FISHERS, Ind. — It's hard to believe that Indiana high school football returns in just eight weeks.
During the offseason, this is the time players typically get in tip-top shape, but the heat has been taking its toll. Some teams have been adjusting their workouts.
When we visited Hamilton Southeastern High School recently, the sun was scorching. It felt like a sauna. The heat coming off the field and the bleachers makes it nearly unbearable. It's why HSE and other schools are making adjustments to the current workout plan.
The Royals hit the weights in the morning - in the air conditioning. The actual on-field workouts happen at 6 a.m. these days. And no more afternoons outside, at least for now.
The players seem to like it.
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"I really like being up in the morning," said senior Cole Earlywine. "It was really good. Obviously cooler, being really hot. I thought it was really productive, too."
Coach Mike Kelly runs this program. He said they can push kids to their full potential while being smart about it.
"The biggest thing is you're evaluating the temperature, trying to utilize what we know, what we've learned, what the expectations are from the IHSAA," said Kelly.
Practice with full pads won't start until August. This summer's training is all about making sure everyone is conditioned and ready for those intense, grinding workouts.
The current workouts pay off.
"I think 100%," Kelly said. "The kids are comfortable with wearing shoulder pads and helmets. Week one, when we're getting into the summertime, we actually have to go back and take the helmets back off for a day and slowly progress them back into it."
Over 115 kids are showing up for these workouts, with dreams of winning a state title. They wear special T-shirts, which carry a printed reminder they came up 37 seconds short of winning a sectional title last year.
"We have to finish," said Earlywine. "If you don't finish, you're not going to make it past the sectional. You're not going to win our conference because we've got a really, really good conference."
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