Posted on Aug 13, 2017
Should Elite Forces Training be Used in High School Sports?
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Very recently in my community there was a tragedy on the high school gridiron. A 16 year old high school junior, attending an off season football strength and conditioning camp, was struck in the head while participating in a Navy SEAL-like teamwork, strength and endurance drill with a 10 foot long "telephone pole" type wooden log.
There are few specific details publicly available, only that it happened while five boys, including the victim, were participating in the drill and that the victim was said to be in the middle of the group and the boys were raising the log over their heads. Was the grass wet? Did the boys lose their grip?
In any case, the boy was struck in the head during the morning workout. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The same hospital where all five of my children were born, now ages 21 - 8.
"Can you imagine," my wife said after learning of the tragedy, "dropping your child off in the morning at a place you would think he would be safe, and then getting a telephone call that he had died?" I cannot.
This part of Long Island is no stranger to high school football fatalities. Less than three years ago another young man, who was playing in a local regular season high school football game collided with an opponent, head on, collapsed and then died from his head injury.
As a former football player and athletic administrator, I can tell you that head injuries and injuries in general are a painful reminder that we can never be "too safe." I remember vividly a rainy night football game played on natural turf, where the field conditions were less than desirable, and within five minutes of each other two players were removed from the field with broken bones. It happens that quick, and without warning.
But there is something different about this fatal injury.
U.S. Navy SEAL training techniques have become more and more popular as slowly over the past several years, the Navy SEALs have become more and more demystified through movies and books that take us inside the elite group's training and performance methods.
The Log Drill is a series of physically, mentally and emotionally challenging maneuvers in which a team of about five men perform these drills with a log weighing approximately 250 pounds. If everybody does their share, that's 50 pounds each.
When was the last time you lifted 50 pounds over your head? Could you lift 50 pounds over your head? Why would you lift 50 pounds over your head? What part of playing football requires a player to lift 50 pounds over his head?
Yes, these are strapping young men, strong, with endurance and fortitude, being taught how to work as a team, the hard way.
As an athletic administrator for public school programs on Long Island, I emphasized to coaches that the student athletes who chose to participate in their programs did so because they enjoyed playing the sport. I told the coaches that it was vital to remember that their student athletes were kids and not adults, no matter how much like men they looked, and not to treat them like college or professional athletes. It would have never occurred to me to tell them not to treat them like elite warriors.
I encouraged my coaches to study child psychology and to employ those principles in their coaching style. I encouraged my coaches to "Always make practice fun." "End each practice with a fun activity, so that they go home happy and wanting more, and feeling good about themselves." Drill and kill makes for unhappy players.
In the professions of physical education and athletic coaching safety must always be the first consideration. Physical educators are trained to always inspect the gym or teaching space and the supplies and equipment to be used prior to teaching their lesson. Good coaches do the same. But at what point does common sense kick in? At what point do you say to yourself, "Gee, I wonder what would happen if one, just one of these boys slipped and the 250 pound log came crashing down one of their heads?"
We call what happened a "tragedy" because it is a classic example of what a tragedy is. Some call it a "tragic accident." Some will call it negligent. And that will be for the police and lawyers to figure out. But those of us with military experience (I served 22 years in the Army, as an enlisted Combat Medic and then as a Medical Service Corps officer) know that a dead soldier is an ineffective soldier. So we teach and train safety first, especially out of the combat zone. In the combat zone, we say "Mission First, Safety Always!"
As soldiers, we knew what we did was inherently dangerous, and could cost us our life, limb or eyesight. But in a civilian setting, where children are involved and looking up to and trusting the adults around them who are legally in loco parentis ("In place of the parent"), to keep them safe and healthy as a parent would, my opinion is that there is never an excuse for potentially putting their life at risk for the purpose of team building, conditioning or any other reason. Nothing we do as adults responsible for the health, safety and welfare of a child should ever potentially cost them their life.
We are deceived by the size and athleticism of today's young student athletes. We forget that our public school interscholastic education programs are just that, interscholastic education, and not life or death scenarios.
Coaching egos and over training have taken the place of always doing what's in the best interest of the student athlete. We allow false dreams of college and professional success and fame to cloud better judgement as more and more youth's who participate in athletics are tracked to one sport over another, with year round training and travel leagues. Less than 1 percent of high school athletes ever play on a college scholarship. Less than 1 percent of college players ever play in the pros. And the average career in the pros lasts only from 3-5 years.
Football is the modern equivalent of war in the minds of some. We "Fight, fight, fight!" "Kill, kill, kill!" "Rip 'em apart!" Believe me, when General George S. Patton, in a speech to his troops during WWII implored his men to grease the wheels of their tanks with the guts of the enemy, he wasn't talking to teenagers preparing to play a game.
The rhetoric and techniques used by youth coaches need to be developmentally appropriate. I've had coaches disciplined for inappropriate language, tobacco use and other behavior detrimental to the proper development of young student athletes, yet on any given day you could walk through even a youth league practice and shouldn't be surprised the hear things that would make your mother blush.
Foul language and Navy SEAL drills don't grow hair on the chests of young men. Using fun cooperative games, sports and activities leads to better teamwork and leadership skills than making them put a 250 pound log over their heads.
Youth leaders need to work smarter and not harder. Even the pros are reconsidering bulk work outs in favor of resistance training. Lean core fitness, speed and quickness drills, push-ups and sit-ups yield a far healthier and effective student athlete than over-working bodies and muscles to the point of musculoskeletal failure or injury. Form is more important than weight. When the body is tired and fatigued it is most susceptible to injury. Why didn't these "coaches" know this?
Last few points. In a local front page news article about this tragedy, public school athletics officials were quoted as saying there was "only one out of season practice rule" for interscholastic student athletes, that they not be forced to participate in out of season activities. That is in fact only half of the regulation. The other half is that out of season workouts need to be open to anyone.
This is from the New York State Public High Schools Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), Inc., Bylaws and Eligibility Standards, page 130, Section 22. (NYSPHSAA is to governing body of New York State public high school athletics and is affiliated with the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations (NFHS); the local governing body in Suffolk County, New York, where the tragedy occurred, and which answers to the state association is Section IX).
"c. School sponsored activities conducted out of the sport season such as general
conditioning, weight training, weight lifting, intramurals, recreation, open gyms, club
activities and camps are permitted: 1) if such programs are not mandated by coaches or
school personnel; 2) if such programs are available to all students.
"d. Non-school sponsored activities are permitted if such programs are not mandated by
coaches or school personnel. It is recommended that no school equipment be used for
these programs as per State Comptroller Opinion 85-37."
(Corrected from 8/12/17 version.) So a "non-school sponsored activity" (the strength and conditioning camp that contributed to the death of the 16 year old) can be mandated through a booster club, by non-affiliated coaches and trainers - just not the actual team coaches.
This off season work out had nothing to do with the school district's official activities. The booster club sponsored the activity. According to the article, each boy had to pay $325 for the camp. Since it was "non-curricular" the state law (New York State Commissioner's Regulation 135, Guidelines for the Coaching Requirements, pp. 48-73) requiring coaching certifications for anyone working with the student athletes in a scholastic setting didn't apply. There could be any nut case working with these boys who were hired by the booster club. And oh, by the way, the bulk of that $325 went to salaries for these fitness and conditioning "specialists." These things you won't find in the article.
Public school districts need to take a hard look at what activities they allow on their premises, and booster clubs need to hire licensed teachers and coaches for their extra season camps if they are going to use school facilities.
After this tragedy, if this was the case, there is no excuse for allowing non-certified coaches/trainers to work with public school student athletes, ever. If a parent wants to seek out a "professional" trainer for their child on their own, that's their business, but for public schools to allow and facilitate it is unconscionable. If a "trainer's" only qualification is that they were a Navy SEAL, or college or professional athlete, an alumni perhaps with no other proper coaching qualifications or certifications, take a pass. No disrespect intended.
Intentions aside, without the proper training and coaching style, it's only a matter of time before tragedy or negligence strikes again.
There are few specific details publicly available, only that it happened while five boys, including the victim, were participating in the drill and that the victim was said to be in the middle of the group and the boys were raising the log over their heads. Was the grass wet? Did the boys lose their grip?
In any case, the boy was struck in the head during the morning workout. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The same hospital where all five of my children were born, now ages 21 - 8.
"Can you imagine," my wife said after learning of the tragedy, "dropping your child off in the morning at a place you would think he would be safe, and then getting a telephone call that he had died?" I cannot.
This part of Long Island is no stranger to high school football fatalities. Less than three years ago another young man, who was playing in a local regular season high school football game collided with an opponent, head on, collapsed and then died from his head injury.
As a former football player and athletic administrator, I can tell you that head injuries and injuries in general are a painful reminder that we can never be "too safe." I remember vividly a rainy night football game played on natural turf, where the field conditions were less than desirable, and within five minutes of each other two players were removed from the field with broken bones. It happens that quick, and without warning.
But there is something different about this fatal injury.
U.S. Navy SEAL training techniques have become more and more popular as slowly over the past several years, the Navy SEALs have become more and more demystified through movies and books that take us inside the elite group's training and performance methods.
The Log Drill is a series of physically, mentally and emotionally challenging maneuvers in which a team of about five men perform these drills with a log weighing approximately 250 pounds. If everybody does their share, that's 50 pounds each.
When was the last time you lifted 50 pounds over your head? Could you lift 50 pounds over your head? Why would you lift 50 pounds over your head? What part of playing football requires a player to lift 50 pounds over his head?
Yes, these are strapping young men, strong, with endurance and fortitude, being taught how to work as a team, the hard way.
As an athletic administrator for public school programs on Long Island, I emphasized to coaches that the student athletes who chose to participate in their programs did so because they enjoyed playing the sport. I told the coaches that it was vital to remember that their student athletes were kids and not adults, no matter how much like men they looked, and not to treat them like college or professional athletes. It would have never occurred to me to tell them not to treat them like elite warriors.
I encouraged my coaches to study child psychology and to employ those principles in their coaching style. I encouraged my coaches to "Always make practice fun." "End each practice with a fun activity, so that they go home happy and wanting more, and feeling good about themselves." Drill and kill makes for unhappy players.
In the professions of physical education and athletic coaching safety must always be the first consideration. Physical educators are trained to always inspect the gym or teaching space and the supplies and equipment to be used prior to teaching their lesson. Good coaches do the same. But at what point does common sense kick in? At what point do you say to yourself, "Gee, I wonder what would happen if one, just one of these boys slipped and the 250 pound log came crashing down one of their heads?"
We call what happened a "tragedy" because it is a classic example of what a tragedy is. Some call it a "tragic accident." Some will call it negligent. And that will be for the police and lawyers to figure out. But those of us with military experience (I served 22 years in the Army, as an enlisted Combat Medic and then as a Medical Service Corps officer) know that a dead soldier is an ineffective soldier. So we teach and train safety first, especially out of the combat zone. In the combat zone, we say "Mission First, Safety Always!"
As soldiers, we knew what we did was inherently dangerous, and could cost us our life, limb or eyesight. But in a civilian setting, where children are involved and looking up to and trusting the adults around them who are legally in loco parentis ("In place of the parent"), to keep them safe and healthy as a parent would, my opinion is that there is never an excuse for potentially putting their life at risk for the purpose of team building, conditioning or any other reason. Nothing we do as adults responsible for the health, safety and welfare of a child should ever potentially cost them their life.
We are deceived by the size and athleticism of today's young student athletes. We forget that our public school interscholastic education programs are just that, interscholastic education, and not life or death scenarios.
Coaching egos and over training have taken the place of always doing what's in the best interest of the student athlete. We allow false dreams of college and professional success and fame to cloud better judgement as more and more youth's who participate in athletics are tracked to one sport over another, with year round training and travel leagues. Less than 1 percent of high school athletes ever play on a college scholarship. Less than 1 percent of college players ever play in the pros. And the average career in the pros lasts only from 3-5 years.
Football is the modern equivalent of war in the minds of some. We "Fight, fight, fight!" "Kill, kill, kill!" "Rip 'em apart!" Believe me, when General George S. Patton, in a speech to his troops during WWII implored his men to grease the wheels of their tanks with the guts of the enemy, he wasn't talking to teenagers preparing to play a game.
The rhetoric and techniques used by youth coaches need to be developmentally appropriate. I've had coaches disciplined for inappropriate language, tobacco use and other behavior detrimental to the proper development of young student athletes, yet on any given day you could walk through even a youth league practice and shouldn't be surprised the hear things that would make your mother blush.
Foul language and Navy SEAL drills don't grow hair on the chests of young men. Using fun cooperative games, sports and activities leads to better teamwork and leadership skills than making them put a 250 pound log over their heads.
Youth leaders need to work smarter and not harder. Even the pros are reconsidering bulk work outs in favor of resistance training. Lean core fitness, speed and quickness drills, push-ups and sit-ups yield a far healthier and effective student athlete than over-working bodies and muscles to the point of musculoskeletal failure or injury. Form is more important than weight. When the body is tired and fatigued it is most susceptible to injury. Why didn't these "coaches" know this?
Last few points. In a local front page news article about this tragedy, public school athletics officials were quoted as saying there was "only one out of season practice rule" for interscholastic student athletes, that they not be forced to participate in out of season activities. That is in fact only half of the regulation. The other half is that out of season workouts need to be open to anyone.
This is from the New York State Public High Schools Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), Inc., Bylaws and Eligibility Standards, page 130, Section 22. (NYSPHSAA is to governing body of New York State public high school athletics and is affiliated with the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations (NFHS); the local governing body in Suffolk County, New York, where the tragedy occurred, and which answers to the state association is Section IX).
"c. School sponsored activities conducted out of the sport season such as general
conditioning, weight training, weight lifting, intramurals, recreation, open gyms, club
activities and camps are permitted: 1) if such programs are not mandated by coaches or
school personnel; 2) if such programs are available to all students.
"d. Non-school sponsored activities are permitted if such programs are not mandated by
coaches or school personnel. It is recommended that no school equipment be used for
these programs as per State Comptroller Opinion 85-37."
(Corrected from 8/12/17 version.) So a "non-school sponsored activity" (the strength and conditioning camp that contributed to the death of the 16 year old) can be mandated through a booster club, by non-affiliated coaches and trainers - just not the actual team coaches.
This off season work out had nothing to do with the school district's official activities. The booster club sponsored the activity. According to the article, each boy had to pay $325 for the camp. Since it was "non-curricular" the state law (New York State Commissioner's Regulation 135, Guidelines for the Coaching Requirements, pp. 48-73) requiring coaching certifications for anyone working with the student athletes in a scholastic setting didn't apply. There could be any nut case working with these boys who were hired by the booster club. And oh, by the way, the bulk of that $325 went to salaries for these fitness and conditioning "specialists." These things you won't find in the article.
Public school districts need to take a hard look at what activities they allow on their premises, and booster clubs need to hire licensed teachers and coaches for their extra season camps if they are going to use school facilities.
After this tragedy, if this was the case, there is no excuse for allowing non-certified coaches/trainers to work with public school student athletes, ever. If a parent wants to seek out a "professional" trainer for their child on their own, that's their business, but for public schools to allow and facilitate it is unconscionable. If a "trainer's" only qualification is that they were a Navy SEAL, or college or professional athlete, an alumni perhaps with no other proper coaching qualifications or certifications, take a pass. No disrespect intended.
Intentions aside, without the proper training and coaching style, it's only a matter of time before tragedy or negligence strikes again.
Training
Command Post
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 18
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IMHO, I think there was a serious lack of risk analysis and risk mitigation here, coupled with the "coach" chasing that idea that his workout is the toughest, most "Hooah" one going, all for bragging rights.
This is why, in the Army, we have Risk Assessments. This is also why we end up having dumb rules (no organized sports during PT hours) and dumb safety briefs.
This is why, in the Army, we have Risk Assessments. This is also why we end up having dumb rules (no organized sports during PT hours) and dumb safety briefs.
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SPC Erich Guenther
I am sure the Football Team missed out on the "Accident Investigation" you know the one where they send a Major around with a clipboard and yellow legal pad to take legal statements from everyone, then assemble them into a larger report typed up.
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PFC Lisa McDonald
Not to make light of the kids death but in the Army lack of Pt belt might have been considered a possible mitigating factor
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The way I see it, it wasn't special forces training—it was high school football camp training with a log. My scrawny boot camp ass did log exercises weighing a buck forty-five, so I'm sure those kids are more than capable as well. The only difference is that our hats told us not to drop the log on our heads.
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
I never did log drills. The first thing that came to mind when I saw it in a movie was that it looked hard, not that it was dangerous. I did rifle drills in Basic Training, and then litter drills during Combat Medic training. The litter drills were very demanding (and potentially dangerous for the "casualty"), but they were specific to a task we may be expected to perform as a Combat Medic. I think those types of experiences are more valuable that those that are not required on the job.
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SSgt (Join to see)
MAJ Montgomery Granger They're not fun at all, but only dangerous if you're extremely careless. I've done plenty of litter drills, both at Marine Combat Training and regular PT in the fleet, usually with some MCMAP (Marine combatives) thrown in. The worst was during our culminating event in Sgts course, which lasted about ten hours when we usually had a dead guy to carry while patrolling/running to our next objectives. Haha
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
According to local police reports the log actually weighed 400 pounds. That's 80 pounds each for five boys. When we did litter drills we always picked the runt as a casualty. Four men with 180 pound buddy is 45 pounds each. Consequences of failure? A pissed off buddy. If you have done litter drills or even rifle drills, or changed an ornery light fixture or used a pole saw, you know that lifting anything over your head for an extended period can lead to muscle failure in minutes. Now do it with 80 pounds - and that's only assuming everybody is actually lifting his 80. One man fails and it's 100. Looks like in this case more than one boy failed, led by the adults who were morally and legally responsible for their health, welfare and safety.
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PFC Lisa McDonald
I was an Infantry midget. I went in at 17 weighing 121 lbs and just shy of 5 ft 7.
We did log drills and firemen's carry as well as well as rappelling with an injured soldier.
I always got stuck with the biggest guy.
He had it easy as pie carrying me! The last guy I remember firemen's carrying weighed 235 and was around 6 ft tall.
I get your points Major and support your position that they should be getting age appropriate training.
Its sad how many kids are dying doing sports.
We have been slowly realizing that full mental maturity does not happen until the 20's if not even the early thirties
The person training them needs to be mature and understand what they are working with
We did log drills and firemen's carry as well as well as rappelling with an injured soldier.
I always got stuck with the biggest guy.
He had it easy as pie carrying me! The last guy I remember firemen's carrying weighed 235 and was around 6 ft tall.
I get your points Major and support your position that they should be getting age appropriate training.
Its sad how many kids are dying doing sports.
We have been slowly realizing that full mental maturity does not happen until the 20's if not even the early thirties
The person training them needs to be mature and understand what they are working with
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I think until all the details are out, we ought to relax - I don't think it is confirmed that the log weighed 250lbs, or something less. I didn't see any name associated with the 'training staff', so can't tell if the trainers were certified.
My son has participated in this type of strength training for football the last 3 years - at least the trainers were from a local cross fit gym that we knew and all had certifications.
Accidents happen - unless the investigation finds neglect, that's all it is.
BTW - the log drill is not exclusive to SEAL training. The log pit at SFAS was an experience I'll never forget.
My son has participated in this type of strength training for football the last 3 years - at least the trainers were from a local cross fit gym that we knew and all had certifications.
Accidents happen - unless the investigation finds neglect, that's all it is.
BTW - the log drill is not exclusive to SEAL training. The log pit at SFAS was an experience I'll never forget.
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SGT Kevin Berman
I don't see the log drill as being exclusively 'military training' - whether it was poor judgment will come out of the investigation, whether the trainers were properly certified will come out, whether there was negligence will come out. And yes, the Leaders are ultimately responsible -
I think we're on the same page Major.
I think we're on the same page Major.
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MAJ (Join to see)
It is a regular part of Fleet Marine Force PT and have even done it in the Guard...add the acronym SEAL and it instantly becomes crazy. Not sure if it was appropriate for football or even done correctly, but it's senstationalism to some degree. I can't imagine what the parents are going through.
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SGM Erik Marquez
MAJ Montgomery Granger "So you're condoning military training for high school youth?"
Again, still, using a log to condition is NOT a military training exclusive, never was, never has been, never will be.. It is used IN military conditioning, not specific to it.
Was it appropriate for this group of athletes? Thats what investigations are for and will answer. It is an appropriate conditioning drill to exercise team work, self introspection and muscular strength and endurance..all things a foot ball team needs.
https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=Qa7&q=wooden+log+workouts&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO97WZxOPVAhUn0YMKHdiYD2YQ1QIIZCgE&biw=1326&bih=629
Again, still, using a log to condition is NOT a military training exclusive, never was, never has been, never will be.. It is used IN military conditioning, not specific to it.
Was it appropriate for this group of athletes? Thats what investigations are for and will answer. It is an appropriate conditioning drill to exercise team work, self introspection and muscular strength and endurance..all things a foot ball team needs.
https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=Qa7&q=wooden+log+workouts&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO97WZxOPVAhUn0YMKHdiYD2YQ1QIIZCgE&biw=1326&bih=629
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I would say the Military needs to stay completely out of Public High Schools except for Recruiting and possibly JROTC. Everything else needs to wait until post High School, in my opinion. I would also rate telephone pole PT under hazing vs PT, I felt it was one of the dumbest things I ever did in the Army and still feel that way today.
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
SPC, thank you very much for your candid response. Police reports have now put the weight of the log at 400 pounds, not 250, which was the original estimate. I could not agree with you more. Hooah!
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What? No! We already have kids shooting up schools: the last thing we need is young special killers on the sports field.
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My 17 yr old daughter participated in the log lift at USNA during a recent summer seminar. They were eight deep per log. Shorter people were in the middle. I must say that with proper supervision and proper planning, this exercise can improve teamwork, physical conditioning, and self confidence. In my opinion, two things that could have been to minimize risk: more football players per log; the wearing of football helmets to protect from trauma to the head. It is NOT a special forces event. That comment is silly.
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
Got your attention though, didn't it? Seriously though, I really appreciate your comment. It gives depth to the discussion. However, is the drill necessary? Are we preparing these kids for combat, or for a game? How intense should practice for a game be, especially when what you have the kids doing has zero to do with the skills that are needed to play the game. There are myriad safe ways to go about leadership and team-building without literally putting lives at risk. By the way, a local police report put the weight of the log at 400 pounds, not 250, which was the initial estimate. That's 80 pounds per student athlete. Wear a helmet for protection against a 400 pound log? I'm pretty sure the manufacturer of the helmet would disavow use of the helmet for reasonable protection against injury for anything else but football. If your daughter had been injured or killed in the drill I am sure you would have a different opinion. Thank you again for your response.
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1LT (Join to see)
MAJ Montgomery Granger - I think you missed providing all of the details. The young man's name is important, since the story of his death is being used to drive our discussion. Joshua Mileto was a 16 year old junior at Sachem East High School in Farmingville, NY. There were 6 players on the log. They were running with the log when two players slipped and fell which caused the pole to strike Joshua in the head. This was not a standing log lift, this was not a log carry on the shoulder a distance, the players were running with the log over head. This is not how the USNA conduct the drill. No, I would not have a different opinion if my daughter was impacted by such a drill. I would see it for the tragedy that it was and hope that lessons could be learned to improve safety for future drills. And yes, I stand by my suggestion to wear helmets, it may have lessened the impact enough that he may not have been killed. BTW: Are you aware that a person, at walking speed, can be paralyzed or killed by simply walking into a wall (as an example) with their head down? (Dr. Michael Stuart, Mayo Clinic) Texting and walking is just as dangerous.
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
Wow! My original piece was written the day after the accident. I'm on vacation with limited access to updates. I left last Wednesday and at that time even the New York Times had reported different information. Neither you nor I were there, nor have we seen any videotape of the accident. No insurance company in the world would insure a company that pretended to make a helmet that would guarantee reasonable protection from a 400 pound object falling on someone's head. When I played HS football my helmet was cracked three times in practices. Wearing a helmet during a log drill would give a false sense of safety. The opposite of what good adult supervision should be.
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1LT (Join to see)
MAJ Montgomery Granger - Considering you are on vacation, you wrote a rather lengthy piece on your opinion of the tragedy. I never said a football helmet would provide 100% insurable protection with any guarantee of no injury from 'any' impact. I said it may have lessened the trauma and possibly prevented Joshua's death. I never mentioned insurance. I suggest you read this article to understand G load and physics associated with football. http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/sports/a2954/4212171/
Football Physics: The Anatomy of a Hit
The average football sack can produce a bone-shattering 1600 lbs of force. Armed with new tools, researchers are now studying the science of a gridiron fundamental: The tackle.
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I would be highly surprised if any individual 5aking children through such drills have themselves ever completed such drills or served in combat, choosing the mexican meaning instead of the infered in place of i would say loco was indeed a correct adjective for one taking 14 15 yr old boys through drills meant for military men of a specialist capacity.
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Suspended Profile
Common sense. No, if someone doesn't have a coaching license or experience, they shouldn't be a coach.
This is the biggest failing in the current physical fitness training program for the Army as well. We've built up that everyone is a leader, and every leader should be able to lead fitness training...laughably untrue. We've built up that anyone in good shape is also a good coach-- forgetting that the vast majority of professional athletes don't coach, and most coaches aren't athletes.
It's not a matter of "elite" of any of the other buzzwords (mostly) SEAL's have used to make a brand for themselves...a workout is a workout. And when you have unqualified, unlicensed people leading -anything-...well, there you go.
This is the biggest failing in the current physical fitness training program for the Army as well. We've built up that everyone is a leader, and every leader should be able to lead fitness training...laughably untrue. We've built up that anyone in good shape is also a good coach-- forgetting that the vast majority of professional athletes don't coach, and most coaches aren't athletes.
It's not a matter of "elite" of any of the other buzzwords (mostly) SEAL's have used to make a brand for themselves...a workout is a workout. And when you have unqualified, unlicensed people leading -anything-...well, there you go.
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What is "Elite Forces Training"? Physical training techniques are not military just because they are used in a military training syllabus or conditioning program. The key to whether they are used either in a school environment, or in a commercially available program, which this appears to have been, is dependent upon three factors: does the exercise or drill fill a need in the sport or syllabus, is the proper equipment or environment available, is the person in charge properly trained?
There is no training used in the military designed to kill the trainee, but some training demands the supervisor be aware of specific techniques that are required to minimize the potential for injury of the participants.
In the case you describe the booster club sponsors should have investigated the program in addition to reading the advertising literature and made sure the persons providing the training were fully trained. The athletic director should have conducted his/her own investigation and the school administrators should have interviewed both the booster club principles, the conductors of the course and the athletic director to satisfy themselves that all had been done to ensure the safety of all concerned.
Nothing is 100% safe, but appropriate planning can minimize the danger....just as is done in the military.
There is no training used in the military designed to kill the trainee, but some training demands the supervisor be aware of specific techniques that are required to minimize the potential for injury of the participants.
In the case you describe the booster club sponsors should have investigated the program in addition to reading the advertising literature and made sure the persons providing the training were fully trained. The athletic director should have conducted his/her own investigation and the school administrators should have interviewed both the booster club principles, the conductors of the course and the athletic director to satisfy themselves that all had been done to ensure the safety of all concerned.
Nothing is 100% safe, but appropriate planning can minimize the danger....just as is done in the military.
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