Heat Stroke hits EVERYONE! - Repost for Knowledge Base

To all new coaches, and some old ones:

There may be some coaches out there right now that are, to be frank, still stuck in the dark ages. This is the year 2001, and we no longer "toughen" football players at ANY level, by witholding water from them.

We do not sweat our players to make weight, or ask them to starve themselves to do so.

The consequences of doing so are dire. You can be directly responsible for the death or maiming of a player because of these practices. On a personal note, if I hear about it, you can bet your last power bar that I'll take the time from my day to contact your league officials and the parents in your organization and inform them of these barbaric practices. The safety of those kids is more important to me than a few bucks on my phone bill.

The following article is about a PROFESSIONAL football player. He practices on a field with eighteen PROFESSIONAL football coaches, men who have dedicated their lives to learning the game and how to coach it. Many of them have degrees in subjects such as sports medicine, physical education, and other sports related sciences. This professional football player is also attended by a team doctor, a highly paid and respected member of the medical community whose sole responsibility is to see to the players' welfare.

Yet this player is dead. He was pushed too hard, in poor conditions, and now he's gone.

Before you decide to hide the water bottles from your team, before you decide to wrap little Johnny in a plastic bag for practice, you better ask yourself, "Do I have a millionare doctor here to see that nothing goes wrong?" Because the Vikings DID, but Korey Stringer is still dead. Ask yourself, "Do I have fifteen years of professional coaching experience to help me accurately determine the physical limits of my players?" Because Dennis Green DOES, and Korey Stringer IS STILL DEAD!

The following article comes from a Yahoo news source:

Stringer's death a huge loss for entire league
By The War Room - For The Sporting News

The football world is in shock over the tragic news of Vikings tackle Korey Stringer's death. Stringer died early Wednesday morning after complications from heat exhaustion he suffered at training camp.

The War Room Camp Caravan attended the first day of Vikings training camp on Monday and witnessed both practices. Stringer was visibly struggling at the morning practice, as were many of the linemen. He fought through the morning practice, but was unable to complete the afternoon practice, which was moved back by coach Dennis Green to avoid the heat. The Vikings were not in full pads in either practice, but the coaches were aware of the heat conditions and how it was affecting the players.

We came away from the Minnesota practices with the feeling that Stringer was somewhat embarrassed by his struggles, but he was determined to fight through it so he wouldn't let down his teammates.

Players usually come to training camp in great physical condition, but no matter how sophisticated the offseason regimen, the first few days of camp are always going to be a struggle for linemen. Lineman routinely will lose 10 to 15 pounds during training camp.

Stringer's death is unnerving. He was a big, talented athlete in the prime of his career. His death wasn't an accident in the offseason -- it happened at camp, where players and coaches will live with it minute by minute. A season loaded with optimism now has a totally different meaning.

These players are sharing dorm rooms on a college campus and aren't in the comfort of their own homes, with their own families, to deal with this. This is a very closely-knit football team, and Stringer was a very popular player.

I had long conversations on Monday with assistant head coach Mike Tice, who coaches the offensive line, and his assistant, Dean Dalton. They were excited about the progression of this group, and we obviously talked about how big a part Stringer would play in their success. I talked to the Vikings' coaches this morning and they are devastated by this tragedy.

However, one thing is certain: There is nobody better than Green at dealing with adversity and tragedy. He and his staff will be a huge comfort to Stringer's family. The organization went through another tragedy two years ago when offensive coordinator Chip Myers tragically died of a heart attack in the offseason. Green handled Myers' passing with tremendous class and won the respect and admiration of a lot of people. There is no question that he will do the same in this situation.

The real challenge for Green and his coaching staff will be how -- and when -- to get back on the field and prepare for an NFL season. Stringer's death is also on the minds of every NFL player and coach in the league as they hit the practice field today.

Korey Stringer will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

~D.