Kentucky Schools to Discuss Athlete Safety Following Player’s Death

A medical committee that makes recommendations to Kentucky high school athletics officials meets Thursday to discuss athlete safety.

The discussion follows the death of Pleasure Ridge Park High School football player Max Gilpin, who died three days after collapsing during practice in August.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported Madisonville physician James Bowles heads the Kentucky Medical Association committee, which routinely meets every two years.

Bowles said one of the options the group will look at is requiring that a child’s swimming pool filled with ice water be available at each practice.

Doug Casa, who headed a national task force on heat illnesses in 2003, told the newspaper the group found no instance of deaths when athletes were placed in a cold bath immediately after collapsing.

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Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader,
http://www.kentucky.com