Doctors weigh in on how to prevent tragedy after Bolton HS football player dies from heat stroke
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A Bolton High School football player has died after suffering a heat stroke earlier this month during a summer practice session.
The family of 16-year-old Josh Henderson confirmed he passed away Saturday after being hospitalized in critical condition for nearly three weeks. Henderson collapsed during a preseason football practice on July 7, as the Mid-South faced dangerously high heat and humidity.
The news has shaken the community and is raising new concerns about heat safety for student-athletes during summer workouts.
“It’s really just a tragic thing all around,” said Travis Williams, who lives near Bolton High. “It’s hot. It’s very, very hot. I’m outside most days, all day, every day. It’s just a dangerous environment to be in.”
Doctors said the risk of heat-related illness is especially high during preseason practices, particularly in football, where players wear heavy gear and work out in extreme temperatures.
“It has become one of the more common, preventable causes of death in student athletes, particularly at the high school level,” said Dr. John Biery, a family practice sports medicine physician with Baptist Memorial Healthcare. “We want big, strong young people in these areas, and they may need to take a little bit longer to acclimatize.”
In Tennessee, the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) has heat safety guidelines that schools are required to follow. These include monitoring the wet bulb globe temperature, which factors in not just the air temperature but also humidity, sun angle, and wind.
“If the heat index or the wet bulb globe temperature is a certain level, they do frequent breaks,” said Dr. Rudy Kink, a pediatrician with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. “If it’s greater than 104, they limit it to one hour with helmets only, no contact.”
The TSSAA also recommends easing athletes into full-gear practices gradually and encourages schools to keep records of conditions during workouts. Staff must be trained in emergency procedures for heat illness.
Dr. Biery said parents play a key role, too.
“Encouraging the students to speak up to the coaches and say, ‘I don’t feel well; I think I need to rest’ it is not a sign of weakness,” Biery said. “It’s actually a sign of maturity.”
Doctors stress that all teams should have a cooling plan in place, including access to cold water immersion for emergencies.
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