Coaches talk hydration, heat illness prevention

Some 425 people, mostly junior high and high school coaches, gathered for the Kendrick Fincher Hydration Foundation Beat the Heat luncheon July 30 at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. The luncheon was part of the annual Coaches Conference sponsored by Mercy Healthcare Northwest Arkansas.

The luncheon focuses on prevention of heat related illnesses. Kembra Mathis, Fincher board member, told the coaches education in heat illness prevention, proper hydration and conditioning is "where you start saving lives, and you won't even know it." The group emphasizes that heat stroke and heat illness are "100 percent preventable."

Razorback football coach Bret Bielema headlined the luncheon and shared with the coaches his techniques to educate the team and keep them well-hydrated. "The No. 1 cause of injury is usually connected to dehydration," he said.

Razorback players are weighed before and after each practice, and if the difference is too great, they sit out the next day's practice to rehydrate. All players are also required to do a stint in the ice tub after practices and games.

He told the crowd, "I hate the squeeze bottle." He said he's found that players will drink more fluids if using cups. It's the difference between squeezing an ounce or two into their mouths and "drinking twice as much if given cups instead of water bottles."

Hydration is so important to the team, he said when you see players around campus, every one of them will be carrying and drinking from a big water jug.

The nonprofit Fincher organization annually recognizes Hydration Heroes -- coaches who, among other things, model good hydration practices, instill lifelong habits of proper hydration in student athletes, repeatedly and regularly educate players on the importance of proper hydration, monitor weather and humidity conditions and match exercise accordingly and have a written emergency treatment plan for athletes with heat-related illness.

The 2015 Hydration Hero awards were presented to:

• Ray Keller, Oakdale Middle School.

• Bobby Crockett,Woodland Junior High.

• Nick Nersesian, Bentonville High School.

• Rob Bray, Rogers High School.

• Matt Easterling, Pea Ridge.

• And Shane Holland, Decatur.

Those beating the heat to kick off Heatstroke Awareness Month included Rhonda Fincher, Dean Weber, Bill Oldham, Eric Pianalto, Omer Gajial, Meredith Wiktorowski, Martine Pollard, Brendon McDermott, Kembra Mathis and Van Bakke.

Art lovers and backers of The Butterfly Effect attended VineGogh on Thursday evening in the Mercedes-Benz of Northwest Arkansas dealership showroom in Bentonville. Proceeds from the art auction and wine tasting fundraiser will benefit Arkansas Children's Hospital Genetic and Metabolic Clinic, which has clinics in Lowell, Little Rock and Jonesboro and evaluates children and adults for inherited conditions, developmental delay, autism, mental retardation and birth defects.

Katrina and Lance Osborne established The Butterfly Effect nonprofit organization when they found that genetic testing for children with special needs is not covered by most insurance policies or by Medicaid. However, some insurance companies that will cover therapies deemed necessary by genetic testing will not cover the genetic testing required for such a diagnosis. Those tests frequently cost thousands of dollars and are inaccessible to many families. The organization helps fund genetic tests at Children's Hospital for families who can not afford the out-of-pocket expenses.

The art-themed benefit's silent auction featured donated works from local artists, among them Shawna Elliott, Vanessa Miller, Mark Stavely, Laverne Nelson, Lee Anne Henry, Joseph Smiley and James Crumby.

Those helping feed the fund for families in need included Mary Elizabeth and Conner Eldridge, Tareneh Manning, Stacey and Blake Hanby, Carol Lynn and Don Gibson, Dorothy and Al Hanby, Angie and James Graves and Tiffany Webb.

For more event photos -- nwadg.com/photos/society

Columnist Carin Schoppmeyer can be reached by email at cschoppmeyer@nwadg.com.

NAN Profiles on 08/09/2015