July 22, 2009 FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (The New York Times News Service) -- Falcons head coach Mike Smith, his wife, Julie, and several other NFL coaches have partnered with Gatorade in a "Beat the Heat" campaign designed to warn parents and athletes about heat related issues.
"The program is about educating, not just coaches and players, but athletes, children, and parents about heat-related illnesses and the importance of hydration," Smith said.
According to the 2008 Report on Football Injuries, 33 football players have died from heat stroke since 1995, and the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury says heat stroke is the third leading cause of death among athletes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 300 people die each year from heat-related illnesses.
During the Falcons training camp, which starts on Aug. 1, Smith plans to continue the habit of stopping practices to order the team into a cool zone, under a tent. The players will get breaks from the heat and a chance to rehydrate.
"I remember when I was growing up in the late '60s and early '70s ... you didn't give water or Gatorade breaks back then," Smith said. "You didn't let the players hydrate during practice.
It was a sign of weakness. Things have changed."
The Smiths are encouraging coaches, athletes and parents to download a heat safety kit from www.NFL.Com/trainingcamp. For each kit downloaded, Gatorade will make a donation to the Kendrick Fincher Foundation and the Stringer Foundation.
The Fincher foundation was founded by Mike and Rhonda Fincher in memory of their son Kendrick, who died from complications from heat stroke in 1995.
The Stringer Foundation was founded in memory of former NFL star Korey Stringer, who died from heat stroke in 2001.
"I think it starts with the family," Julie Smith said. "We expect the coaches and trainers to do it, but we really have to start the process at home to make sure they are hydrated before they leave the house."
Copyright 2009 The New York Times News Service. All rights reserved.
