Hot practice leads to death; Ky. coach charged

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 23) - Football players know them as "gassers" - sprints up and down the field to build stamina.

Sophomore Max Gilpin and his Pleasure Ridge Park teammates spent the tail end of a three-hour practice on a sweltering August day in Louisville running the drill that is a coaching staple across the country, hoping to impress enough to earn varsity playing time that fall.

They sprinted 12 times in what felt like 94-degree heat, sometimes with helmets and pads, as the coaches pushed them to go harder and harder. It was a drill like those on many high school football fields, until Gilpin, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound offensive lineman, collapsed to the turf just 15 minutes after a teammate went down.

Three days later, the 15-year-old Gilpin was dead from heat stroke, with authorities saying his body temperature was 107 degrees when he reached the hospital.

Five months later, his first-year head coach David Jason Stinson is facing a reckless homicide charge, with a prosecutor saying the coach should have realized a player could get heat stroke in such broiling weather.

http://www.fanhouse.com/news/main/after-players-death-coach-faces-charges/315235?icid=200100397x1217015473x1201179799

I don't think "reckless homicide" is appropriate, although the coach's negligence did lead to this poor kid's death.

I am wondering right now why exactly an offensive lineman needs to sprint.

Linemen need to sprint more then backs as they are constantly pushing and shoving on other lineman and that will wind you faster then sprinting 20 yards.

I saw this article and the first question that came to my mind was if there was a trainer on site? I also wonder if the kids were taught the symptoms of heat illness and how they were hydrated.

It's definitely a tragedy but I don't know if it warrants the charge.

Well Aaron this is before your time but back in the day they thought water was bad for you.

During practice or games they had a water bucket with a towel in it and they would let you chew on the towel.

But no drinking allowed.

No it's not before my time Sodbuster. They has the same mentality in the early 80's when I played. I remember it all to well which is why every team I've ever coached, I've made sure they have more then enough water to drink.

I've also taught them about heat illness and instructed them to drink plenty of water before and after practice as there is no way you can replenish the water you lose with what you drink during practice.

This is a big story here in Cincinnati on talk radio and there were reports the coach denied all the player’s water and he told them he was going to run them until someone quit.

And the kid that passed away was the second student that collapsed during the practice. If this is all true, this guy has no business coaching.