Just got a phone call.....

Maybe, the coach didn't understand Osgood Schlatter disease. I had it when I from about 11-12. It hurts- for real. Some days were worse than others. My parents thought I was crazy (?? you were just out riding your bike!!), until my dad had to carry me up the stairs a few times. It went away as I got older, but those two years were painful.

I had it as well. Truly painful. Usually casued by massive growth spurt that stretches knee tendons and ligaments sometimes to the breaking point. In some cases it can be so bad that any contact can cause them to tear or rupture. For a football lineman that is serious.

If the coach didn't understand it I wonder if he got any explanation about the condition. With the multitude of injuries and ailments that football players contend with coaches should be getting input from medical professionals. If they disregard or discount that information then shame on them.

Bigger picture though a successful lawsuit over lost playing time because of a coaches decision has huge ramifications. Could cause HS sports to become like a rec league. No cut and everyone gets equal playing time. Or....maybe HS sports end becasue school districts don't want to deal with the litigation. Neither will probably happen at least immediately but once someone wins there will be more and more "court" time.

I never had OS so I'm not sure how bad it is but if a kid has it and can't perform then the coach needs to wisen up. In your situation AntzDad there is no way a coach could ever expect you to compete. This is where they have to get a clue and send a kid to the doctor. Going to the doctor protects the coach IF they follow their instructions.

But there is that point where you have to get kids to play through certain things in order to develop some mental toughness. It's a very fine line to walk and I can see where a coach may cross that line. When it happens I can see where there is potential for a successful lawsuit when it comes to protecting the health of an athlete - not in playing time.

The playing time part of the lawsuit is what leads me to think there is more to this story than a coach who pushed a kid too hard on a debilitating injury. I think coaches need to play it on the side of caution and hold a kid out in the threat of a real injury or pushing it from minor injury to severe. I tell my guys all the time when they are hurting do what they can and not push it. In my experience the vast majority of times it works out for the best - the kids learn to push themselves but a trust is created they know they can step out without being labeled as soft.

luv baseball I'm with you that the longterm ramifications of a succesful lawsuit could be very bad for sports period. I can see where HS sports will eventually become a rec league situation. When that happens you might as well forget about having real coaches.

Part of me is wondering why a kid, 6'6, 280 that can move, doesn't have coaches beating his door down, whether they've seen him play, or not.

I don't think the sky is falling just yet. 99.9% of the time the legal system gets it right, with no long term damage to society. I'm sure that will be the case here.

I had osgood schlatter's and for months it felt like someone was sticking a steak knife in my knee just below the knee cap. (A good comparison is the pain you feel taking your first step in the morning if you have plantar faciitis!) Plus my knee was constantly "going out," like I had a trick knee. My father told me I was exagerating but kinda kept quiet after he saw the x-ray. I was playing tons of basketball right before it got too debilitating to play any more. I'm with Luv--perhaps the coach wasn't fully informed by the parents or the kid's doctor--there is no way to "play through it."

My brother had it. He couldn't play basketball for almost two years. By the time he got back on the court he was wayyyy behind other players. He never did catch up.

I worried about it with my son. He shot up four inches this year and was complaining of knee pain. Luckily he has slowed a little bit and his joints are catching up. He has had to give up catching though. Getting the crouch is just downright painful. The biggest fear is another growth spurt. We have 7 footers in our family and he is 5'10 with size 13 feet and at 14 we don't think he is done growing. If he has another one of these shoot ups it will affect his game for sure.

He is a little afraid sometimes to push it because the pain in his knees was pretty bad at times. I told him just to go out and play, have fun. Don't worry about the future.

The coach was also the players special education guidance counselor.

Just another reason to think hard before you get into coaching

Too many things not clarified in the article.
Who's to say the Coach failed in his recruiting duties with this player. Quite possibly, nobody was burning up the phone lines or his email, about this stud player.
If the player refused or was incapable of playing during the season, why should the school, be responsible for paying for this player to attend another school and play as a 5th year player.
The article protects the player, while it paints a negative slant on the Coach. Too many details left out.
I do understand what Osgood Schlatter & Plantious faciitis feels like. Add concussion* to the mix & then some... I know personally of a player, who played thru all of the above (*after clearance), worked with Sports Trainer & Physical Therapy 5x a week, and swimming / walking laps in a pool with weights on his ankles...before school. Wore special shoe inserts for his heels. This went thru Football & Baseball seasons in the pain described above.
It wasn't obvious to others that he was even in pain. With a player like that, a teammate or Coach, could understandibly question the validity of ones condition.
But, with this player, it wasn't until the end of a game, when you could visibly see just how much obvious pain this kid was under, as he'd walk off the fields. He never wanted to let it show during a game, cause he wanted to play & be out there to help his team win. The School Trainer would even hold this kids Football helmet or not allow him to dress for a Football game & sit on the sidelines of a Baseball game, threatening to yank the kid from a game, if she saw him limp or even grimace in pain.

We do need to pay attention to kids & injuries. But, seems a little too convenient to dump on the Coach, too quickly. JMO