LOUISVILLE, Ky. — High school football is back in Kentucky. That’s because the so-called dead period has ended.

Every year from June 25 through July 9, high school sports and training activities in Kentucky are stopped to give students and families a break. It’s mandatory by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA), the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education that manages high school athletics in the Commonwealth. 

However, there are plenty of days ahead until it feels like football weather outside. With summer not officially over till September, KHSAA has rules in place to ensure every high school sports team keeps its student athletes safe. 

An outlet to express oneself. It’s one of the many reasons Xavier Burks said he loves football.

“Cause I always have a lot of energy,” he said, much of which gets spent while playing football.

However, spending energy also requires replenishing it, especially on hot summer days.

Burks, a 15-year-old linebacker at Louisville Male High School, said his junior varsity team gets about 8 to 10 water breaks during their three-hour morning indoor and outdoor practices.

“I want them constantly drinking. If they run out, I want them to be able to fill up,” Male High School’s Head Athletic Trainer Ryan Dawson explained, regarding water breaks and staying hydrated.

“I’m looking at: are we taking the proper water breaks? I’m taking the temperature. Are we staying below the 95? Are we staying within regulations? I’ll walk around and make sure the kids are drinking, you know. How are they feeling? Is anybody looking really off?” he added.

The most challenging time to make sure students are staying hydrated, Dawson said, is the first day back after the dead period.

“Because we’ve just come off of two weeks completely off. Kids have gone on vacation. They’ve been inside. A lot of them haven’t been staying in shape,” he explained.

Those factors, coupled with the heat during the summer months, make it more challenging to make sure student athletes are eating the right nutrition and staying healthy. 

Male High School follows the same regulations for sports and hot summer days that all Kentucky high schools follow since they are set by KHSAA.

For example, the association has a heat index chart for schools to determine what practice and game days look like and if they need to be rescheduled.

A heat index under 95 means sports are a go, as long as plenty of water is available for optional water breaks every 30 minutes. Plus, someone has to monitor the temperature and humidity every 30 minutes.

When the heat index is 95 to 99, sports are a go but with more conditions, such as mandatory water breaks every 30 minutes. In addition, helmets and other gear must not be worn when athletes playing contact sports, like football, are on the sidelines or not actively involved in a game or practice. 

If the heat index is in the chart’s red zone, which is a 100 to 104 heat index, it’s recommended to postpone practice to another day. Also, contact sports and activities with required protective equipment must be suspended immediately until the heat index is 99 or below.

When the heat index is above 104, that means no activity outside, and all inside activity must be stopped if there is no air conditioning available.

Male High School’s head football coach Chris Wolf said getting players on board with taking breaks and hydrating isn’t hard because it’s part of the team’s culture.

“Growing up, you know, it was a different type of culture in the ‘80s and ‘90s and not a positive one, at that there. There was some kind of manhood test about how long you could go,” Wold explained regarding his own experience as a student athlete. 

“Testing their manhood isn’t going to get anything done. We want our kids hydrated; we want our kids at peak performance,” Wolf added. “For someone who wants to be successful, you’re not going to be successful if your kids don’t have the energy, don’t have the hydration that they need.”

Coaches like Wolf are another reason Burks said he loves football.

“They know what we need to be successful and how to get us in the right position to go to like state championships or like win games,” the soon-to-be sophomore said.

Last year, Male High School’s Varsity football team had a 15-1 record. Regarding this year’s outlook, Burks wants his team to win a state championship. 

“I think we are going to do it. We’re gonna do it this year.”

Other outdoor high school sports resuming after the dead period are field hockey, soccer, cross-country, and cheer and dance teams. These outdoor high school sports also follow the same heat index guidelines for practice and play.