Fort Worth marching bands get creative to practice amid record heat

By Eva-Marie Ayala

eayala@star-telegram.com

Ruben Castro was 6 and a student at Oakhurst Elementary School the last time it was this hot.

Castro, now 17 and a senior drum major at Carter-Riverside High School, doesn't remember when it reached 111 degrees on Sept. 4, 2000, but Tuesday's 110-degree reading is very real to him.

He and other marching band members were smack-dab in the middle of the hot weather as they rehearsed.

"I've never seen it this hot before at practices," Castro said.

Tuesday was the 32nd consecutive day of triple-digit heat and tied for seventh on the list of hottest days recorded at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

The rest of the week is not likely to be much better. Today's forecast high is 109 and Thursday's, 108.

Though Carter-Riverside's mantra is "hydration, rest, hydration," the record heat was still too much for some during Tuesday's practice, and at least one student had to rest after becoming dizzy during morning drills.

Band director Rosendo Sanchez said he's on high alert monitoring students and making sure they get plenty of water.

"I tell them they need to tell me when they don't feel well so we don't have anyone get real sick," Sanchez said.

Castro said he also keeps an eye on younger classmates, particularly freshmen marching for the first time.

"I look for signs of their head starting to dip or them not making eye contact," he said. "For me, that's a sign that they're starting to feel bad and they need to take some time and rest."

Many bands are getting creative in avoiding the heat.

At Paschal High, for example, students march in the band hall, cafeteria and hallways until it becomes cool enough to venture outside.

"It's not the best situation, but we have work to do," band director Bryan Wright said. "This heat will definitely have an impact on shows. Bands are losing a significant amount of time for practice."

Most districts limit when students can practice outside, generally prohibiting it when the heat index is 105 or above.

Many bands practice in the morning, when the temperatures are in the 80s and 90s. Others have evening practices, but lately the heat index has still been at 105 or higher at 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

"There's about an hour difference that we're losing to the heat in the evenings," Wright said. "I can see that almost the entire month of August we'll have to deal with this."

Jacob Resch, an assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas at Arlington who works with the athlete training education program, said band members and others who work in the extreme heat must be prepared.

That includes wearing sunscreen and lightweight, light-colored clothing and staying hydrated, especially the night before a practice.

"This weather is bringing a high awareness of heat-related effects, which can be avoided with the proper steps," Resch said. "You have to make sure you are taking care of your body."

Eva-Marie Ayala,

817-390-7700

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