Heat is forcing changes in Lafayette football practice plans

Tomorrow (Thursday) is the first day of full-pads practice for the Lafayette football team, and since I was planning to be there, I called Coach Frank Tavani tonight to arrange to meet with him.

Good thing I called. I found out that Thursday's practice, originally scheduled for 4:15 p.m., has been moved up to 8:45 a.m. (Period 0), with the official practice starting about 20 minutes later.

The reason for the switch: the humidity that is sapping the team on the hot afternoons. Tavani told me that linemen are sometimes wearing two pair of shoes in one practice -- they actually change in the middle of the workout because their feet are getting soaked from sweat and the shoes are put into the dryer. And these guys are in SHAPE!

The weather forecast for the next few days is not a lot different, and Tavani told me, "If we have to go at 5 a,m., we can turn on the lights and do that" in order to avoid the hottest time of the day.

Friday is the first scheduled two-practices day, and a scrimmage is currently scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Saturday.  Those schedules were being discussed tonight, and you might get some updated information in my story in the Friday Morning Call.

So, stay tuned.