Concordia Chicago MBB coach suspended after 5 players sent to hospital

[historyman]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/5-college-basketball-players-hospitalized-rigorous-workout-head-coach-temporarily-removed-report.amp

5 Concordia-Chicago MBB players went to the hospital on December 31st after being "punished" for a rules violation on a California trip, during a rigorous practice.

[covufan]

Soon to be hired at Bradley


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[historyman]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/35398189ision-iii-team-postpones-two-games-5-players-hurt-workout%3fplatform=amp




Division III team postpones two games after 5 players hurt in workout
[/size]
[/size][/size]Associated Press11:31 AM ET1 Minute Read[/size]RIVER FOREST, Ill. -- A suburban Chicago college postponed two men's basketball games after a rigorous workout sent five players to a hospital.
[/size]Concordia University Chicago in River Forest also temporarily removed coach Steve Kollar,[/size] [/size][/color]the Chicago Tribune reporte[/color]d.[/size]Athletic director Pete Gnan sent a letter to parents Thursday, explaining what happened after a late December trip to California, where the team played two games. He said the team was put through a "particularly high-intensity, collegiate-level circuit training" on Dec. 31.[/size]"It has been alleged by some that the intensity and difficulty of Saturday's practice was a direct consequence" of players breaking curfew while in California, Gnan said.
[/size]It wasn't immediately clear whether any players were still in the hospital. An email seeking comment was sent to an athletic department spokesperson Saturday.
[/size]"Our athletics program has zero tolerance for harassment or retaliatory actions of any kind, and reporting mechanisms are in place for students, coaches and related staff," Gnan wrote in his letter.
[/size]The Division III Cougars postponed games they were supposed to play Tuesday and Saturday.

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[valpotx]

I don't see what kind of workout was involved, though being hospitalized does seem a bit rough.  We were punished several times in college, with extremely heavy continuous running workouts, which led to some folks getting ill in trashcans.

[historyman]

https://nypost.com/2023/01/11/texas-football-players-hospitalized-after-coach-made-them-do-400-push-ups/amp/

Texas football players hospitalized after doing 400 push ups as punishment. Coach put on leave.

Anyone see a trend?

[valpotx]

I don't see issue with doing 300-400 pushups over a 1 hour period, but no water is ridiculous

[beacons23]

I don't see issue with doing 300-400 pushups over a 1 hour period, but no water is ridiculous

Wow...hahaha

[valpotx]

I don't see issue with doing 300-400 pushups over a 1 hour period, but no water is ridiculous

Wow...hahaha

Yes, 'wow.'  That isn't an overly burdensome amount of pushups, when given 1 hour to do so.  The lack of hydration is abusive, but not 300-400 pushups.  When I was playing Baseball at Valpo (also not a bulky/muscle sport), we would routinely do 120-150+ pushups every few days, as part of our routine/weekly exercises.  Generally, that didn't take more than 15 minutes, since you do them in manageable sets with breaks. 

[historyman]

Staff members quit after Concordia coach keeps job over practice that put players in the hospital | Watch (msn.com)

[valpotx]

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/team-captain-defends-rockwall-heath-texas-football-coach-some-players-ill-hospitalized/287-cce043a4-b680-4efb-b00c-a1c8e0d382c8

[VULB#62]

FORMER FOUR SPORT (ON BOTH THE COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS) COACH'S ANALYSIS

Number of pushups within 1 hour:  300-400?  OK, if athletes are in decent shape consistent with their sport to begin with. For instance, this would not fit with a cross country team.

Water:  With proper hydration?  OK.  Denial of hydration? No breaks?  Physical abuse and medically risky.

Motivation for Exercise:  To offset poor conditioning (that may have contributed to an unwanted result)? OK, with proper supervision and hydration. Punishment for poor performance (i.e, losing)?  Borderline sadistic, don't cross me (and it's all about me) abuse.

Bottom line:  It's not what occurred; it's how it was conducted. This coach needs to be relieved and enrolled in counseling. He has problems.   As I read our previous responses, I think we are pretty much in accord on the what vs. how.

In today's social media dominated, parent hovering world, the major debate over what constitutes "abuse" is pretty fluid.  Tough call.  But if any kid has to have an IV to regain normal activity, it's freakin abuse.

[valpo95]

Just a short update.

Concordia Chicago has fired their basketball coach. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/concordia-mens-basketball-coach-out/

[historyman]

Just a short update.

Concordia Chicago has fired their basketball coach. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/concordia-mens-basketball-coach-out/

I'm betting it had a lot to do with this:


As a result of the hospitalizations, the team also had to forfeit multiple games. The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference stepped in, forbidding them from playing the rest of their conference games as a result of its recent forfeits.

When you make the university lose money by forfeiting ticket sales in a hardship time for universities you are not that valuable.

[valpo95]

When you make the university lose money by forfeiting ticket sales in a hardship time for universities you are not that valuable.

I doubt that ticket sales were a big driver in the decision. In 2021-22, Concordia had average attendance of 290 per game. I don't know how many of those were paying customers - assuming students get in free. I also don't know if there were any COVID restrictions last year, yet box scores seem to have attendance in the 200s earlier this year.

Probably, the big decision driver is that the coach embarrassed the university.