Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/joU9-5CEU4s   Extreme training drills inflicted on high school and college football players by over-zealous coaches produce more non-traumatic fatalities than game play.  This conclusion comes from a study of 187 such deaths occurring over the past 20 years and just presented to the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting.   Football remains the most dangerous sport for young people clocking the largest number of fatalities, and there are 2 to 3 times more non-traumatic deaths than traumatic ones.  The data shows that 52% of these tragedies are associated with cardiac problems, 24% with heat exhaustion, and 5% with asthma.  Most deaths occurred in August before the regular season.   The study authors blame unreasonably intense workouts and punishing drills as the causes for these unnecessary deaths.  We should add lax medical screening for both heart and sickle cell disease.   You parents of teens and young adults playing football should be certain that your