Next week, Michigan high school football players, including those in Brandon and Goodrich, will be doing what Ryan Owens was doing the morning of Wednesday, July 19.
However, Michigan’s high school football coaches will no doubt be doing everything they can to avoid what happened to Owens after he practiced for Henderson County (Ky.) High School that day.
According to the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal, Owens, 16, a junior at Henderson, collapsed at 9:20 a.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) that day as the team was leaving the practice field and returning to the locker room. He was taken to Henderson Methodist Hospital and died at 10:36 a.m. CDT that day. No cause of death has been given as of press time.
The paper quoted Tom Hurt, assistant superintendent of Henderson County schools, as saying the players were given water breaks that day and sprayed with hoses to combat the early morning temperatures, reported to be in the 80s.
Player safety during summer practices became a national issue with the Aug. 1, 2001 death of Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Korey Stringer as a result of complications from heat stroke.
The article ‘Sports Medicine: Heat Stress and Athletic Participation,? provided by the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations, states there have been 19 high school heat stroke deaths in football from 1995-2005.
Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) communications director John Johnson said providing water at all times for student-athletes is critical to avoid heat-related illnesses.
‘The biggest thing is they need to avoid the mentality of 30-40 years ago that real football players don’t drink water in practice,? he said.
The MHSAA recommends for hydration purposes, student-athletes should drink fluid replacers (such as water, Gatorade, 10K, Quickick or Max), carbohydrate loaders (such as Gatorlode, Exceed High and Carboplex) and nutrition supplements (such as Gatorpro, Exceed Sports and Ultra Energy), depending on the situation.
By contrast, student-athletes should avoid drinks with carbohydrate (CHO) concentrations of greater than eight percent, as well as beverages containing caffeine, alcohol and carbonation.
Johnson said each year, the MHSAA provides information to each school about appropriate guidelines when practicing outdoors. ‘We can be a resource and help schools,? he said. ‘After that, it becomes a local issue.?
Tom Alward, entering his 14th year as Goodrich’s varsity football coach, said he and his coaching staff make it a priority to make sure water is readily available to the Martians? players.
‘We have frequent water breaks throughout practice,? he said. ‘If it’s hot or humid, we switch practice to a cooler part of the day. In the past, we have cut practice if it’s really nasty out, or we have gone inside (to the gymnasium).?
Alward said it is important for coaches to look for players that look lethargic in practice, and not necessarily the heavier players. ‘Sometimes, it’s just a kid that hasn’t hydrated correctly,? he said.
He also said the MHSAA does a ‘really good job? of educating schools on proper safety measures.
In addition to practices, high school players and coaches must deal with heat-related issues during games. This year, both Brandon and Goodrich have two games scheduled before Labor Day.
Johnson said when schools deal with hot weather situations during games, officials will take extra precautions, such as longer breaks between quarters, to ensure player safety.
‘I think we’re much better educated than we were 20-30 years ago,? he said.