Coach responsible for players death?

[AdamZ]

I was going to put this in sports but ... well I don't think its what the forum was intended to for so here it is.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/9120016?MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002

I was going to post a poll but there is so little info I didn't think the poll would have any creedance. Anyone have more info on this. Anthony its kind of in your neck of the woods.

 

[Ken Ibold]

Hard to say based on the limited info here. The fact that the coach pushed the players in practice in 94 degree heat should not be as relevant as any delays in treatment. Hundreds if not thousands of kids practice football in the heat during August 2-a-days. It's how the heat (and heat exhaustion) is handled that is the key to this, and that's simply not addressed here.

 

[ScottM]

No real story there to make any decisions. Sad that someone died at practice but I have no clue as to the details to say whether or not that the coach was or was not culpable.

 

[silver-eagle]

While heat was a contributing factor, without an autopsy, I don't think there's enough info to determine it was heat stroke. Presuming the coach encouraged players to drink more water/fluids, I don't see how he could held responsible. If, however, he actively prevented the players from drinking water or other fluids, then, yes, charge him so.
Many people work in similar heat. With the right precautions, it shouldn't kill you.

 

[wbarnhill]

While heat was a contributing factor, without an autopsy, I don't think there's enough info to determine it was heat stroke. Presuming the coach encouraged players to drink more water/fluids, I don't see how he could held responsible. If, however, he actively prevented the players from drinking water or other fluids, then, yes, charge him so.
Many people work in similar heat. With the right precautions, it shouldn't kill you.

With the right precautions. Sadly a lot of folks don't realize the dangers of dehydration, and even more don't know the dangers of over hydration.

I want to know the following things before passing judgment on the coach in this case:

1) Were fluids available to the athletes and were they encouraged to stay hydrated?

2) Was this athlete complaining of a headache or showing any other symptom of heat exhaustion that the coach should have picked up on?

From reading the article, the second one seems the more important issue here, as the parents are claiming that the coach delayed in getting appropriate medical treatment after the athlete collapsed.

 

[AuntPeggy]

Coaches have an inherent responsibility to look out for the welfare of the athletes under their supervision. Just as pilots have a responsibility to be concerned about the welfare of their passengers as well as those on the ground when things go wrong.

In this case, an athlete died, so as a corollary, the coach failed in this responsibility. The question is whether he is actually a factor in causing the death.

Back in the days when I was an athlete (yes, Aunt Peggy was once young and once athletic) it was considered harmful for athletes to drink water during exertion. I had no goal to become a great athlete, so would stop to drink. The coach took the opportunity to point out to the other athletes that this was obviously the reason I was not reaching the status of world-class athlete. Didn't deter me, but probably did have an effect on those who wanted to get to the Olympics.

Today is a different time and coaches know for a fact that hydration is absolutely vital. Neglecting to enforce hydration is despicable.

 

[Henning]

Thing is, hot weather is when football training happens, and in Texas, it gets freakin hot. There are always potential problems, and people of all ages will die everyday. As to whether the coach has culpability in the death lies in how the coach handles the training. There are excellent coaches and idiot coaches in these regards, but that's not to say that a coach who is running his program well and with the utmost regards to the wellbeing of his athletes will not have one die on him. Life just isn't safe. It's sad that it happened, but football is a hazardous sport, and every year high schoolers sustain life long debilitating injuries and die playing it. It's part of the form that the parents sign off on. The Coach definitely has a duty to his atheletes, but seriously, 94 is a pretty reasonable temp day for summer practice in TX. My nephews in TX used to be out there practicing in 100+. You can't really call practice for over 90 or you'll never practice. Even at night there's plenty of time it's >90, though you don't have the brutality of the sun as a multiplier.

 

[SkyHog]

Thing is, hot weather is when football training happens, and in Texas, it gets freakin hot. There are always potential problems, and people of all ages will die everyday. As to whether the coach has culpability in the death lies in how the coach handles the training. There are excellent coaches and idiot coaches in these regards, but that's not to say that a coach who is running his program well and with the utmost regards to the wellbeing of his athletes will not have one die on him. Life just isn't safe. It's sad that it happened, but football is a hazardous sport, and every year high schoolers sustain life long debilitating injuries and die playing it. It's part of the form that the parents sign off on. The Coach definitely has a duty to his atheletes, but seriously, 94 is a pretty reasonable temp day for summer practice in TX. My nephews in TX used to be out there practicing in 100+. You can't really call practice for over 90 or you'll never practice. Even at night there's plenty of time it's >90, though you don't have the brutality of the sun as a multiplier.

Hear, hear!

I did two a days in 100+ degree heat for a few years straight. We drank water, but the coach wasn't there telling us to do it.

If you're intelligent, when you're thirsty, you drink. If you're not intelligent, you play fullback.

I kid, of course, but if this Coach hangs for this, I'll lose just that much more respect for the parents of today.