SAN ANTONIO — The Jr. Voks football team doesn’t have trouble finding the end zone. It’s a 39-year-old youth football program building community in the heart of San Antonio’s West Side.
“Like I said, it’s been here for generations. That is not going to stop anytime soon,” Mark Martinez said. “I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.”
Not even the South Texas heat stopped parents from rooting for the Jr. Voks. They planted dozens of tents all over the bleachers and around the football field.
“One thing about this team that I love is it’s a lot of alumni… generational Voks,” Joanna Frausto said. “It’s nice to see that my kids are going to be part of that community.”
On one Saturday afternoon, temperatures reached triple digits, forcing parents like Frausto to bust out the mobile AC unit. Frausto watched all four of the Jr. Voks’ games while her husband volunteered on the grill.
“I sat here earlier for 30 minutes without (the AC unit). It felt like I was in the oven,” Frausto said.
Experts say a football field with natural grass can stay below 100 degrees. Artificial turf like at a varsity football stadium can get anywhere between 120 and 180 degrees.
Staying hydrated is critical for the referees who planted themselves under a tree for shade in between the four games they officiated on a recent Saturday.
“I got the young legs, I got the young energy,” football referee Emilio Hernandez Jr. said. “Y’all have to stay out, stay active. You got to get used to it.”
The referee was officiating alongside his father.
“We always try to give as many water breaks for the kids and all that to make sure they are hydrating because I know it’s hot for them,” Emilio Hernandez Sr. said.
It’s tough on fans watching from the stands. Aluminum bleachers with direct sunlight can get to 140 degrees or greater, while wooden bleachers can reach over 100 degrees.
“We can’t take care of them if we are not taking care ourselves,” Frausto said. “Just us leading by example.”