sweating, irritability, declining performance, staggering, confusion or unusual behavior. CDC guidance lists headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness and heavy sweating among common heat-exhaustion symptoms. (cdc.gov)
An athlete who begins feeling sick, faint or unusually weak should stop activity, move out of the heat and begin cooling down.
Call 911 for confusion, disorientation, unusual behavior, seizure, collapse, loss of consciousness or other signs that may indicate exertional heat stroke or another medical emergency. NFL and sports-medicine guidance emphasize that mental-status changes during strenuous activity in the heat are a major warning sign and that suspected heat stroke requires immediate cooling and emergency medical treatment. (nfl.com)
If you or your child still has persistent headache, dizziness, nausea, unusual fatigue, weakness, cramping or other symptoms later that evening or the next morning, contact a healthcare provider.
Healthy Connections and My Kids Pediatric Clinic can help evaluate non-emergency symptoms and determine whether additional care is needed. Depending on your location, pediatric care may be available through Healthy Connections or My Kids Pediatric Clinic.
Call 888-710-8220 for an appointment or same-day care availability.
Severe or unusual muscle pain, marked weakness, or dark tea- or cola-colored urine after strenuous exercise can be symptoms of rhabdomyolysis, a potentially serious breakdown of muscle tissue. CDC guidance recommends seeking medical attention immediately when rhabdomyolysis is suspected. (cdc.gov)
If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening or appear life-threatening, call 911 rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
Medications and Health Conditions Can Affect Heat Tolerance
Recent illness, chronic medical conditions and some medications can affect hydration, sweating, temperature regulation or heat tolerance.
The CDC notes that medications used by some children and teenagers — including certain antihistamines, ADHD stimulant medications, antidepressants and diuretics — may increase heat-related risk in some circumstances. (cdc.gov)
That does not mean parents should stop or change medication because it is hot outside. Medication decisions should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Families may also want to speak with a pediatric or primary care provider if an athlete has asthma, another chronic condition, recently experienced an illness, takes regular medication or has previously had difficulty tolerating activity in the heat.
What Families Can Do
Ask practical questions. Is your child hydrated? Has the athlete had time to acclimatize? Are conditions being monitored where athletes are actually practicing? Are rest and cooling opportunities available? Is equipment adding heat stress? Has your child recently been sick? Is there an emergency plan? Does your child know to report dizziness, sickness, confusion or unusual weakness immediately?
Most importantly:
Reporting that something feels wrong is not quitting.
Quick Answers About Sports Heat Safety
Is WBGT the same as the temperature?
No. WBGT combines several environmental factors to estimate heat stress during outdoor activity. A 90°F air temperature can occur at the same time as a considerably different WBGT reading. (weather.gov)
Is WBGT the same as heat index?
No. Heat index mainly combines air temperature and humidity under shaded conditions. WBGT also accounts for factors such as wind and solar exposure. (weather.gov)
At what WBGT does Arkansas stop outdoor school practices?
Current Arkansas practice guidance calls for no outdoor workouts above a WBGT of 92°F, with substantial restrictions beginning before that point. (perryweather.com)
When should heat symptoms become a 911 call?
Confusion, disorientation, seizure, collapse, loss of consciousness or other serious neurological changes during or after strenuous activity in the heat should be treated as a medical emergency. (nfl.com)
Keep Playing. Keep Competing. Keep Athletes Safe.
Sports, marching band and other activities provide tremendous physical, social and emotional benefits for children and teenagers.
Heat safety is not about taking those experiences away. It is about using the medical knowledge, sports science and technology available today to help young people participate more safely.
At Healthy Connections and My Kids Pediatric Clinic, our pediatric and primary care teams can help families with sports physical follow-up, medication questions, asthma and other chronic conditions, preventive care and concerns about exercising safely in hot weather.
Depending on your location, pediatric care may be available through Healthy Connections or My Kids Pediatric Clinic.
To schedule an appointment or ask about same-day availability, call 888-710-8220.
Visit www.healthy-connections.org or mykidspediatric.com.
Community. Compassion. Excellence.