Kansas high schools started fall sports practices Monday and along with learning new skills and figuring out who belongs where, athletes and coaches dealt with the brutal heat wave that has hit the Midwest.

Temperatures reached triple digits Monday, the first day of practice permitted by the Kansas State High School Activities Assn.

The next water bill no doubt will be high at both Lawrence and Free State high schools — water was being used both abundantly and creatively Monday.

At Free State, for example, the football team had a hose tied along the goal-post crossbar, spraying mist on the players as they took breaks.

At LHS, the Lions weren’t as high-tech.

“We’re very precautious,” LHS football coach Dirk Wedd said. “Every drill has water. If the kids are at the back of the line, they have access to it.”

Actions like Wedd’s were common at most practices.

The KSHSAA distributed heat-advisory information to coaches across the state. Many took neccessary, and maybe even exaggerated, steps to prevent any problems.

“I lightened up a little on the running,” Free State tennis coach Jon Renberger said. “They could get drinks whenever they wanted, and they could sit out whenever they needed to.

¢ 6Sports video: Heat greets start of prep practices

“We talked common sense. Don’t try to fight through any level of nausea. Don’t disrespect your body.”

• Race against time: Renberger’s Firebirds have little time to waste in preseason, mainly because they don’t have much of a preseason.

Kristen Bushouse, a senior on Free State High's tennis team, above, and Bobi Riley, a junior on the Lawrence High volleyball team, below, brave the heat on the first day of fall sports practices. Monday was the first day for practices at Kansas high schools.

Free State’s girls tennis team will be the first team in the city to start its season when it plays a doubles tournament Saturday at Shawnee Heights.

That gives the Firebirds five practices to get ready.

“It allows for some early experimentation of matchups,” Renberger said. “But it won’t be a wasted trial-and-error tourney. We can get off and rolling to a positive start.”

• New faces: Two city teams — both at LHS — worked with new head coaches Monday. Chip Anderson took the reins as head cross country coach after serving as assistant last year, and Matt Makens and David Platt both assumed head-coaching roles for the Lions’ boys soccer team. Like Anderson, both Makens and Platt are familiar with their new squad, having worked under former coach Keith Nelson last year.

“Most of the returning players are excited about Platt and I both doing it,” Makens said. “He and I get along. We see eye-to-eye on every decision.”

• Go where it’s cool: The LHS and Free State gymnastics teams will again practice together this year. Not surprisingly, this first week of workouts will be at Free State — because LHS has no air conditioning in its gymnasiums.

When the two teams trade and practice at LHS is all up to conditions.

“We’ll see how the weather looks,” said Kathy Johnson, who coaches both teams. “But this first week, we’ll definitely be at Free State.”

Monday, four girls from each school reported, though Johnson said a few more might trickle in today.