It has become way too common for football players to suffer from heatstroke. Is it a mistake that coaches are making or the players? In my mind, it is an inner struggle that the players must face in order to avoid heatstroke and death. Coaches have their practice plans and will most likely stick to them. It is up to the player to prepare as necessary when it comes to hydrating properly, getting enough rest, and staying in shape.
When a player gets to the point that they throw up multiple times from a workout it is necessary to stop. Who doesn't have the common sense to know that? Korey Stringer, an ex-Minnesota Viking, threw up three times during a practice one summer day and did not consult a trainer until after practice according to this article at http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2001/0731/1233494.html. By then it was too late, and he trageically died at the young age of twenty-seven. I must wonder what goes through a person's head that keeps them from seeking help when they begin throwing up, seeing stars, etc. from a workout. Is it the pressure to impress teamates, coaches, and fans? No one will know what went through Korey Stringer's mind that morning, but atleast heatstroke awareness increased after this tragic event took place.
People will go to great lengths to not look weak in front others, which is my only guess as to why Stringer continued particpating in that practice. This is a common theme in athletics ranging from middle school to the professional level. Athletes must be more cautious when proceeding into an intense workout.
6 comments:
You ask if it's the players' fault or the coaches fault. If a high school player (who has thrown up) were to ask the coach to sit out for the day's practice to re-hydrate, would the coach allow him? Perhaps, with a glint of disappointment in his eye. I can imagine how much more pressure coaches place on professional players. With all the tough talk and condescension toward signs of weakness, compounded with the paycheck the players earn, I can't imagine a professional would even consider exiting from practice. It's hard to blame the players when the whole establishment, including the coaches, expect the players' bodies to be impenetrable.
Perhaps "awareness" should be swapped for prevention.
I agree, I think that even if the player asked the coach to rest in order to rehydrate, most coaches would say no. I know that in high school my lacrosse coach would never have let me sit out without being penalized. I would have fought through the pain, even with risk of being hurt, because I would not have wanted to be reprimanded. It is incredibly unfortunate that the sports industry is so demanding that players die as a result of not speaking up.
From personal experience, i know athletes never want to show any signs of weakness. However, athletes must draw the line somewhere. Growing up playing football in the heat of Texas, i have experienced two deaths of teammates who have collapsed and later died of heat related illnesses. Since then, my coaches never complain when an athlete says he needs water. In fact, coaches encourage you not to think of yourself as a "coward" or anything like that and go get water. But by then, may lives have already been claimed including one of my close friends. I think it's both the player and the coaches responsibility to make sure they are hydrated properly before its too late.
It shocks me when I see the difference between how men and women react when they aren't feeling well. In our society, it isn't considered as weak for a woman to break down as it is a man. Men should be able to "take the pain like a man" and not cry or complain. I think that every time someone overworks themselves, they are doing it to either prove to themselves or to their peers that they are strong. They want to show that no obstacle can get in their way of their goal. People, like this football player, take it to extremes and that's when they get hurt. I have seen people push themselves far in many situations. Another problem that men face is hazing when they are being initiated into a fraternity. While many school officials and students may think that hazing is completely gone, they are fooling only themselves. Though many fraternities have stopped, many still haze and push the rushees to their physical and mental limits. Men in this case also tend to try to prove that they are strong and often think it's "unmanly" to bail or stop something that's not right. I know i'm getting off track, but what I mean to say is that men can be stupid and not stop doing something that they know is hurting them only in order to save their pride.
I am going to have to disagree. I am a girl, but will physically push myself to the limits. It might be a personality type or how much something means to someone though. The mind can play tricks- physical pain, at times, comes second to the will to succeed. Maybe he should have been educated more in the dangers of heatstroke but pushing yourself to the limits has gotten alot of people far in life, and some not so lucky.
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