Richmond Senior football player Andy Shuler, left, takes a drink of water while teammate Tyquan Thomas waits his turn during a break in practice on Thursday.
It’s the fourth day of practice, and the players have just put on shoulder pads.
On the sidelines, Richmond athletic trainers Mike Brown and Mitch Hedinger watch intently, ready to step in and help if any players need it.
The first priority is making sure players stay hydrated. To help make that happen, three water stations are located in the sprawling Raider practice complex.
Each has multiple water spigots.
Water is available any time a player needs it, Hedinger said.
But proper hydration starts at home, Hedinger added.
“We want the players to come to practice hydrated,” Hedinger said.
That expectation often calls for a bit of education, and trainers spend time talking to the players on the need to both eat and drink water before coming to practice.
“You can’t hydrate at practice,” Hedinger said. “When you come to practice hydrated, then we can maintain that during practice.”
Part of the education process, Hedinger said, is teaching athletes to know their bodies and look for the signs of proper hydration.
One of those is urine color, Hedinger said: Proper hydration produces clear urine. The darker urine is, the less hydrated a player is.
The longer a player is in the Richmond football program, Hedinger said, the less they have to be reminded of the need to keep drinking water.
But with dozens of new players coming into the program each season, the scene repeats itself every August.
“There are always a few guys who don’t want to drink water, for whatever reason,” Hedinger said.
“It’s our job to explain to them why they need to hydrate, and how important it is to their health.”
Contact sports editor David Vantress at 997-3111, ext. 14 or via email at dvantress@yourdailyjournal.com.
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