PirateParent2011
01-31-2009, 09:03 AM
Kentucky case captures attention of area coaches
11:56 PM CST on Friday, January 30, 2009
By KEITH WHITMIRE / The Dallas Morning News
kwhitmire@dallasnews.com (kwhitmire@dallasnews.com)
Many area coaches are convening in Grapevine this weekend to discuss Texas high school football, but much of the talk is about events in Kentucky.
That's where a high school football coach was charged with reckless homicide last week in the heat-related death last August of a sophomore lineman on his team.
<!-- image starts here -->http://www.hsgametime.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/01-09/0131hscoach_sm.jpg MIKE STONE / Special to DMN
Garland head coach Jeff Jordan says that precaution against extreme heat is an emphasis in Texas. View larger (http://javascript<b></b>://noop)More photos (http://www.hsgametime.com/photosvideo) Photo store (http://www.hsgametime.com/photostore)
<!-- image ends here -->"It's every coach's worst nightmare to have something like that happen," said Garland coach Jeff Jordan, one of the organizers of the annual DFW Coaches Clinic.
What makes the Kentucky case particularly worrisome for area coaches is that the case is being pursued criminally. Coaches in Texas are generally protected against negligence lawsuits by state laws, but criminal charges are a different matter.
A grand jury indicted David Jason Stinson, the coach at Louisville's Pleasure Ridge Park High, in the death of Max Gilpin, 15, who collapsed during a practice and died three days later.
Stinson was directing practice on Aug. 20 when the heat index reached 94 degrees and the 15-year-old sophomore collapsed and had trouble breathing. The player had a temperature of 107 degrees when he arrived at the hospital, authorities said.
Austin attorney Tiger Hanner, who specializes in representing coaches and teachers, said it's not unheard of for criminal charges to be pursued in similar cases. However, winning a criminal case against a coach would be extremely rare.
"I've never seen one successful, let's put it that way," Hanner said.
The burden in any case against a coach, Hanner said, would be to prove that the coach acted outside the scope of his or her duties.
"A coach has a wide latitude to practice their student-athletes," Hanner said. "It would have to be really extreme for someone to be prosecuted for it."
Criminal charges were never filed in the death of former Carter player Eric Brown, who died of heatstroke after an August 2004 practice. The family did pursue a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court and eventually received a $240,000 settlement from the Dallas ISD.
Carter coach Allen Wilson declined to comment for this story.
D.W. Rutledge, executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association, said the state's coaches have been proactive in safeguarding against heat-related illnesses.
"We do a lot through the coaches association in educating our coaches on hydration and health and safety issues," Rutledge said. "Our coaches have really embraced that.
"There's just a lot of awareness about it. That's the whole key."
Most area high schools have a certified athletic trainer on staff. The Kentucky school did not.
Practice routines have evolved in Texas as more knowledge is gained about the effects of heat on athletes. Some changes, such as not permitting players to practice in full pads for the first four days of August practice, have been mandated by the University Interscholastic League.
"I've never been in Kentucky or anything like that, but I do know [heat precaution] is a huge point of emphasis here, from the school administration, the coaches association and everybody," Garland's Jordan said. "Every school district now has a heat policy in place."
Texas coaches are also required to have certification in first aid and CPR.
"Through all of that, we're very aware." Rockwall-Heath coach Mickey Moss said. "We all understand how devastating a heat injury is to a kid."
Moss said it is "scary" to think coaches could be criminally prosecuted for what happens on a practice field, but said there's a bigger concern.
"Professionally, of course that would worry you," Moss said. "I'm more fearful that I would lose an athlete under my supervision."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Thanks TX HS coaches and trainers for all you do for our student athletes.
<!-- vstory end -->
11:56 PM CST on Friday, January 30, 2009
By KEITH WHITMIRE / The Dallas Morning News
kwhitmire@dallasnews.com (kwhitmire@dallasnews.com)
Many area coaches are convening in Grapevine this weekend to discuss Texas high school football, but much of the talk is about events in Kentucky.
That's where a high school football coach was charged with reckless homicide last week in the heat-related death last August of a sophomore lineman on his team.
<!-- image starts here -->http://www.hsgametime.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/01-09/0131hscoach_sm.jpg MIKE STONE / Special to DMN
Garland head coach Jeff Jordan says that precaution against extreme heat is an emphasis in Texas. View larger (http://javascript<b></b>://noop)More photos (http://www.hsgametime.com/photosvideo) Photo store (http://www.hsgametime.com/photostore)
<!-- image ends here -->"It's every coach's worst nightmare to have something like that happen," said Garland coach Jeff Jordan, one of the organizers of the annual DFW Coaches Clinic.
What makes the Kentucky case particularly worrisome for area coaches is that the case is being pursued criminally. Coaches in Texas are generally protected against negligence lawsuits by state laws, but criminal charges are a different matter.
A grand jury indicted David Jason Stinson, the coach at Louisville's Pleasure Ridge Park High, in the death of Max Gilpin, 15, who collapsed during a practice and died three days later.
Stinson was directing practice on Aug. 20 when the heat index reached 94 degrees and the 15-year-old sophomore collapsed and had trouble breathing. The player had a temperature of 107 degrees when he arrived at the hospital, authorities said.
Austin attorney Tiger Hanner, who specializes in representing coaches and teachers, said it's not unheard of for criminal charges to be pursued in similar cases. However, winning a criminal case against a coach would be extremely rare.
"I've never seen one successful, let's put it that way," Hanner said.
The burden in any case against a coach, Hanner said, would be to prove that the coach acted outside the scope of his or her duties.
"A coach has a wide latitude to practice their student-athletes," Hanner said. "It would have to be really extreme for someone to be prosecuted for it."
Criminal charges were never filed in the death of former Carter player Eric Brown, who died of heatstroke after an August 2004 practice. The family did pursue a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court and eventually received a $240,000 settlement from the Dallas ISD.
Carter coach Allen Wilson declined to comment for this story.
D.W. Rutledge, executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association, said the state's coaches have been proactive in safeguarding against heat-related illnesses.
"We do a lot through the coaches association in educating our coaches on hydration and health and safety issues," Rutledge said. "Our coaches have really embraced that.
"There's just a lot of awareness about it. That's the whole key."
Most area high schools have a certified athletic trainer on staff. The Kentucky school did not.
Practice routines have evolved in Texas as more knowledge is gained about the effects of heat on athletes. Some changes, such as not permitting players to practice in full pads for the first four days of August practice, have been mandated by the University Interscholastic League.
"I've never been in Kentucky or anything like that, but I do know [heat precaution] is a huge point of emphasis here, from the school administration, the coaches association and everybody," Garland's Jordan said. "Every school district now has a heat policy in place."
Texas coaches are also required to have certification in first aid and CPR.
"Through all of that, we're very aware." Rockwall-Heath coach Mickey Moss said. "We all understand how devastating a heat injury is to a kid."
Moss said it is "scary" to think coaches could be criminally prosecuted for what happens on a practice field, but said there's a bigger concern.
"Professionally, of course that would worry you," Moss said. "I'm more fearful that I would lose an athlete under my supervision."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Thanks TX HS coaches and trainers for all you do for our student athletes.
<!-- vstory end -->