Sunburn, Sweat, and Sports: When Sports and Summer Collide

Temperatures rise during the summer, athletes face unique challenges while training and competing in the heat. Athletes from different sports learn how to stay safe, stay strong, and keep performing at their best despite the scorching conditions.

By: Ariana Lopez

At Redwood High School, the summer sun is no joke, and for students-athletes, it’s a daily challenge. Whether on the field, the court or the track, many athletes face the same struggle: competing and training in the heat. I spoke with different athletes to hear how they manage the high temperatures, stay motivated, and push through the heat while representing Redwood.

Emma Hernandez, ’28, plays Girl Golf for Redwood, as well as for organizations such as US Kids Golf and JGANC (Junior Golf Association of Northern California). She said, “I’ve played in extreme heat multiple times. I just have to make sure to stay cool, find shade, drink a lot of water, drink like three to four bottles of water, and just stay cool”

Tournaments in the summer are usually played in the morning, because it’s usually too hot any other time to be playing. Hernandez said, “In the evening there is too many mosquitoes and stuff, and it’s a lot nicer in the morning.”

To help build tolerance for the summer, Hernandez said, “I try to be out as much as I can so I can get used to the heat and just try and deal with it as best a possible.”

Cancellations and delays are no surprise during the summer heat, Hernandez said, “We’ve had three to four times where our games have had to get cancelled because it was way too hot. It’s crazy.”

Athletic wear plays a big part in the summer, Hernandez said, “I typically wear shorts or a skort, it gets too hot, and then most of the time I’ll wear tank tops, but if I have too, I will wear a polo shirt.”

Traveling around the world for golf, Hernandez has experienced all the weather, especially the humidity. She said, “The farthest places I’ve traveled for golf was the Dominican Republic. It was so hot and humid, it was disgusting.” Hernandez said. “But it was really fun and the course is so pretty.”

Jessie Ramirez, Redwood Girls Track & Field head coach, and also Redwood Girls Wrestling head coach, has been coaching at Redwood since 2021. He first started coaching in 2006 for 3 years. He took about 4 years off from coaching and returned to coaching high school sports full time in 2014.

As a sprints coach, he said, “I am constantly modifying our workouts. To be fast, you must train fast. Once I see one of my athletes not running at max velocity, the workout is done for them. So extreme heat can play a vital role in the workout.”

Coach Ramirez highlights the importance of hydration, saying “It’s important regardless if the temperature is high or low. An athlete will not function at their best if not properly hydrated.”

If there are any delays or cancellations, Coach Ramirez said, “All communication is done through the Remind App. We will let the team and parents know by 2:30 p.m.”

Coach Ramirez wants to push athletes no matter the weather. “I do not change practice times to mornings due to temperatures, because I believe athletes need to train in the elements they will compete in,” Ramirez said. “So if the temperature is within district guidelines and if a track meet would not be canceled, we practice. I see other teams suffer because when it gets hot at track meets, they perform as if they have never seen the sun or rain.”

Blake Duncan, ’28, runs for Redwood Girls Cross Country, Redwood Track, USATF, plays for Redwood Girls Varsity Soccer team, as well as for South Valley United. Before games or practices to prepare for playing in high temperatures she eats healthy, stays hydrated and just has a positive mindset.

Duncan said, “The heat is very draining on your body, especially when you’re running or playing sports since it’s super hot outside, but you have to make sure you stay hydrated.”

To stay mentally focused in hot long matches, she said, “I tell myself like ‘you’ve got this’ and ‘you’re doing good,’ and not getting negative on myself on how the weather is affecting me.”

Her coach adjusts training sessions or game plans for hot weather by taking a little easier. “We will still practice hard, but just not as hard as we would so we don’t get sick or heat exhaustion,” Duncan said.

Recovery after games in the heat differ from normal weather. Duncan said, “After really high heat in games and races, you take it more seriously so that you will recover better, because you worked harder since it’s hotter out. So I drink more water after and I get more rest and make sure I take ice baths to make sure my legs are healthy.”

Alexis Arellano, ’27, plays for Redwood’s Girls Tennis Team, and she said, “The heat affects me when I’m running out of energy. It affects me psychically because it makes me have a higher chance of exhaustion.”

With hot weather conditions, injuries come as well, Arellano said, “Once I actually got a bad cramp in my leg that I pulled a muscle and we had to stop everything and one of the other coaches from the other team came out and stretched my cramp out.”

Matches in hot weather conditions can be a struggle. Arellano said, “One time it was over the heat limit, the hottest match I’ve played in was in the 100’s. Me and my partner that I was playing with, we took a lot of breaks in between.”

Abram Feldstein, ’27, is a linebacker for Redwood’s Varsity Football team, and he plays for Redwood’s Boys Basketball team.

For Feldstein, the most challenging part of dealing with the heat is during summer training. He said, “Especially sweating, getting sweat in your eyes, and just being hot in general.”

A proper stretch and warm-up, are key to getting through practices or games in extreme heat.

Feldstein emphasizes that wearing pads on the field, especially in the summer, makes the players feel two times hotter.

If he had a choice to choose a different time for practices, he said, “I probably would. I would avoid the hottest part of the day which is from around four p.m. to five p.m.”

Emily Inhphom, ’26, runs for Redwood Girls Cross Country, Redwood Track, and competes for Redwood Girls Wrestling.

Running in the summer heat compared to running in the coolers season is such a huge difference. She said, “It’s definitely a challenge. I feel like I’m running slower because of the heat, but overall it just helps me get better because when I’m racing, the weather can change and I feel prepared.”

Inhphom said, “The biggest mental challenge when running the heat would be when my brain just tells me to stop, but in the end it’s just mental, and I just have to push through it.”

Inhphom notices changes in her recovery comparing runs in the heat to cooler weather. She said, “I tend to take recovery times a bit slower to maintain my breathing and just maintain my health overall.”

“As I’m running, I’m like ‘I need water’ but the grind doesn’t stop, so I just keep going,” Inhphom said.

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