Jamila Kindall, one of our certified athletic trainers, was offered a role as a Sports Massage Practitioner at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. Out of 250,000 applicants, Jamila Kindall was given an opportunity of a lifetime.  She will be able to make a difference in the lives of elite athletes by helping to aid them in enhancing recovery time between events, decreasing pain in their muscles, and reducing injury prevalence. 

Please enjoy the daily journal Jamila kept during her experience at the 2012 Olympics and be sure to check out videos and pictures at https://www.facebook.com/lemaksports

So my first day was on Friday, it was an awesome experience. The sports medicine facilities are nice at the Polyclinic in the Olympic Village. There are 4 levels. On the ground floor there is a pharmacy and emergency emergency room; 1st floor:  physiotherapists  and orthopedic doctors, on the 2nd floor: Sports Massage and Specimen lab; 3rd floor: Optometry and dental. They also have an area for Xray, MRI and CT Scan.

Day 1: I massaged 3 athletes from South Africa, Belgium, and a middle eastern country. I've seen many hockey players so far. The patient load was slow due to the athletes getting ready for Opening Ceremonies. That was very exciting to see, especially our USA Team. I saw various athletes out in the courtyard which brought upon a sense of patriotism. They all looked great in their opening ceremonies attire. Check out some of the pics to get a glimpse at the Village.

Day 2: There was a different feel to the atmosphere of the Village. I could tell that everyone was in competition mode as the Games began. Not as much socializing and more training and focus. Now, the attitude is, "Go hard or go home." Literally! So everyone is very serious about competing and their treatments. They want to make sure they are receiving the best care to compete at their optimal level. That's where the medical staff plays a huge role.

Now, athletes are coming in with legitimate injuries and need critical attention. I massaged a gymnast that is performing today with a low back injury. I pray that my work, along with other personnel, will only help her reach her goal. We shall see tonight!

It is such a rewarding feeling to be able to make a difference in their lives!

Day 3: I'm really into the swing of things now. I know where I'm going and how long it takes me to get there...kind of getting comfortable with the whole British lifestyle... It was a bit of a challenge navigating my way around the tube (that's what the train is called here.) But I'm catching on quickly.

Massaged a Moroccan Taekwondo athlete wearing a scarf around her head for the entire massage. I wonder if she wears it to compete.... I'm sure it's for religious reasons. There is definitely a cultural/religious vibe present. I heard that the Saudi Arabia and Australian women flew economy class while the men flew first class! Inequality at its finest. Apparently it's a cultural thing, but I don't see that happening in USA. We, as in most women in the USA, won't stand for that! Especially in the day of the independent and successful woman. Sitting in economy while the men are eating caviar and sipping on champagne in first class?! No way!!! LOL. But it's a way of life in different cultures and I can respect that.

Another good day! Still can't believe I'm walking amongst elite athletes. I can get used to this! :)

Day 4: I was sent out to one of the track and field training venues, which is called "athletics" at the Olympics. I was excited to be at an actual sporting venue and hoping to get work on some world class sprinters, etc.

When I got to the stadium, not many athletes were there. I figured out that most of the teams practice at the warm up track in Olympic Park. The venue I was sent to was about 15 minutes away from everything. So I guess it was a matter of convenience. Didn't massage anyone that day, but it gave me a day to recover for the next couple of weeks.

I haven't seen any USA athletes come for treatment mainly because they have a personal massage therapist that travels with them. His name is Hal Richardson. BSM (Birmingham School of Massage) people know who Hal is, but he was a teacher of mine for sports massage. Hopefully I'll get to see him while I'm out here.

Anyhow, day 4 was very low key and looking forward to more action in the next few days...

Day 5: I went to the Handball training venue in Mayesbrook. Handball is not really a sport that I know much about or have been curious about. However, by watching the men of the Korean and Croatian Team practice, I have a new appreciation for the sport. The sport is very physical and the men are mostly tall and burly. To me, it reminds me of a mix between basketball and soccer without the use of feet...if follow you me :)

Anyhow, not really much action on the sports medicine side while I was there, but I did have interesting conversations with the physiotherapists that were there. Physiotherapists in Europe are a cross between an athletic trainer and a physical therapist, meaning they do all the things that I do as an athletic trainer and the duties of a physical therapist. So Physios tape, cover games and practices, rehab athletes and clinical patients, and also treat patients that may have suffered from a stroke or cardiovascular disease, etc. Whereas in the states or at least where I practice in Alabama, athletic trainers do most of the game and practice coverage, taping, etc. But we don't normally treat stroke patients, etc... unless we're in a clinical setting. They do have sports therapists here which are primarily like athletic trainers but they don't usually have the opportunity to cover sports team because that's a physio's role here.

But the stigma is almost similar to the views between athletic trainers and PT's in the states. PT's in the states are recognized by Medicare to bill insurance for the patients they treat, and most insurance companies mirror what medicare does. However, Athletic trainers (ATCs) cannot. So in a clinical setting, a PT has an increased value. In the UK, sports therapist are really not recognized as the most fitting personnel to take care of sports team. So job opportunities are scarce for sports therapists and they usually find work doing other things. With their degree, they would transition well into an athletic training career. So there's still a tug of war between the 2 professions.

Just thought I'd share some knowledge about the sports medicine world across the pond.

Day 6: Back to the Polyclinic. I wasn't getting that much action at the training venues so I was glad to be back. However, it was great to see the different venues. I massaged a Pakistani Hockey Player that gave me great reviews afterwards. He said I gave him the best massage he's had since he's been there! I was smiling ear to ear :) Kool-Aid smile. But it was good to hear that and it gave me reassurance that I was definitely making a difference and working my magic. I also massaged a Nigerian basketball player that was 6'10"!!! He barely fit on the table and his body almost covered the entire table. His calf was as big as my thigh! Not kidding! LOL. His whole body was massive. I guess that's what it feels like to massage an NBA player... NBA here I come! :) But he was asleep in 5 min! He had to compete that evening so he wanted to relax and loosen up. He also gave great reviews as well. This experience is definitely making me a better clinician and increasing my confidence to keep excelling to the top. I'm very grateful to have this opportunity! I feel like I'm dreaming sometimes.

Day 7: Up bright and early at 5:30 am to get ready to head to the Village. I still have not gotten adjusted to the time difference. In my time zone, it's 11:30 pm. Nevertheless, groggy and still half sleep, I made my seven minute walk to the train station to make it to the Polyclinic by 6:30 am. We were rather busy that day with a steady influx of athletes wanting treatment.

I met an athlete that is a citizen of the USA but is competing for the Philippines. His parents were born in the Philippines so somehow he is able to compete with that country. He's a college student in Kentucky and said that it was very competitive to qualify in the USA for his event. I have met several athletes that live in the USA but compete for other countries. America has a vast pool of amazing athletes to be selected and sometimes it's easier to compete for another country because you may be the only one representing that particular sport. Americans are very competitive and we breed amazing athletes.

However, we are in a back and forth battle with China to collect the most medals. We always seem to compete with China in many ways... We can't avoid them... Many things that we possess are manufactured there...from clothes to shoes to electronics to dinnerware...and the list goes on. I know you've seen the "MADE IN CHINA" tag in most of your clothes LOL. I know I have. With that said, I still believe America is a country with vast opportunities and many desire to experience the American dream.

Day 8: I am working the night shift until 11pm. I seem to do great with the evening shift because I get to sleep in. I made my way down to the USA building in the village in hopes of seeing Hal. Still no Hal but I met a few of their massage therapists for Track & Field. He was out at the Olympic Village treating athletes that were to compete that night. There are actually two people that are athletic trainers and massage therapists like myself that perform dual roles. That's definitely a role I would like to hold. So I briefly chatted with them about their experience.

The USA set-up a treatment room down in the basement of their building with treatment tables, a cold tub, supply room, and a small lounge. Not too bad for a basement area. A few athletes were receiving treatments as they were preparing for their upcoming races. Duties continue as normal.

Day 9: Finally caught up with Hal, which is one of the Massage Therapists for USA Track & Field and a former teacher of mine at BSM. This is his first Olympics and I wanted to find out how his experience was going. He said that he was enjoying it but days are long and he's been gone from his family for about a month. There were a few veterans on the Medical Team for T&F. There was an ATC/LMT like myself that has been with the USOC (United States Olympic Committee) for about 10 years. She's the athletic trainer for track and field at a university in Texas. When needed for competitions and training camps, she is offered the opportunity to travel with USA T&F. I found out that when the therapists and athletic trainers travel with the national teams, they are not paid any wages. However, all their expenses while traveling are absorbed by the USOC and they have the opportunity to travel with our elite athletes. It's such an honor and high esteem to be a member of the USOC in any capacity. I was even honored to be a volunteer!!!

There was also another veteran named Benny Vaughn that was present. He's a highly respected athletic trainer and massage therapist that has been to 4 Olympics and other world games in between. He's been in the business for over 25 years! I actually spoke with him earlier this year to ask for a perspective on working elite and international events. So it was great to actually meet a living legend. Meeting everyone was very insightful and enlightening. I'm a woman on a mission.

Day 10: The vibe around Olympic Village is becoming more mellow. You can tell that the competitive aura is not as bold as the Games are winding down. Many athletes have packed up and went back to their home countries to be celebrated for being a global representative. I've noticed more athletes mingling and exploring the local areas. Several have been spotted in the local mall nearby. In a sense, I'm sure they are relieved to have competed and somewhat of a burden has been removed from their shoulders. But on the other hand this is an experience that all the athletes will cherish forever...bittersweet... After a rest period, many will go on to begin training for upcoming competitions.

It is also bittersweet for me... I'm so privileged to have this opportunity that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. There's nothing like experiencing something for the first time. It will always be the most special. However, I am looking forward to setting foot back on US soil! My body is screaming for some adequate rest! I need a massage now! Any volunteers? :) My legs have been so stiff and fatigued from standing most of the day and hiking to the train stations everyday. I feel like I climb a thousands steps and walk several miles throughout the day. Can't wait to get back to my car! :) As my days in London are quickly coming to an end...

Day 11: My last day at the Village and in London. The Polyclinic was very slow and I got a chance to walk around Olympic Park. On my way out, I ran into Gabby Douglas, the gymnastic gold medalist. I congratulated her on her amazing accomplishment. Many others were were departing the Village as well. It was said that only about 200 athletes were still competing. Hundreds have headed home already.

I walked around the enormous Olympic Park. It took me an hour to see all the venues. I actually got a chance to go into the stadium and watch a couple events. The stadium is huge! Unlike in past years, the torch is actually inside the stadium not visible to those outside. Many people were complaining about not being able to have their picture taken with the torch. It gives people who are not able to attend the events a piece of the Games.

I reflected on my time here in London as I hiked to the train station. I absorbed the scenery and the atmosphere knowing that I would be heading home to good ole Alabama. Being in London was definitely an adventure that I'm glad I had a chance to experience. I was definitely a long way from home. It reminds me of New York with it's diversity, fast pace, and primary use of public transportation. Less than 24hrs in the UK...

Courtesy: Tuscalosa News

Ten high schools were recipients of the 2012 Dr. Lawrence Lemak Award grants Friday night at the annual Championship Coaches Banquet at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Convention Center. Each school received $2,500 from the total of $25,000 distributed by the Lemak Group.

The banquet, the closing event of the 16th annual All-Star Sports Week, honored the 90 high school head coaches who led their schools to AHSAA state championships in the 2011-12 school year. The Sports Week is an event of the Alabama High School Athletic Association and hosted by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA).

In addition, six individuals were selected as recipients of the AHSAA’s “Making A Difference” Award. Honored were: Class 1A: Renard Davis, McIntosh; Class 2A: John Smith, Hatton; Class 3A: Frances Shipp, Weaver; Class 4A: Richardson Robertson, Andalusia; Class 5A: Janet Latham, Athens; Class 6A: Peter Braasch, Vestavia Hills.

The Lemak Award has been provided a total of $130,000 in need-based grants to AHSAA schools since 2008. The schools were selected from more than 50 applications by a special committee. The award is named in honor of AHSAA Medical Advisory Board member Dr. Lawrence Lemak.

The 2012 recipients include: Addison, A.L. Johnson, Brantley, Central Coosa, Chilton County, Enterprise, Fruitdale, Hatton, Notasulga and Slocomb high schools.

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Courtesy: Alabama Radio Sports

Coaches Awards Banquet Closes Out 16th All-Star Sports Week

Ten high schools were recipients of the 2012 Dr. Lawrence Lemak Award grants Friday night at the annual Championship Coaches Banquet at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Convention Center. Each school received $2,500 from the total of $25,000 distributed by the Lemak Group.

The banquet, the closing event of the 16^th annual All-Star Sports Week, honored the 90 high school head coaches who led their schools to AHSAA state championships in the 2011-12 school year. The Sports Week is an event of the Alabama High School Athletic Association and hosted by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA).
In addition, six individuals were selected as recipients of the AHSAA’s “Making A Difference” Award. Honored were: Class 1A: Renard Davis, McIntosh; Class 2A: John Smith, Hatton; Class 3A: Frances Shipp, Weaver; Class 4A: Richardson Robertson, Andalusia; Class 5A: Janet Latham, Athens; Class 6A: Peter Braasch, Vestavia Hills.

The Lemak Award has been provided a total of $130,000 in need-based grants to AHSAA schools since 2008. The schools were selected from more than 50 applications by a special committee. The award is named in honor of AHSAA Medical Advisory Board member Dr. Lawrence Lemak.

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Published: Thursday, April 19, 2012, 6:00 AM

Courtesy: Michael Tomberlin, The Birmingham News

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Lemak Sports Medicine & Orthopedics will provide medical services for athletes and events at the $46 million Crossplex indoor track and field and natatorium facility in Birmingham's Five Points West, officials told The Birmingham News.

As part of the deal that will be announced at an event today, Lemak Sports Medicine has agreed to provide the services in a $1 contract with the city of Birmingham.

Dr. Larry Lemak, chief executive of Lemak Sports Medicine, said he wanted his practice to be a part of the world-class Crossplex that is catching the eye of the track and field community in the region.

"It's a real opportunity for us having a facility like the Crossplex right here in our own backyard," Lemak said. "There is certainly nothing like it anywhere else in Alabama or even in the Southeast, for that matter. It's a great, state-of-the-art sporting facility."

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by Dr. Jose J. Echenique

Lemak Sports Medicine & Orthopedics

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is pain in the “front” of the knee and around the knee cap. It is often seen in runners, hence its alternate name “runner’s knee”. However, it is commonly seen in non-runners as well. The pain may be exacerbated after a run, when using stairs (especially going downstairs) or when getting up after sitting with the knee bent for a prolonged period of time (ie. stepping out of the car).

The cause of runner’s knees is unknown but it is believed to have to do with "incorrect tracking" of the patella (knee cap) on the trochlea (the grove of the femur). This may place abnormal stress on the undersurface of the patella that may lead to pain.

The good news is that there are simple exercises that are often very effective in relieving the symptoms of runner’s knee. It is believed that they do so by strengthening the muscles that help the patella track appropriately, thereby decreasing the stress on the cartilage.

Exercises aimed at quadriceps strengthening and stretching, and hamstring stretching for 1 month may be all that is needed. Other tips that may accelerate recovery is to try to keep the knee straight when sitting and avoid running, squatting or using stairs if possible while in the rehab period.

If the pain does not resolve, or if there are other symptoms like clicking, catching, locking, instability or history of an injury, it may be worthwhile to see a sports medicine orthopedist.

A great article from the Shelby County Reporter about our new Hoover location!

Lemak Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, a center of excellence in orthopedic surgery with expertise in all areas of orthopedics and sports medicine with an office in Alabaster, opened its newest facility Feb. 6 in Hoover.

Dr. Amanda Martin will take the reins as the leading orthopedic physician in a new Hoover facility, providing unsurpassed care to athletes, active professionals and youth.

Lemak Sports Hoover is located at 2949 John Hawkins Parkway next to the Patton Creek shopping center – a great location that allows the Hoover community convenient access to some of the best orthopedic care in the country. Martin will provide patient care for a variety of orthopedic needs whether it is a strain, sprain, or an acute injury. She is also fully committed to being heavily involved in community events.

“Local participation in civic organizations, senior independent living facilities and the community as a whole is the cornerstone for success in our practice,” said Martin. “We appreciate all of the opportunities the Hoover and surrounding communities have offered and hope we continue to have the opportunity to be involved.”

Martin is fellowship trained in Orthopedic Sports Medicine by the American Sports Medicine Institute under the leadership of world-renowned Dr. Lawrence Lemak. She is a graduate of The University of Arizona and completed her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at Oklahoma State University. Martin is currently the medical director for NCAA Soccer Cup, a consultant for Major League Soccer and serves as the team physician for Hueytown High School and Jacksonville State University.

To date, Hoover will be the 10th clinic Lemak Sports Medicine has opened.

Martin will continue performing surgeries at Trinity Medical Center on Montclair Road in Birmingham. To schedule an appointment with Martin, please call the Hoover location at 444-2025 or the Birmingham location at 397-5200.

The Lemak Sports Medicine and Orthopedics office in Alabaster is located at 831 1st Street North. For more information, contact the location at 358-9120.

http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/2012/02/07/lemak-sports-medicine-and-orthopedics-opens-new-office/

Contributor - Sports Illustrated - http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

By Al Muskewitz, Star sports writer Anniston Star

JACKSONVILLE — Losing a veteran starting quarterback the way Jacksonville State did in its season opener Thursday night can be devastating to a season, but the head coach and offensive coordinator both were confident Friday the Gamecocks will be all right going forward — and with minimal tweaking of the playbook.

Senior quarterback Marques Ivory underwent season-ending surgery Friday in Birmingham on the fractured right fibula he sustained in the second quarter of Thursday’s dramatic 24-23 season-opening conference win over UT Martin.

Although the one-hour operation was considered a success, Ivory is expected to miss the rest of the season, the school said. The Gamecocks will seek a medical redshirt for the senior, who has played in all three of his previous seasons with the team.

Interestingly, preseason all-conference offensive tackle Odie Rush had similar surgery three weeks ago, but he is expected to return at midseason. The team medical staff, headed by surgeon Dr. Larry Lemak, said they were “different types of injuries,” in addition to its severity and timing, athletic department spokesman Greg Seitz said.

Upon Ivory’s injury, the ninth-ranked Gamecocks immediately installed true sophomore Coty Blanchard as the starter for next week’s game at No. 21 Chattanooga and moved Thomas Darrah and Steven Coates up in the backup rotation. They will practice for the first time in that mode Monday after the coaching staff spends the Labor Day weekend trying to figure out how to make it work.

“I think we’ll be OK,” offensive coordinator Ronnie Letson said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are good around him. The thing Coty has to realize — all the quarterbacks have to realize — is you don’t have to win the game for us, just put us in position to win it. You’ve got to let players make the plays for you. I have no doubt about those guys making a lot of plays.”

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Football Player Safety Becomes Burning Concern

By Steve Hummer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

These are the most dangerous days of the year to be a high school football player.

Practices ramp up just as summer’s blowtorch burns hottest. Kids who may or may not have been true to their off-season conditioning wrap themselves in heat-trapping pads and helmets and take to simmering fields. Their bodies never will be tested more than this moment.

Coaches know this, and they are sweating out another summer.

“This is the most stressful time of year, even more than the games,” said Terry Crowder, head coach at defending state Class AAAA champion Chattahoochee High.

“It’s constantly on my mind: God forbid that anything happens to one of our players.”

The worst has happened this summer to four young players scattered across the South. Last week, two Georgians — Locust Grove’s Forrest Jones and Fitzgerald’s D.J. Searcy — died following workouts. Before that, a 14-year-old South Carolina player similarly died. On July 27, a Miami-area high school football player collapsed and died after a training session. Pending autopsy results will reveal if summer’s swelter contributed to their deaths, as some suspect.

The news of these tragedies resonated across Georgia last week as teams opened practice amid one of the hottest summers on record. More than 30,000 teenagers in the state take part in the rite of high school football. Prior to last week, there had not been a heat-related death of a player in the state in five years.

“Bottom line: One is too many,” said University of Georgia researcher Mike Ferrera.

Despite an ever-growing awareness of the dangers of hot-weather training and the advent of guidelines that tailor practices to the conditions, players across the country still die. The recent spate of deaths has frustrated experts in the field who consider heat-related tragedies largely preventable.

Meanwhile, in the furnace of another southern summer, the latest generation of big men on campus continues to be forged.


Early to rise

Welcome to Thursday Morning Lights. Chattahoochee’s Crowder learned long ago that he couldn’t beat the heat, so he stopped trying. Several years ago, he decided to begin August practices in the early morning hours, training under stadium lights until the sun peeked over the rim of the stands.

At the beginning of last week, practice began as usual around 7 a.m. But so extreme was the heat and humidity that Crowder was having to either cut back on practice or stop altogether as climate readings exceeded levels considered safe. By midweek, he was ordering his players suited up and ready by 5:30 a.m. just so he could complete his scheduled work.

The concerns of parents certainly were aroused by the recent deaths. “The mommy issue is high right now,” senior running back/linebacker Jake Kingree said with a slight smile, “but I don’t think we have a lot to worry about.”

And players can feel for themselves the difference in the earlier start.

All parties made the transition to farmer’s work hours without too much carping, Crowder said. The team will continue on that schedule, he said, until the heat breaks, no matter how long that takes.

There was a rare reprieve on Thursday from the worst of the swelter, as passing showers stirred a welcome breeze. The temperature at the start of practice was 70 degrees.

Chattahoochee nevertheless stayed with the routine that it had in place to monitor the heat and deal with its effects. The school has the luxury of a full-time athletic trainer — one of 14 that the Gwinnett Medical Center provides to schools in the area.

It’s Tangela McCorkle’s job to oversee the players’ safety, and she takes her job seriously. “I’ve been with a lot of these kids since they were in the sixth grade,” she said. “They’re like my kids. Parents trust me to make sure they’re safe.”

Each morning, all 110 players (both JV and varsity) weigh in. They re-weigh at the end of practice. Any player showing a 3 percent or more weight loss from one day to the next — indicating excessive fluid loss — is held from practice.

Along with wraps and splints, McCorkle’s standard equipment includes both a hand-held psychrometer and a so-called wet bulb gauge that produce differing measurements of air temperature, humidity and radiant temperature. She takes readings from both every quarter hour. Operating from a chart that correlates these readings with suggested actions on the practice field, she alerts Crowder if he needs to make adjustments such as additional water breaks, more rest periods, stripping out of pads and helmets or even stopping practice altogether. She said the coach has always heeded the chart.


Change in approach

Hard-nosed coaches of the past may have scoffed at such perceived coddling, instead restricting their players’ water intake and holding grueling practices in order to test players’ commitment and build toughness. That mentality has had to change with the times.

“Any coach in this day and age who pushes through heat-related problems shouldn’t be coaching,” said Dr. Larry Lemak, an orthopedic surgeon and founder of the Birmingham-based National Center for Sports Safety. “He’s not smart enough to know that he’s not only putting his kids at risk, he’s putting himself [professionally and legally] at risk.”

Brookwood coach Mark Crews remembers his college coach ordering trainers to take their temperature readings in the shade. His high school coach used to ration water like it was Dom Perignon. “You wouldn’t do that today for a million dollars,” he said.

Thursday, Crews’ defending Class AAAAA champion Broncos began practice at a steamier time, 11:30 in the morning. Still, this day was not as sultry as the one before, with temperatures in the mid-80s compared to the 100-degree readings the athletic trainer was getting Wednesday on a back practice field.

Brookwood follows basically the same protocol as Chattahoochee. But there is no one set of standards for all schools in Georgia.

Following the heat-related death of a player in 2006, the Georgia High School Association directed each county school system to come up with its own plan.

Critics have stated the need for statewide regulation, with definite limits on practice, especially in August. One of the loudest of those is Douglas Casa, chief operating officer of the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut. Stringer was the Minnesota Vikings lineman who died of heat stroke in 2001.

“No one wants to ever upset any football coach. It’s a constituency that knows nothing about medical and safety policies and yet they still rule the roost in terms of what the policies are going to be,” Casa said.

Specifically, Casa points to a set of seven guidelines for safe heat acclimatization that he helped author. They include having an athletic trainer on hand for every practice, as well as setting limits on early season practices — eliminating twice-a-day practices, setting time limits and barring practices in full pads.

Only New Jersey among the 50 states meets all seven of the criteria, Casa said. Georgia meets none of them.

Ralph Swearngin, executive director of the GHSA, disagrees with the assessment that the organization is unresponsive. He maintains a strong trust in coaches to know what is good for their players, and to strike the delicate balance between getting their young men ready and keeping them safe.

Swearngin listens when a coach like Crews says, “Some people think they are still dealing with the coaches of 30 years ago, the old Neanderthal guy who’s going to make you run sprints when it’s 9,000 degrees. We feel we do a great job of trying to protect our kids. We don’t really want someone to mandate what we do, because we feel we have medical professionals in place and policy in place where we can act professionally and safely.”

Ferrera, a UGA professor of kinesiology and curriculum director of athletic training, is currently completing a three-year heat study, gathering data from 25 practice fields around Georgia. The results will be available to the GHSA by early 2012 and will shape the organization’s heat policy in the future, Swearngin said.

The recent deaths across the South indicate that science still has a big chore in front of it.

“This past week is probably the worst week that we’ve had in the last 35 years in terms of that many kids dying in that short a period of time,” Casa said.

Such deaths madden researchers who maintain that heat stroke deaths could be practically eliminated with the proper precautions and rapid recognition and treatment of a player in trouble.

As this hot, hot August grinds on, none of the experts is saying anything to put parents, coaches or players at ease.

“This is a critical problem — and this heat isn’t over yet,” warned Lemak.