Henderson parents file suit

 

I figured this would happen. While I don't believe that the coaching staff did anything to intentionally cause harm to the players I do think they were negligent in not following KHSAA guidelines and as such should be sanctioned.

 

Comments?

I have a few comments about this!!! In my time I know of two examples of this and that's two to many. The first one was a kid that played football in youth league and was much bigger than his team mates and looked like he was going to be a force to recon with when he got into high school. Could have very easily been a starter his freshman year as a lineman offense and defense. For some reason during one of his physical there was something found and he was sent to a specialist in the Lexington area. He was found to have the same heart condition that the kid that signed with UK 7-8 years ago in Ohio that fell on the court and died. (I'm sorry I can't remember the kids name. He a 7 footer comming to UK.) This kid had to give up playing all sports even B-ball where he also excelled. This was in the 7th or 8th grade. The second example was a kid that played football early in life and then in high school was in track and field. A long distance runner no less. His senior year he was playing frizzbee football in the gym and just having a good time, got a pain and fell to the floor, was rushed to the hospital where he never recovered. It was a very sad day. He had never had a problem that anyone knew about. Here's my take, you just don't know!!! Adults, kids, babies are living with heart conditions that no one is aware of or may not ever be aware of. I believe this is one of those cases. Did him praticing in the heat bring it on, sure. Is anyone to blame, no! It's the unfourtnate things that happens in life. I asked myself should I play it safe and keep my kid from playing a sport any sport to keep he safe, NO! More kids are killed on bicycles each year than playing sports. Do we rid the world of bikes? Do we rid the world of competive sports? Do we not take our kids out on the road in our cars because I've heard that's a health hazard to? Losing a child is the worst loss any parent can suffer (I Know) but did I do everything a normal parent does to keep their kid happy and safe you bet your life I did. I believe these parents were talked into doing this and they will later regret doing so. Nothing will bring their son back and if they think money will make things better it won't. They should start a foundation and name it after their son and bring awareness to kids that may be saved because of their program and rejoice his life not drag it through a long drawn out court case where feeling will never mend. JMHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LTW.

Heart condition or not Henderson Staff dropped the ball on the heat index, and first aid.

...should be sanctioned.

They won't be sanctioned. It'll be $$$$.

The UK signee that LONG TIME WARRIOR mentioned was John Stewart.

I have a few comments about this!!! In my time I know of two examples of this and that's two to many. The first one was a kid that played football in youth league and was much bigger than his team mates and looked like he was going to be a force to recon with when he got into high school. Could have very easily been a starter his freshman year as a lineman offense and defense. For some reason during one of his physical there was something found and he was sent to a specialist in the Lexington area. He was found to have the same heart condition that the kid that signed with UK 7-8 years ago in Ohio that fell on the court and died. (I'm sorry I can't remember the kids name. He a 7 footer comming to UK.) This kid had to give up playing all sports even B-ball where he also excelled. This was in the 7th or 8th grade. The second example was a kid that played football early in life and then in high school was in track and field. A long distance runner no less. His senior year he was playing frizzbee football in the gym and just having a good time, got a pain and fell to the floor, was rushed to the hospital where he never recovered. It was a very sad day. He had never had a problem that anyone knew about. Here's my take, you just don't know!!! Adults, kids, babies are living with heart conditions that no one is aware of or may not ever be aware of. I believe this is one of those cases. Did him praticing in the heat bring it on, sure. Is anyone to blame, no! It's the unfourtnate things that happens in life. I asked myself should I play it safe and keep my kid from playing a sport any sport to keep he safe, NO! More kids are killed on bicycles each year than playing sports. Do we rid the world of bikes? Do we rid the world of competive sports? Do we not take our kids out on the road in our cars because I've heard that's a health hazard to? Losing a child is the worst loss any parent can suffer (I Know) but did I do everything a normal parent does to keep their kid happy and safe you bet your life I did. I believe these parents were talked into doing this and they will later regret doing so. Nothing will bring their son back and if they think money will make things better it won't. They should start a foundation and name it after their son and bring awareness to kids that may be saved because of their program and rejoice his life not drag it through a long drawn out court case where feeling will never mend. JMHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LTW.

 

At the age of five, I noticed our son struggling to walk out of his kindergarten class. I took him to the Dr. where the Dr. noticed his symptoms behaving like arthritis. So he spent a day in the hospital under observation and medications. When the symptoms settled down, he was basically sent home with no explanation why this happened. As parents we were not satisfied and immediately took him to Childrens Hospital where for 6 months they ran test on him and discovered what they call "untreated strep" (simple name). This can cause a reactive arthritis. Also if he was to contract strep it could damage his heart. So to prevent heart damage and contracting strep, he was placed on a twice a day dose of penicillin. He took this from 5 years of age till the age of 16, all the while being checked by a heart speciallist. At the age of 16 the Dr. felt he could be taken off the medication. Every so many years he has his heart checked and we are very careful if he has a sore throat. As he gets older this problem diminishes. I am happy to say he just fiinished his High School football career healthy.

 

I guess my point is that parents can never be to cautous with illness. Strep is nothing to mess with and can be more than just a sore throat. Sometimes when I here of these young athletes that collapse I often wonder if it was from untreated strep.

 

Personnally I feel that there were a couple of factors that lead to this sad inncident and there are people to blame. However , placing blame is not going to bring this young man back. Hopefully parents, coaches, and administrators learn and take action before this happens again.

They won't be sanctioned. It'll be $$$$.

Unfortunately that's the society we live in.

I agree with much of what has been said here. Some additional thoughts - is the physician that gave the kid his physical at fault? Will he/she be charged? If a doctor cannot diagnose a heart condition, how can the coach/school be responsible?

 

How many ticks of the psychrometer/hyrgometer make a coach legally responsible? Is a heat index of 94 okay for everybody or are there some people that this would be a problem for?

 

Don't get me wrong. I think that some fault is with the coach(es). However, if you have been involved with this type of thing, then you know how ambiguous it is. How many of you breath fine doing physical activity in July and August? What is normal and what is a warning sign?

I truly do not know enough about the situation to make any comment. What I have a big problem with is some schools (Boyle being one) has one night a year that they do sports physicals. A bunch of teachers and nurses get togther and perform physicals on lots of kids at one time. Even though I think this is a wonderful thing to offer, I can't help believe that they are doing the child an disservice. If you do that many physicals on that many kids at one time, I don't see how they can make a good judgement on whether that child is fit to perform a sport or not. Our family has never done this. We have always felt that it was best for the doctor who has seen our children on a regular basis to do the physical and base his opinion on whether they can perform a sport on everything he knows about our child. Now I understand that doing a mass screening for physicals is cheaper for the parents but let's face it, when it comes to your child's health, money shouldn't be a reason for allowing a doctor, other than you own, to do your child's physical.

 

It's an awesome responsiblilty to put your child's health in the hands of a coach or a manager. Heat problems aside, you can't expect any school personnel to know your child better than you and let's face it, as LTW said, some conditions are there without anyone's knowledge and it may take years for them to show themselves.

 

I feel just horrible for this child's parents but sometimes we just have to understand a situation and stop trying to make someone else responsible.

Great point on the "drive through" physicals, RebelK.

W/all the problems athletes are having w/heart problems, it should be made mandatory that all participants be required to have a complete physical which would include a heart test. Whoever administered this athletes physical can not be held responsible due to all heart problems are not detected on a so-called sports physical. There are numerous heart conditions found after the fact which is very unfortunate but if a person does not present themself w/any bad symptoms, test are not done therefore the condition goes undetected.

 

The main problem w/this unfortunate tragedy is that (according to the paper) was not that their was/wasn't a heart defect detected but the coaching staff was not properly equipped w/devices to measure the heat index. This is mandatory by the KHSAA and did not just go into affect this season. There is a heat index grid that schools must abide by depending on the temperature/heat index on when and when not to practice and what to wear and not wear. If an athlete is complaining of certain symptoms associated w/heat illness there are proper steps the staff should know and immediately take action to try to prevent such tragedies. If the stories are correct in all the papers and the events leading to this young athletes death are true, the coaching staff is responsible and negligent, IMO. I don't know how the KHSAA is named in this suit but I am not an expert on the law.

 

The comment by RebelK regarding "stop trying to make someone else responsible," who is responsible for our children when they are at practice? The coaches that my child plays for are responsible for the entire team. Like I said, this is not about a heart condition, it is about what happened that day at practice leading up to the final end. Did the coaching staff do what was necessary in regards to the heat? IMO, they did not if all the stories are true.

 

My sympathy goes out to this young man's family and friends.

I think that RebelK's comment was that parents should seek the best medical care possible for their child. The "drive through" physicals that many kids receive are nothing more than a rubber stamp. That is not to say that is the case here, just that this is one of those areas that the coach has no control over.

 

One area that the coach does have control over is the purchase/use of a psychrometer/hygrometer. They are inexpensive. Through personal experience, the device is not hard to use, neither is the reporting form and temp/humidity chart. Yes, it is time consuming, but particularly with football, there are enough staff on hand to do this.

This young man's death was a tragedy. I'm sure that it has caused the entire staff great distress. I don't know what the cause of death was but the average physical given a high school athlete will not detect many potential problems. School administrations need to figure out a way to give these young athletes more complete physicals. Coach's have progressed greatly from the days were players were denied water to make them tougher. I hope this advancement continues. I hope that the family, community, team; and coaching staff can rise above this tragedy.

I can't believe that the staff did not have something to gauge the heat with. That is a basic. The CJ reports this morning that the young man complained of shortness of breath, and was told to contine. These will be addressed I'm sure further down the road.

I know at X that the heat index is measured constantly during practice.

I can't believe that the staff did not have something to gauge the heat with. That is a basic. The CJ reports this morning that the young man complained of shortness of breath, and was told to contine. These will be addressed I'm sure further down the road.

I know at X that the heat index is measured constantly during practice.

 

This is mandatory at every high school in the state of KY and must be documented. Our school has been audited twice since this has been put into affect by the KHSAA.