Pleasure Ridge Park (KY) High School
football coach Jason Stinson was found
to be not guilty of reckless homicide, but
the death of a high school player under
his care brings up questions about how
kids are coached. |
First, they humiliate our kids. Then they kill them. And we let them get away with it.
The first criminal trial of a football coach in this country ended as most legal observers predicted. After deliberating less than 90 minutes, a jury found former Pleasure Ridge Park (KY) High School football coach Jason Stinson not guilty of reckless homicide and wanton endangerment in the heat-stroke death of Max Gilpin.
Gilpin, a 15-year old sophomore lineman at Pleasure Ridge Park, collapsed on August 20, 2008 during a practice in 94-degree weather. His body temperature was 107 degrees when he arrived at the emergency room. He died three days later.
The not guilty verdict in the criminal case doesn’t mean that Stinson’s actions didn’t place Gilpin in danger or contribute to his death. Testimony at trial suggests just the opposite is true. Players testified that Stinson ordered them to run 20-30 sprints – about twice as many as normal – and also described Stinson as being angry, yelling at them and denying them water. They described teammates vomiting, stumbling, and gasping for air. Another player on the team collapsed before Gilpin did.
One player said Stinson called him a “coward” after he vomited and took a break from running in an effort to catch his breath. After the sprints, players tried to get water but Stinson told them, “I didn’t tell you to get water; you get water when I tell you to.” He then had players attend a team meeting before allowing them to drink. According to witnesses, Stinson, the only school official who was trained in heat illnesses, did nothing to assist Max after he collapsed.
Unfortunately for the prosecution, defense attorneys presented evidence that Max was taking Adderall, an amphetamine used to treat ADD, and also used creatine, a supplement known for building body mass. Max may also have been suffering from a viral illness at the time of the practice. Any of that evidence alone would have been more than sufficient to raise reasonable doubt in the minds of 12 fair-minded citizens. Added together, the defense couldn’t lose.
Although the jury verdict means Stinson won’t do jail time, it doesn’t absolve him of responsibility for Max’s death. In fact, Stinson’s legal troubles are far from over. Gilpin’s parents have filed a negligence suit against Stinson, other coaches and school officials. Trial has been set for February 15. Unlike the criminal case, where the standard of proof is “beyond a reasonable doubt,” in the civil suit, plaintiffs’ attorneys will only have to prove that it is “more likely than not” that the defendants’ negligence – failure to exercise ordinary and reasonable care - caused Max’s death.
Despite the general mentality that football is a “man’s” sport, where abusive language and dangerous practices are common place, there should be limits, especially when dealing with children. We wouldn’t allow other teachers – yes, coaches are teachers – to abuse, humiliate, and endanger our children. Why do we tolerate behavior from football coaches that is considered unacceptable for English or Math teachers? Why do coaches feel that inhumane treatment makes athletes perform better when research has concluded just the opposite?
Unfortunately, Gilpin’s death is not an isolated incident. There have been at least three similar deaths reported so far this year and the National Center for Catastrophic Injury Research says 39 football players have died from heat-related causes since 1995. And still, coaches haven’t gotten the message.
The National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) published guidelines in June warning coaches about the risks of heat stroke and recommended against two-a-days for the first week of practice. But a survey published by NATA suggests that most coaches never saw the warnings and many of those that did thought the guidelines were “too restrictive.”
There are a lot of good coaches, including football coaches, who wouldn’t think of treating our children the way Stinson did. They believe that praise and positive reinforcement works as well as – if not better than – screaming profanities and threatening violence. Unfortunately, there are far too many Jason Stinsons who think nothing of placing our children in danger to serve their own interests. Unless we take action to curb such practices, the carnage will continue.
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Jordan Kobritz is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network. He can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. He is a former attorney, CPA, and Minor League Baseball team owner. He is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Eastern New Mexico University and teaches the Business of Sports at the University of Wyoming.
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