Dec 12, 2019Florida bill requiring ice tubs in HS sports moves forward
Florida legislators are advancing a bill that would require the availability of ice tubs at high school games and practices.
The proposal unanimously passed through the House PreK-12 Innovation committee on Wednesday. The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has declined to require ice tubs, despite the recommendation from its own medical committee, according to the Miami Herald. Instead, the FHSAA only “strongly recommends” that ice tubs be made available.
The bill would require ice tubs to be nearby at games and practices, which would allow athletic trainers or coaches to quickly cool athletes who are showing signs of a heat stroke. Rep. Ralph Massullo, chairman of the PreK-12 Innovation committee, said an athlete who is cooled within 10 to 15 minutes after they show signs of a heat stroke will survive.
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According to the Miami Herald, Laurie Giordano testified in front of the committee and pleaded with members to pass the proposal. Giordano’s son, Zach Martin-Polsenberg, died in 2017, 11 days after collapsing during a football practice following a heat stroke.
Florida leads the nation in the number of high school athlete heat stroke deaths, totaling four in the past nine years, according to the Herald. The bill also would apply to marching band and other non-sport extracurricular programs.
Read more from the Miami Herald.
