The Montgomery Bears sparked quite the debate on social media about high school football in Texas. They began their first spring practice of the season before the sunrise.
Should the student-athletes be required to start their day at such an early hour?
Those who understand the climate of the Lone Star State understand why this is necessary. However, there is legitimate reason to worry about the sleep patterns of the high school football players!
Montgomery starts its high school football spring practice early.
Montgomery High School is located in the extremely small town of Montgomery, Texas, about 60 miles north of Houston. The city itself has a total population of only 2,000 but the high school enrolls approximately 1,500 students in Grades 9-12. They come from various communities across greater Montgomery County. It was established in 1931.
The Bears compete on the Class 5A level of University Interscholastic League athletics. The football program is coming off of an impressive year over year turnaround.
Montgomery won only four total games in 2023 and 2024. It finished the 2025 high school football with an overall record of 8-3, twice as many wins as the two years prior combined. It went 5-2 in the district.
As the page turns toward 2026, the Bears got their spring practice period underway earlier this week at exactly 5:45 a.m. The players were on the field — in full pads and lids — before 6:00 a.m.
High school football is different in Texas. Especially in small towns. The entire community revolves around Friday Night Lights. It is often the single most important thing.
Therefore, the spring practice period is crucial. It is an opportunity for coaches to get their first look at their new rosters, with seniors graduating and upperclassmen moving up, and it gives the players a chance to focus on the fundamentals. Every team does it. This is not specific to Texas.
With that being said, the early start time is not super common in other states. 5:45 is early!
Is it better to sleep or beat the heat?
Montgomery’s pre-sunrise high school football practice sparked a heated debate on social media. Critics are concerned that it will hinder the student-athlete’s ability to succeed throughout the school day.
High schoolers generally need somewhere between 8-10 hours of sleep per night to support academic performance, physical growth and healthy brain development. Forcing them to be on the field in pads at 5:45 likely requires them to wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning— at the latest. That would mean they need to be in bed, with eyes closed, by 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. the night before to get eight hours of sleep.
Is that feasible? Maybe, but I would venture to guess that is not happening for most of them. Their lack of sleep will then have a direct impact on how they perform in the classroom. It is hurting their maturation.
On the other side of that conversation is the weather. Temperatures can reach the mid- to upper-80s or even the low-90s by two o’clock in the afternoon on a sunny late April day in Montgomery, Texas. To start football practice after school would force the athletes to practice under the scorching hot sun. That isn’t great either.
I do not know the solution here. However, I question how April is any different than late August. High school football teams in Texas are forced to practice in 90º+ weather in the fall. Why not in the spring?
It seems to me like the 5:45 a.m. start time will have a bigger impact on the student-athletes than a week (or two) of practice in temperatures that are actually far more subdued than the ones in the early portion of the regular season. And if that was not true, wouldn’t more states — like Louisiana and Alabama — also hold their spring football practices in the morning? But what do I know… I guess I can see both sides.