Rockwall-Heath football: CPS investigating illness reports

HEATH, Texas — The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (CPS) is investigating an offseason soccer exercise that resulted in a number of gamers being hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis –an official with the company confirmed on Monday. 

The exercise concerned student-athletes from Rockwall-Heath High School and a whole lot of push-ups.

The DFPS official would not say the rest aside from that the investigation is confidential and outcomes can be despatched to the college board upon completion.

Coach John Harrell stays on administrative go away till the completion of a third-party investigation by Adams, Lynch, & Loftin, P.C., per a spokesperson with Rockwall ISD. 

Last Monday, the district issued a letter to soccer mother and father relaying that Harrell was being positioned on go away following the Jan. 6 exercise. 

The district solely mentioned that student-athletes had been required to carry out ‘a number of push-ups’ within the exercise and that some youngsters wanted medical consideration, together with hospitalization. 

Two mother and father, Dr. Osehotue Okojie and Maria Avila informed WFAA Monday that their 15-year-old sons had been required to do 368 push-ups throughout their athletic interval and had been hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis for days. 

‘Rhabdo’ is a extreme breakdown of muscle tissue that releases a harmful protein into the bloodstream. In severe circumstances, it may be deadly or trigger everlasting incapacity.

The mother and father mentioned that the group was doing conditioning and made 23 errors over 60 minutes throughout that conditioning. 

As a outcome, athletes had been disciplined with one set of 16 push-ups per each mistake. 

The district would not verify these particulars — a spokesperson solely informed WFAA it could know extra in regards to the circumstances of the exercise as soon as the investigation was accomplished. 

However, Brady Luff, a junior captain of the varsity workforce, informed WFAA final week that the workforce usually does units of 16 push-ups to suggest the variety of video games it takes in Texas to win a state title. 

Okojie and Avila additionally informed WFAA that they had been interviewed by CPS whereas their sons had been within the hospital. 

They additionally mentioned they had been made conscious that no less than 15 college students required medical consideration and or hospitalization. 

A spokesperson for Rockwall ISD additionally would not verify these particulars as a consequence of scholar privateness. 

Harrell has but to reply to a request for his facet of the story.