Hydration
High School Baseball Hydration: What Coaches Need to Know
High school baseball players are in a category of their own. They're bigger than youth players, training harder, playing more games — but they're still developing athletes whose bodies are under significant stress. The hydration protocols most programs follow haven't caught up with the demands.
The Summer Practice Problem
Two-a-days in June and July are where hydration failures happen. Players show up to afternoon practice already depleted from the morning session. They drink water. They sweat out sodium. By the end of practice they're sluggish, cramping, or shutdown entirely. Water alone doesn't solve this.
What High School Players Actually Need
The research is consistent — high-intensity athletes in hot conditions need 500-1000mg of sodium per hour of activity to maintain performance. High school players practicing twice a day in summer heat are at the high end of that range. Standard sports drinks fall short.
What Coaches Can Do Right Now
Build electrolyte supplementation into your program protocol. Before morning practice, before afternoon practice, and post-game. Make it as standard as stretching. The players who stay ready through August are the ones whose programs took hydration seriously in June.