The body of an athlete is a finely tuned machine, but these machines tend to break down when they are mistreated. A common occurrence in athletes today is athletes passing out and at times dying from extreme workouts.Grambling State University has been hit by this tragic situation and is still dealing with the ramifications.
The story of GSU Men’s Basketball team player Henry White should serve as a cautionary tale to all competitors who practice at extreme levels.
White and his teammates were told that they had to complete a workout for the day called the “Tiger Mix,” an extensive campus run. Now, if anyone has ever been in Grambling in the middle of August, they would know that even Satan is looking for the shade then. And our athletes were asked to work out in such conditions?
This is a major problem that does not just happen in collegiate athletics but even as young as middle school — some coaches overexert the players.
Most of the cases have been with males who play football. Within those injuries the majority have been heat-related and could have easily been prevented.
Heat strokes seem to be the primary cause of the deaths in football. Students or professional football players mainly practice around three or four in the afternoon, when the sun is slowly trying to set, and even earlier in the day during the summer.
It is during this time that many of the players suffer their injuries. There are rare cases for players like Bennie F. Abram, from the University of Mississippi, who was having trouble breathing during a workout on February 20.
He was taken to the hospital where he later died, but no foul play is suspected. The exact workout has not been released, but for a player to pass out afterward, goes hand in hand with the fact that he could not breathe already. Such is a dilemma.
Student athletes should step away if they see that they cannot handle the workout.
Most of the time, it is male athletes who think their manhood is called into question when teammates and coaches see that they cannot complete the activity.
This behavior is not limited to males. Females also have this “macho” attitude that is adopted when our ability to play a sport is called into question.
Cases of females dying are quite lower than our counterparts, but there is still no excuse for any player dying during or after a workout.
Ultimately, players need to make sure that they are healthy and are able to meet the training requirements that are asked of them.
Athletes, know your bodies and how much your body can take before you begin to feel like you cannot continue the program.
Coaches and trainers, special attention needs to be given to the types of workouts and the exhaustion factor for each individual player.
Maybe with these tips, everyone could begin to get the warning sign for prevention.