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Jul 25, 2023by: Arriana Williams
Posted: Aug 21, 2023 / 08:51 PM CDT
Updated: Aug 21, 2023 / 08:51 PM CDT
MONTICELLO, Ill. (WCIA) — This week’s high temperatures and heat indices have school administrators rethinking how they’ll have outdoor activities. The IHSA is requiring school districts across the state to use a new device to determine what “too hot” is.
Monticello schools are bringing their students inside while leaving that new device – called the wet bulb – outside. Instead of relying solely on the county’s heat index warning, the district is checking it in real time and at the location where outdoor activities will take place.
Staying indoors to escape the heat can be an easy solution for some, but for school athletes and coaches, it takes more planning.
“We moved high school football practice to the mornings, take advantage of those cool temperatures this morning,” said Monticello schools superintendent Adam Clapp. “And we have also been working with PreGame Sports here in Monticello to give us an opportunity for indoor practice.”
Luckily for the Monticello School District, they have the indoor play option and the wet bulb to let them know when they need to use it.
“We’re mindful of the temperature and hoping to keep everybody safe and hydrated in this heat,” Clapp said.
Athletic director Dan Sheehan said it’s his first year using the IHSA-required device, but he’s already seeing the benefits.
“This wet bulb thermometer takes in different things. It takes in the wind speed, the sun, the humidity and the temperature,” Sheehan said. “At the end of the day I want to make sure that I document, if I make a decision that we’re going to play the game, I want to make sure that I have documentation that the game is safe to be played, again, for the safety of all students involved. So it just adds another layer of something that we have to monitor.”
Now schools don’t have to take the chance with changing temperatures while players are on the field.
“Doing a system like this, it sets standards for members of other schools to follow just to make sure that everyone is following the same guidelines,” Sheehan said.
They have to run a combined wind, sun, temperature and humidity test every 30 minutes. If the result is higher than 89.9, outdoor activities are off the table.
“We’ll make our adjustments to our games and our practices based on that wet bulb temperature,” Clapp said.
Monticello Middle School’s softball game on Monday was canceled and they said they will be keeping an eye out for the rest of the week.
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