Some players sought refuge on wooden picnic tables that were under an overhang, out of the glare of the relentless sun. Others found comfort in patches of shade produced by tall trees. Almost everybody sipped bottles of Powerade or chugged cups of water.
It wasn't uncommon for three-set matches to last as long as three hours. Players stretched before hitting the courts, and following a 10-minute warmup, they got 90 seconds of rest on changeovers and two minutes of rest between sets. They had at least an hour for a bite between matches, with players in multiple divisions logging as many as three matches.Cardiovascular workouts that improved his endurance readied Chiu to deal with the heat, "so I wouldn't have to worry so much about pacing myself and getting tired," he noted. Chiu wants to win, and despite the elements, "I try to give my best every shot," he said. "I go for points. If I see a ball far away, I run for it. ... You need to know your body.""Every individual knows themselves the best," said Joel Dixon, a physical therapist with the Colorado Center of Orthopaedic Excellence. His advice to State Games competitors? "If you're thirsty, keep drinking," he said, aware of the importance of consuming fluids "on a day when it's hot and dry and everyone is working hard. It looks like they're doing a good job of staying hydrated. But you may not realize how much water you're losing."Eight orange water jugs and a huge ice chest lined the tennis courts, and medical staffers were available to treat those complaining of lightheadedness, confusion and headaches - all signs of heat exhaustion. And calling 911 in case of an emergency was an option, like last year at the State Games, when a 60-year-old man passed out after a three-set match.Roughly 90 youth and adult tennis players, as well as players forming seven high school soccer teams, gutted out temperatures in the low 90s, with sporadic cloud cover and not much wind. It was a little hotter than the average high for July in the Springs, which is 84 degrees, and sweltering courts and scorching fields didn't provide any relief.State Games tennis commissioner Dave Lehman maintains well- conditioned players have an advantage in the heat. "If you're out there trying to play in this and you're not in any kind of condition at all," he said, "you're going to go down. ... We keep water on hand. We keep ice on hand. Unfortunately, there isn't any shade on the courts. That's just life."Davis also drained container after container of liquids Thursday - in hopes of avoiding cramps and preventing what happened to his brother, Coulten, who once threw up on the court at the State Games because of dehydration. Plus, he works in a few extra bounces on serves, "so I can recover," he said. "But during the point, I try my hardest."Pine Creek junior Owen Davis, the top seed in the 18-and-under draw, and Steven Chiu, a Denver high school senior, each downed about half a gallon of water during a two-hour match won 6-1, 4-6, 6- 2 by Chiu. They drank on every changeover, "at least a little bit, even though you don't feel like you're sweating or doing a lot," Chiu said. "Sometimes, just the heat gets you, so you have to drink a little bit. ... It's pretty hot."
Cardiovascular workouts that improved his endurance readied Chiu to deal with the heat, "so I wouldn't have to worry so much about pacing myself and getting tired," he noted. Chiu wants to win, and despite the elements, "I try to give my best every shot," he said. "I go for points. If I see a ball far away, I run for it. ... You need to know your body."
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