  "Whether it's running, working out, playing flag football, or
7 on 7 football, it's really popular and that helps with their
conditioning, but also with their heat acclimation," said
Houston Methodist Chief of Sports Medicine Dr. David Lintner.
Dr. Lintner recommends that good nutrition and hydration begin
theday before hitting the field.  "If you're trying to hydrate
the day of, that 's a little bit late," Dr. Lintner explained.
"You'll usually feel too bloated and not be able to run quite as
well as you want. So the day before drinking a lot of liquid,
eating a lot of fruit because fruit has such a high water
content."  Mandatory water breaks with individual water bottles
can go a long way in preventing heat related illnesses.  "If
they're using a communal water jug, those are economical and
valuable in that respect; but, it's harder to monitor how much
each kid is really drinking," added Dr. Lintner.  Coaches and
trainers are invaluable assets when it comes to keeping an eye
on kids to make sure they're