As summer workouts continue for the Escambia County football team, the temperatures continue to creep higher and higher.

With the month of July now here, it is important for Blue Devils head coach Mark Heaton and his staff to ensure that each player is taking the right steps to stay hydrated.

Conditioning and being prepared is something that the Blue Devils have worked on, Heaton said.

“We are taking all of the necessary precautions when we are in the heat,” he said. “We are keeping the kids hydrated; making sure we take plenty of breaks and the conditioning that we went through in the month of june has really helped us attack the month of July.”

With heat related deaths increasing, the importance of taking care of athletes has become a larger priority.

The Blue Devils coaching staff is responsible for their athletes, so they stay on top of any problems with their players, Heaton said.

“The safety of the athletes that are in our care are ultimately our responsibility,” he said. “We watch our kids for signs of fatigue and heat illnesses of any kind. We make sure they are hydrated before, during and after all of our exercises.”

The heat is another battle that the football players at ECHS have to turn their attention on to be better prepared for the season.

Adversity is something that Heaton wants his players to fight, and this battle is something he knows they can push past, he said.

“We definitely push our kids,” he said. “We believe that helps them overcome some of the mental aspect of the game. We want them to overcome some adversity. We just have to watch any kid who gets dizzy or overheated. Again our main priority is to make sure they are all safe.”