The headlines from the sports page were stunning. Korey Stringer, the Minnesota Viking's Pro-Bowl tackle, was dead of heatstroke after collapsing during practice. How could a highly-conditioned professional athlete, supervised by a legion of coaches, trainers, and doctors, die this way? He was only 27……...

One week earlier, University of Florida freshman fullback Eraste Autin died six days after collapsing from heatstroke following a workout in Gainesville. When Autin collapsed, the temperature was 88 degrees with 72 percent humidity and a heat index of 102.

"But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger." A Florida freshman football player, commenting on  how his team will carry on despite missing Autin.

How can coaches prevent their highly competitive athletes from killing themselves in their quest to be stronger? At what point must coaches and athletes be willing to step back from the code that says quitters never win and winners never quit. Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi said, "The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It's your mind you have to convince." In a culture that demands pushing your physical limits to the max, how can tragedies like the deaths of Stringer and Autin be prevented?

Investigate
Read the news release from USA Today about Stringer's death
Read the news release from The Orlando Sentinel about Autin's death

You and your group are members of a special task force convened by the National Board of American Coaches (NBAC). The NBAC is determined to stop further heatstroke deaths in sports. They feel that education of coaches and athletes is the key. You have three tasks:

-Research the causes and symptoms of heatstroke. Identify the risk factors which might contribute to a fatality. Find out how coaches, parents, and athletes can prevent heatstroke.

-Survey local coaches and athletes about their knowledge of heatstroke.

-Produce products that can be used to educate coaches, parents, and players about heatstroke. These materials should emphasize heatstroke prevention and treatment. Your team might be assigned to prepare and deliver  a verbal presentation (a video, a skit or a talk) and deliver it to local athletes and coaches. You might create a newsletter, poster, or brochure, using persuasive writing techniques to make an impact and influence attitudes.

Take Action

Click here to see your roles