ATHENS, Ala. — While student athletes aren't full time employees, consistency is key for the Athens High School Football team. With North Alabama seeing triple digit temperatures, the golden eagles are getting creative to combat the heat.
"I like to drink a lot of water," said Cornerback Jaxon Unger. "We came in at 6:00a.m. and we practice for an hour and 10 minutes in full gear," said Head Coach Cody Gross, "That's one way to avoid the heat. It is not nearly as hot at that point in time."
Gross says it takes more than an early wake up call to make sure his players are in top form, ready for gameday. "I can't overstate how important it is to take care of them nutritionally," Gross said, "Every time they walk in the building, we're saying, hey, get a bottle of water."
Coaches also want to make sure their players are practicing good habits away from the team. "They've got to hydrate away from us. Our challenge to them is drink a gallon of water a day," said Gross.
Unger wants to make sure the heat doesn't affect his performance. "You don't want to come out here, be dehydrated, start cramping up," said Unger."
While this is a fraction of the preparation, the team wants to make sure they have the best odds at winning each week. "The name of the game is having guys on the field," said Gross. "Just getting the electrolytes, the water, just all that stuff, it's a really good thing," said Unger.
The Golden Eagles will play their home-opener on Friday against the Buckhorn Bucks. Kickoff is set for 7:00p.m.