COACHES PUSH SAFETY ON HOT DAYS.

Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer

With the recent tragic death of an NFL football star fresh in their minds, area high school football players and coaches began training camps this week under record high summer heat.

Teens were drinking lots of water and taking breaks in the shade - and some nervous parents kept watch - as much of San Fernando Valley area was gripped by triple-digit temperatures.

``We get water on a constant basis,'' said football coach Bob Francola at John F. Kennedy High School on Thursday. ``Our whole schedule plan is based around their ability to hydrate themselves, wet down their uniforms, wet down their helmets.''

Regardless of the heat, local high schools kicked off their training, keeping in mind the heat-related death earlier this summer of Minnesota Vikings tackle Korey Stringer. The death of Indiana high school player Travis Stowers on the field is being looked at to determine if it was heat-related.

Eighteen such deaths were recorded in high school and college since 1995, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina.

The last local death occurred Aug. 21, 1992, when San Fernando High School senior Armando Sergio Echevarria collapsed and died in 100-degree heat at the end of the first day of football practice.

``You just gotta take your water breaks when the coach asks you to,'' said Mavery Davis, a 17-year-old Kennedy High senior strong safety.

``I haven't really been in that situation where I was about to see somebody fall out, because we got water all over the place. If I did I'd tell 'em, 'Get some water, man. Don't try to be a tough guy. Just get some water.'''

Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills on Thursday recorded the area's highest temperature at 107 degrees. Chatsworth was close behind with 105. Neighboring Burbank and Glendale recorded 96 and 91 degrees, respectively.

Some parents are leery. Kennedy High parent Lorna LaCroix attends practices daily, watching her son, sophomore defensive lineman Victor LaCroix, from her shady perch on a bench.

``It's kind of hard as a parent because you don't want your kid to get hurt,'' she said. ``I tell him, whenever you get too hot, you gotta get out of it.''

At Verdugo Hills High School, the home of the Dons, about 25 players sweated through practice Thursday, two large coolers of water and Gatoraid in the shade close by.

``I don't have a problem with them sitting out, getting in the shade, relaxing for a while, getting fluids in them,'' said Darren Fitzgerald, a second-year coach at Verdugo High School. ``We were given a pamphlet about hydrating and what sports drinks and symptoms to look for after Stringer died.''

Near the end of practice, Verdugo High junior offensive and defensive lineman Vardan Mikayelyan flagged down a coach after a drill, drenched in sweat. He tried to shrug it off.

``It's all in my head,'' said the 5-foot-11-inch, 240-pound junior, breathing heavily as he held an ice pack on the back of his neck. ``I drink a lot of water all the time, but I try to suck it up. It's all mental. It's nothing physical.''

In neighboring Santa Clarita Valley, the Hart High football team gathered for the first day of practice Thursday, greeted with reminders to stay hydrated.

``We told them this morning that we're going to give them enough breaks, but they need to maintain a level of hydration when they're not here,'' said varsity coach Mike Herrington. ``We told them to push themselves, but don't try and be a hero. You drink whether you think you're thirsty or not.''

Staff Writer Amy Raisin contributed to this report.