Six area varsity football games kick off later than usual Sept. 4 after Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission administrators delayed start times because of dangerous heat.
The Kansas City area is in its hottest first week of September since 1960, with an average high of 96 degrees through Labor Day, KCTV5 reported. The heat wave is not expected to break until late next week.
Three Blue Valley games moved from the standard 7 p.m. kickoff to 7:30 p.m.:
- Blue Valley Northwest at Blue Valley
- Blue Valley Southwest at Blue Valley North
- Bishop Miege at Blue Valley West
Three Shawnee Mission and Olathe matchups shifted to 8 p.m.:
- Shawnee Mission East at Olathe North
- Shawnee Mission South at Olathe West
- Olathe Northwest at Olathe South
The Shawnee Mission School District moved all competitions to start no earlier than 6:30 p.m. for the week of Sept. 1 and pushed varsity football to 8 p.m., according to KCUR. The district said coaches follow heat-safety protocols that include hydration breaks and access to shaded or indoor spaces.
Olathe Public Schools set the same 8 p.m. football start. Athletic trainers from the University of Kansas Medical Center monitor the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) each day to guide scheduling decisions, KCUR reported.
The WBGT measures air temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover. The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) uses a five-color zone system and recommends stopping all outdoor activity when the reading hits 89.8 degrees, according to FOX4. Districts decide for themselves how to respond.
Brent Unruh, KSHSAA's director of operations, told FOX4 on Monday, Aug. 31, that safety comes first. "The main thing is just recognizing the signs early, and making sure that, you know, you're taking care of those kids," Unruh said.
No Blue Valley School District official was quoted by name on the 7:30 p.m. decision. Shane Dewald, executive director of Blue Valley Recreation, told KCTV5 on Thursday, Sept. 3, that the organization uses a color-coded heat guideline developed with meteorologists and the National Weather Service to decide when to modify or cancel youth games.
Week 2 schedules for the affected teams were not available as of Sept. 3.
