For those that are quick to blame coaches, so quickly; let me ask you this? Why is it you don't hear about massive numbers of heat related deaths in places like Nevada, Arizona, Southern Mississipi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina? All being places that are hotter and/or more humid than our summers in KY? I know why, because people are acclimated to the weather. Then again, you can't say that; it'd be to honest and you can't be honest while looking to place blame elsewhere.

So, the fact that Kentucky is responsible for 16% of these deaths; are you saying that in your opinion, that is just a coincidence? I'm not sure I'm biting on that one......

 

I won't allege who was at fault or conjecture at what happened...but I want to offer two things:

 

1) I think History's "5 deaths in Kentucky" is probably a historical figure (no pun intended), meaning there have been 5 deaths in Kentucky in the last x number of years. Our hydration and practice condition policies have been changed vastly in the last 10 years...even in the last year or two following the tragedy down in PRP. We have learned from past mistakes.

 

2) The article was extremely non-descript. There were no medical details beyond saying "six football players have been taken to the hospital with minor heat exhaustion after becoming ill during practice". What exactly comprises "minor heat exhaustion"? Short breath? Redder-than usual skin? Vomiting? How many players get sick running wind-sprints at the at ends of football practices in August? I know there were at least 5 or 6 each day during the two-a-days I practiced in. Who's to say they didn't have a new trainer over-react and send them all off to the hospital? I know when I played football I was sent to the hospital because he though I had broken my ankle...turned out to be a "minor strain". Now I wouldn't fault the trainer for faulting towards overly-cautious and sending me to the hospital, but is it possible that things got a little over-blown by the news? I mean...the news never does that...do they?

I won't allege who was at fault or conjecture at what happened...but I want to offer two things:

 

1) I think History's "5 deaths in Kentucky" is probably a historical figure (no pun intended), meaning there have been 5 deaths in Kentucky in the last x number of years. Our hydration and practice condition policies have been changed vastly in the last 10 years...even in the last year or two following the tragedy down in PRP. We have learned from past mistakes.

 

2) The article was extremely non-descript. There were no medical details beyond saying "six football players have been taken to the hospital with minor heat exhaustion after becoming ill during practice". What exactly comprises "minor heat exhaustion"? Short breath? Redder-than usual skin? Vomiting? How many players get sick running wind-sprints at the at ends of football practices in August? I know there were at least 5 or 6 each day during the two-a-days I practiced in. Who's to say they didn't have a new trainer over-react and send them all off to the hospital? I know when I played football I was sent to the hospital because he though I had broken my ankle...turned out to be a "minor strain". Now I wouldn't fault the trainer for faulting towards overly-cautious and sending me to the hospital, but is it possible that things got a little over-blown by the news? I mean...the news never does that...do they?

 

Isn't all data a historical figure? I think that is why they keep it.......

 

The fact remains....5 out of 31 are from Kwntucky.

I'm stating fact, many of the young men who have died nationally have had congenital defects that they were unaware of, and some of which, could not have diagnosed prior to their death. Fact, many heat related emergencies are put into motion well prior to the actual exposure. And fact, heat related emergencies can happen in ambient temperatures well below what most people would consider dangerous.

 

You missed two facts:

 

Fact: 6 from Kentucky yesterday went to the hospital.

Fact: 5 our of 31 are from Kentucky.

You're exactly right. It makes me sick that others on here and in society are so quick to blame the coaches for these heat related illness' and deaths that occur. More times than not it's because kids either sit inside all summer long, getting used to the AC, don't drink near enough water/gatorade, etc., then come out in the July/August heat and they can't handle it. Of course, you can't say that b/c after all, there has to be blame somewhere, right?! What a crock.

 

Shadon Brown and his stafff did nothing wrong. Followed the rules. Practiced at 8:00 am. The temperature was in the high 80's that morning. Sometimes, things just happen; fortunately the young men are ok.

 

Curious to learn if you know: what time of the day did the players go down and what were they doing when they went down? You said they practiced at 8. Is that when they started or when the kids went down?

Isn't all data a historical figure? I think that is why they keep it.......

 

The fact remains....5 out of 31 are from Kentucky.

 

No, I agree with you. It's absolutely nothing to be proud of and nothing to laugh at. I'm just saying, our policies have been reviewed and changed. Not to be a smart aleck, but what more can you ask for?

The aricle says heat index was 87, well below what KHSAA mandates.

Precautions should always be adhered to. Water breaks are great, but if the kids are not loading up on water BEFORE practice, it is too late. The water consumed during practice is not enought. But that is what kids do. Drink pops during the day and evening and only water at practice. Not a good combination.

The aricle says heat index was 87, well below what KHSAA mandates.

 

 

It is interesting that KY has heat index mandates and Ohio does not.

Parents need to make sure their kid does not sit in the AC all day then go to practice. Keep and get your kid acclimated to the heat, do some outdoor activity. Blaming the coaches get old. Ram hit a lot of the situations head on.

 

I agree with you totally.

 

Although I'll add what we all know: there are too many parents that don't do a good job parenting. Some kids come from dysfunctional homes where the parents don't care about their kids and aren't going to make sure they get hydrated at night. Some kids come from single parent households and the parent is not home much or around the kids because he/she is working to provide for the kids. Etc. It would be great if we could just trust that the parents would do their jobs in making sure the kids were sufficiently hydrated before they come to practice, but I don't know if we can. I don't know what the answer is. Maybe it's making sure that before players leave the facility at the end of each day, they have to drink a certain amount of water to make sure they will be hydrated when they show up the next day. Maybe it's doing the conditioning part of practice right after stretching in the morning to make sure it is done in the coolest part of the practice, not at the end when it's the hottest normally. I believe Highlands does some sort of weigh in before and after each practice to monitor water loss and intake and hasn't had problems with heat exhaustion or stroke that I'm aware of in spite of practicing on the plastic grass that from my experience tends to be hotter than real grass. Maybe that's something other coaches can be doing. I don't know. What I do know is that just complying with the KHSAA heat index may not be enough nor is just saying it's the parents' responsibility.

 

i agree with Crash that we are too far north for the kids to stay acclimated to the heat year round and we are not far enough north to avoid the heat and humidity that we do. But there are other states in that same "middle ground" and to the best of my knowledge, they don't seem to be experiencing the same tragic problems that Ky is, so I'm not sure if that is truly the answer.

 

Finally, I do agree with Colonels Wear Blue, that there is way too much unknown at this point to be pointing fingers or casting judgments . Maybe it was a case of an overly cautious trainer/nurse and like CWB I'd commend the trainer/nurse for being overly cautious if that occurred (although didn't I read one player had remained hospitalized and if so, at least with him, the trainer/nurse was apparently not overly cautious).

 

Some programs do a better job getting their players in great physical condition before July and August and as a result don't have to work so hard to try and use those months to get their players physically conditioned and ready for the season. Every one has to do some conditioning in the heat during July and August to get acclimated and ready to go for wearing full pads in August and early September games, but those that spend a lot of time running and conditioning during the winter and spring don't have to place as much emphasis on it during July and August. I will say that if a coach knows that a players or players aren't in good physical condition coming out of the Dead Period, he should have a different plan in place for those kids, not only from a conditioning perspective but from the amount of time the kid actually plays in the scrimmages and early games perspective. Those kids are going to have to be brought along slowly. That's particularly the case with the bigger kids. Limited participation in the early games by some key players may cost a win or two, but better that than another tragedy.

The aricle says heat index was 87, well below what KHSAA mandates.

 

Actually the article said practice began before 9 am when the heat index was 87 (which I interpret to mean it was 87 at the start of practice). It did not say what the heat index was at the end of the practice. Which is why I asked at what time the kids went down. If they were still practicing a couple of hours later and were doing running at the end, the heat index could have been much higher than what it was when they started. Not judging; just asking for facts if any one knows them.

They're coaches, not doctors. Hydration takes place 24 hours prior to a practice/game. While water breaks and such help quench thirst, they only keep you hydrated slightly at that particular time. And if you think any coach would jeopardize a child, his career, his family, by not following the new, more strict, KHSAA guidelines on practicing in the heat...you don't know very many coaches.

 

As 3wishes said. Kids in our area aren't acclimated.

 

It only took a quick Web search for me to find that it takes 2 weeks or more to acclimate to heat and that more heat related problems occur a few days into a heat wave due to the cumulative stress on the body. Football players are especially at risk because of the equipment they wear.

 

The problem with minimum quidelines is that people only follow the minimum guidelines and throw common sense and observation out the window. The article says, "Alderman said other football players were treated at the school by a nurse." This a lot of kids, a virtual epidemic. Something is amiss here far beyond a kid or two not hydrating enough or not being acclimated. The excuse makers will contribute to the increased possibility of future heat related deaths. I don't need to know any coaches to know something was very wrong at Rowan County that day.

Lets just pray the these boys are Ok...

It comes down to the fact football coaches do not get to make things mandatory til the hottest part of the year, and now they have lost some of their tools in June. Add in the fact that KY has some of the higher obesity numbers, and poor health education and Physical education compared to other states and you have a huge disadvantage. I think the work load that coaches give is not the biggest factor but how the approach educating players, and hydration. I played for a very tough coach in High School, But we did not have any kids miss practice for heat exhaustion, stroke, or dehydration when I played, but money was spent on drinks, food, and equipment to keep kids hydrated, before, after, and during practice.

The excuse makers will contribute to the increased possibility of future heat related deaths.

I don't think anyone in this thread was making excuses. They raised valid points that need to be considered. All the facts should be known before any judgment is made.