Think it was hot this week? Try lugging a hunk of shiny metal around a wide-open football field.
"My stomach started feeling really sick," said Waterloo High School Marching Band alto saxophone player Zach Barnes, 14, during a band camp water break on Aug. 2, when the temperature topped 98 degrees.
The crippling heat, coupled with fears of heat stroke, forced local band directors to alter schedules and reconfigure practice plans in the rush to the start of football season. Both Columbia and Waterloo held camps that focused on learning music and marching drills for the fall schedule. Columbia's camp was in the morning, while Waterloo's was all day, with some evening sessions.
In Waterloo, band Director Michael Mullins shifted 8 a.m. outdoor practices back an hour, so morning sessions wrapped at 11 a.m., when sun was less intense. Afternoon practice was held to the air-conditioned band room, with evening sessions back on the football field.
Water breaks were frequent and encouraged, Columbia band Director Craig Ryterski said. "We try to educate kids on proper nutrition and hydration," he said.
Columbia instructor Scott Kremmel, 19, advised not skimping on being hydrated.
"I get as much water as possible, especially before I come here," said Kremmel, a University of Missouri nursing student who helped out at camp.
Mullins said he makes sure everyone is in top shape before hitting the field.
"If any kid is feeling at all woozy, we tell them to go sit down," he said at the end of a four-hour morning session on the football field Aug. 2.
He said they encounter heat like this every few years and have a plan in place.
Waterloo drum major Jessica Poettker knows that being prepared gets her through the day.
"To stay cool, you need a good breakfast, and you need to drink lots and lots of water before you come," said Poettker, a senior. "And sunscreen."
Band camp ended Friday in Columbia and is scheduled to end Monday in Waterloo. Aug. 26 is the first home football game for both.
Contact reporter Jim Merkel at 618-344-0264, ext. 138
