The first week of high school football practices wrap up this week and for the majority of the players, their acclimatization period.
This is a five-day period every high school football player must go through nowadays before they can strap on pads.
There is only so much you can do practicing football in shorts, shirt and helmet. Tackling with any type of force is frowned upon or prohibited due to injury risks.
Lineman don’t get to practice all the hand fighting and physical play their positions require. Skill position players don’t get used to throwing and catching the football with their shoulder pads, which is always an adjustment.
The acclimatization period was not always a thing, but as people have become more aware of the dangers of heat stroke during preseason practices in football at all levels, it is now here to stay and for the better.
The most famous example was in the NFL when offensive lineman Korey Stringer died in 2001 due to heat stroke. If a professional football player could die, what about the nearly million high school football players that start practicing in August.
The deaths were few, but consistent every year as some teenagers lost their lives. Even with coaches no longer able to keep water from their players since the belief it showed weakness was proven wrong, more was needed.
Two-a-days are a thing of the past for the most part at all levels of football. Coaches now try to avoid the hottest parts of the day for at least the first week of practice.
The five-day acclimatization period is here to stay and needs to be worked around when it comes to football practice.
For a new coaching staff like Nocona Coach Blake Crutsinger’s, it is a good excuse to take things slow as there is a lot to learn.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.