Death in football: How can we save our kids? | KSDK.com – KSDK

Athletic trainers in St. Louis are continuing to train for emergent situations as a number of high school football players across the country continue to die each year.

Josh Helmuth, KSDK 11:07 PM. CDT July 30, 2017

American Football Practice Hit Pads (Photo: 33ft, David Lee)

ST. LOUIS - Athletic trainers in St. Louis are continuing to train for emergent situations as a number of high school football players across the country continue to die each year.

According to the National Center For Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, there have been 35 direct deaths from football since 2010; there have been at least 61 if you count in-direct deaths from causes such as heat stroke. In fact, 2017 has already claimed at least two high school football players: Kamari McGowan of Fairburn, Georgia, and Everson Guild of Grand Ledge, Michigan.

And the deaths are almost always teenagers. Why? Unlike college or pro teams, just 37 percent of public high schools across the country have full-time athletic trainers(ATs), according to the National Athletic Trainers Association.

Jason Muchow is the director of sports medicine at Mercy Hospital. He believes every high school should have a full-time ATs on staff.

I think its direly important for the safety of their student athletes, he said. If something were to happen, were the first responders before the first responders show up.

ATs from Mercy Hospital are deployed at 16 area high schools each football season. Every year they gather to re-hash their training the week before football practice starts. This week they met at Parkway West High School where the focus was the treatment of head injuries and heat illness. Even area EMS joined the training session.

Because weve had unfortunate situations across the country, where weve had these spinal cord injuries, its created a constant training, said Deputy Chief Brad Shelton of the Metro West Fire District.

Although its rare for schools to be without an ST in the St. Louis metro, many other schools, especially some in rural areas, struggle to find the resources to afford a full-time AT. Muchow believes schools need to find a way to have someone trained at every game and practice in case an emergency arises.

You state you cant afford one, but at the same time that potential liability youre taking on by not bringing a medical professional on site greatly increases that liability, he said. Its just as important to have that A-T available during practices because most injuries will happen during practices versus games.

Depending on the situation, it only takes temperatures in the 80s to induce a heat illness, which is the number one cause of death among high school athletes.

What can a school do if theres little to no budget for an athletic trainer?

2017 KSDK-TV

See original here:
Death in football: How can we save our kids? | KSDK.com - KSDK