School sports programs make adjustments because of heat

Record-breaking triple-digit temperatures in Southern California on Monday forced high school football coaches to modify practices and send lots of athletes indoors to escape the heat.

The Los Angeles Unified School District canceled all outdoor activities because of excessive heat.

North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, a private school, was planning to hold football practice outdoors on its synthetic-turf field. But when temperatures at the school Monday afternoon registered 115 degrees — 126 on the turf — it was decided that the team would walk through plays outside, then come indoors for a modified practice.

In Orange County, San Clemente’s football team practiced in shorts and Santa Margarita’s switched its practice to the early evening.

Newhall Hart’s football team practiced, though with additional water breaks. Inglewood Morningside athletes lifted weights and held meetings. Vista Murrieta’s football team planned to either have a modified practice in its air-conditioned gym or change to a night practice.

Local colleges also made adjustments. At USC, where the temperature reached 113 in the early afternoon, the football, women’s soccer and men’s water polo teams were scheduled to have the day off. Other athletes shortened workouts and trained either early in the morning or at night.

At UCLA, the football team, coming off a huge win at Texas, had the day off from practice while other athletes trained mostly early in the morning. Also, school spokesman Ryan Finney said athletic trainers had been instructed to closely monitor workouts and work with coaches to make any adjustments required by the heat.

For once, it was cooler in Palm Springs than in downtown Los Angeles, with Palm Springs High football Coach Steve Fabian saying that his team would be practicing as planned, outdoors, in 104-degree temperatures.

“You have to water the kids like they’re brand-new ears of corn,” Fabian said. “We’re very careful at what we do. The word for practicing in high temperatures is caution. We have fans, coolers, misters, tents.”

Times staff writers Eric Sondheimer, Gary Klein, Chris Foster and correspondent Melissa Rohlin contributed to this report.