3rd HS Football Player Dies This Month; 15-Year-Old Collapses During Practice

For the third time in August, a high school football player died after collapsing during practice.

HS football player Ovet Gomez-Regalado collapsed during practice Wednesday at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School and was transported to a local hospital where he passed away.

There were 3 similar HS football player cases this month

Similar cases to that of Gomez-Regalado’s involving HS football players that are around the same age already occurred this month.

Jayvion Taylor of Hopewell High School in Virginia along with Semaj Wilkins of New Brockton High School in Alabama, a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old respectively, also died after collapsing on the field at practice.

Not only is August considered the “deadliest month” for heat by experts, but it is the time of the season when football practice becomes the most difficult at any level. In an article from USA Today, University of Toronto in Ontario sports ecology associate professor Madeleine Orr explained the danger of August as it pertains to high school athletes.

“August is the deadliest month for high school athletes because of the heat,” said Madeleine Orr.

“A person doesn’t escalate into exertional heat stroke out of nowhere. There’s external signs,” Orr said.

“The athlete has to feel comfortable telling a coach or a trainer, I don’t feel well,” she said.

Practice typically moves into full pads after summer workouts that are usually restricted to just helmets or helmets and shoulder pads at the most. The difficulty of practice usually ramps up as teams prepare for their first game, but there are no actual games to recover from, ensuring practice is a full-go for the entire week.

When combined with a full school day that breaks the routine of summer, hydration can easily fall by the wayside.

Another factor, as mentioned by Orr, involves being comfortable enough to tell coaches and trainers to tell them there is something wrong. All three players who died were either 14-years-old or 15-years-old, meaning they likely weren’t with their teams or coaches for long enough to be comfortable.

Underclassmen have a lot to prove, especially when fighting for a starting spot or just a spot on the roster. They could fear being seen as “weak” or “injury prone” if they admit to not feeling well due to heat.

All HS football player deaths have greatly affected their respective communities

All three cases shook their respective communities to the core. Shawnee Mission School District, the district Gomez-Regalado was a part of, offered assistance to those struggling with his death in a letter to the entire district.

“I am writing to share some difficult news with you. This morning, we learned of the death of Ovet Gomez Regalado, a sophomore here at Shawnee Mission Northwest, High School,” the letter read. “As you can imagine, it has been an extremely difficult time for the family. Ovet was such a warm and wonderful student that touched the hearts of so many in our community.”

“School and district staff will be available to talk with anyone who is struggling to handle their emotions around this difficult issue,” the letter said. “If your child would like to talk with someone, please encourage them to let an adult know, and we will help them.”

Other members of the community have taken to social media to express their condolences for the passing of the young HS football player.

🚨🇺🇸15 Year Old Boy Passes Away After Experiencing a Medical Emergency During Offseason Football Practice🚨

15-year-old Ovet Gomez Regalado, a sophomore at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition before he passed on Friday

“This… pic.twitter.com/a9HE2ngvZb

— The News You Dont See (@Crazynews4real) August 18, 2024

This is so sad, was heat a factor?

— HRH, The Royal Commentator USA (@barristerlawusa) August 18, 2024

@SMVPeruOficial Hi, I’m really sorry to see your GoFundMe campaign struggling. I’ve already shared it with my network and would love to offer more help. If you’d like to discuss further, feel free to follow back, and we can explore additional ways to support your cause.”

— Suzy Dias (@Suzydias237898) August 18, 2024

🙏🏽💔

— Ms.Jamie™️ (@BabeGrl) August 17, 2024

They need to find out what Mr. Regalado died from and how it might have been prevented.

— CitizenKC (@CitizenKC53) August 17, 2024

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