Several high school football players were hospitalized after their coach allegedly forced them to do 400 pushups in an hour as punishment.
RELATED STORIES: Coppin State Assistant Basketball Coach Posed As Female To Blackmail Former Player Into Sex
Rockwall Heath High School’s head football coach, John Harell, was accused of forcing the players to perform the strenuous task and was placed on administrative leave. According to Fox News 4, the incident was reported to parents after the school administration issued a letter. However, the letter did not specify how many players were hospitalized or what their diagnoses were.
One parent said their son was hospitalized due to Harell’s punishment since he performed the exercise without any breaks or water. They said their son was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a condition where damaged muscle tissue releases its proteins and electrolytes into the blood. It can damage the heart and kidneys, leading to permanent disability or death.
RELATED STORIES: Iran Executes Karate Champion And Volunteer Children’s Coach Amid Protests For Human Rights
“As a parent we send our kids to school trusting that they will be cared for at the highest level. That has been the case until this unfortunate event.”
One of the other players said Harrell wasn’t doing anything wrong but was simply teaching the football players discipline. Harrell was announced as head coach last year and worked at the school since 2019.
“I’m praying for all the sides that are in the hospital. They’re my brothers. He’s treated us with nothing but respect and he loves every single one of us like his own,” said junior captain Brady Luff. Luff also said the players were provided with water and were free to leave during the practice. His mother also defended the coach and said the kids were not harmed during the practice.
“So, if anything was going on with this situation that I thought these kids were being harmed, I would’ve been the first person up at the principal’s office or wherever I need to go to have this shut down,”
Rockwall Heath administrators said in a statement that the incident is currently under investigation in the letter sent to parents.
“The district is also taking interim action, including but not limited to, placing Coach Harrell on administrative leave while the investigation is pending and notifying appropriate outside agencies. District administrators and campus personnel have been in contact with the affected families and student-athletes.”
Social media reacts to the punishment and had different opinions on the situation.
After the news went viral on Twitter, some users had varying opinions on the punishment and said the kids should’ve been hydrated before practice or leave.
Conservatively, 20 push-ups/min × 20 = 400 push-ups. So, going at this rate, one could have 40 minutes of rest in an hour & still complete 400 push-ups. Either they didn’t plan well or they were really out of shape. Maybe they tried to do all 400 push-ups at once?
— Annisa Davenport (@AnnisaDavenport) January 12, 2023
I mean, why no water breaks though? Aren’t you supposed to drink water while exercising?
— nice (@NicePasta13) January 12, 2023
400 consecutive pushups with no rest is excessive. It ain’t about being soft or “back in my day.”
Its ok to realize when the body is pushed to its maximum capacity https://t.co/Y55iA9tGuh
— Snape, Severus Snape 🦹🏾♂️ (@southerngent26) January 11, 2023