Cool new look for Panthers training camp

Jul 23, 2024 at 01:01 PM

Kassidy Hill

CHARLOTTE— Spoiler alert, Charlotte can become extremely hot in the summer. Temperatures can routinely reach 90 plus degrees during the day, with a blanket of humidity added for extra fun. As the Carolina Panthers prepare to kick off training camp at Bank of America Stadium this week though, the club is making sure players are safe and as cool as possible, investing $200,000 in a cooling trailer for the edge of the updated practice fields in Charlotte.

"It's just another tool for the toolbox," Director of Health, Performance, and Nutrition Andrew Althoff said Tuesday, as he showed reporters inside one of their newest tools.

"Like we have pools inside, saunas, red light therapy, all that kind of stuff. So it's another tool that the players can use, put in their toolbox and help them perform at practice every day and then on game day as well."

The trailer can fit up to 30 players at one time, with the set temperature at a chilly 20 degrees. Stocked with sports drinks and towels, players can hop in during cool-off periods, the end of practice, and as needed for a quick cool-down, for a recommended two minutes.

Head athletic trainer Kevin King and his staff monitor players levels at all times and will make recommendations on the consistency with which players might need to visit the trailer.

"There's a lot of folks that are monitoring the athletes to see how they're responding to heat stress," King said. "So, our collective education…there's a variety of things that we can look at to understand their hydration status and their risk in the heat."

Perhaps the biggest positive the cooling trailer will add to Panthers practice is the ability to, well, still practice.

"Instead of having to immerse one into a cold tank or remove them from practice, this is a resource where they can get that exposure, two minutes in the trailer, and then return back to practice. It's a quick, efficient way to do that," Althoff explained.

Athletic trainers and wellness staff will constantly monitor the trailer, making sure players aren't cramping and are doing well, but "the players have access to it" at their own discretion.

Outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney noted he's never had a cooling trailer available in his 11-year career. The heat is something he reminds teammates they need to get used to because the trailer "you can't get in there when the game starts" but for now he'll be using it "every break. I plan on using it every break I get."

King said there are "a handful of teams" across the NFL and Division I football, such as Florida State, LSU and South Carolina, who use cooling trailers as well. King and staff spoke with colleagues at those programs to gauge their success rate, and felt the trailer would be a welcome addition in Charlotte as well.

The Panthers will get training camp going—their first ever in Charlotte and hosted at updated practice fields—with three days of practice on the new practice fields, capping the week with "Back Together Saturday" at Bank of America Stadium. It's a gradual ramp-up, as they won't be in pads until next week.

"I think it's just about pacing it out," Althoff explained. "We feel good about where we're at and we understand the end goal is to be able to perform on Sunday and we have a lot of time to get there. So, it's like some of it is based off of the recommendation from the NFL. But as far as the third day being down, that's just making sure we pace things out. We take our time, we're patient and make sure we kind of progress things on our terms and what we feel is in the best interests of the players. So I feel like we have a good plan, working with coach and everyone as far as doing that and kind of setting stage early and just and pacing things out."