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Thursday, August 23, 2001
Parents not ready to halt kids' football practices
Heat-related deaths spur the UIL to form a committee to look at health and safety policies
By Renee C. Lee
Associated Press

   DALLAS - Terri Boop's sons have been through two-a-day football practices and full-contact scrimmages, so she has seen her share of Texas heat whippings over the years.
   Her oldest son, who graduated last year, played football for Western Hills High School in Fort Worth, and now her youngest boy, a sophomore, is following suit.
   "It scares me to death, but they've done this for years," said Boop, who regularly attends practices as president of the school's football booster club.
   "You've got thousands of kids in Texas playing football. To stop your kids from playing is like saying, 'I'm never going to fly again because of one crash.'"
   The recent deaths of pro football player Korey Stringer, two college players and two Texas high school football players have heightened parents' awareness of heat dangers.
   Steven Taylor, 15, of Luling died Friday after returning from a light morning workout.
   The next day, Leonard Carter, 14, of Houston died after he collapsed during a morning scrimmage.
   Officials say Carter died because of an enlarged heart and heat played a minimal role. Taylor's cause of death is pending.
   Still, many parents say they won't pull their children from the playing field. They say a coach who preaches the importance of hydration and takes precautions during practices and games will help prevent such incidents.
   Nationwide, 14 heat-related deaths of high school football players have been recorded from 1995 to 2000, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, which writes game-playing rules for high school athletics.
   That's an average of about two to three deaths a year among more than a million high school football players, Assistant Director Jerry Diehl said.
   In 1999-2000, there were 1.27 million high school football players and 13,313 high school football teams across the country.

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