Georgia is no stranger to hot days. Ever since the early 20th century, Georgia often faced influxes in climate. Although this may seem insignificant, the sequence of events that follow this shift can result in evaporation from increased heat, leading to a change in wind patterns and ultimately the climate.
The concern arises when taking a look at statistics of Georgia from a decade ago. From 2013 to 2023, there was a change in one degree. A change in just one to two degrees means significant increases in accumulated heat – globally. Natural causes in Earth’s climate cycle can be seen to play a factor, but climate change cannot be disregarded considering the fact that the earth is currently facing some of the worst climate change in human history.
As a result, climate change has had an unprecedented impact, enough to make changes to an often overlooked lifestyle – sports.
Here at Lambert, sports is a large part of the longhorn culture. However, climate change has left players to face difficult outdoor conditions, notably during practice.
“It makes it harder to practice, especially during the summer,” Bryce Shoemake, an offensive lineman on Lambert’s varsity football team, explained. “Sometimes, our practices will get canceled or shortened because of the heat.”
According to Shoemake, the heat made some days too difficult to bear, resulting in practice being canceled twice this season.
Additionally, climate change caused practice to be pushed early into the morning during the start of the season.
With changes being implemented to Lambert’s football team, one can only wonder if more changes to sports will ever come. The age of indoor sports may become a reality, but thankfully, that possibility has remained out of sight. For now, solutions such as better ventilated helmets have been at the center of focus and development for sports.
“Sports moving indoors is definitely a good idea, but no, it won’t [become a reality],” Shoemake explained. “The outside is where you battle the elements while trying to win.”
As of now, fans can expect sporting events to stay relatively stable. People can still purchase tickets and go out with friends to watch some football, cheering on both teams from the stadiums as players sprint for victory. However, this culture that has been cultivated throughout the decades may disappear in a blink of an eye if the world continues to abuse the planet, adding on to the current climate crisis.
