(A rebuttal to the Readers Write article; “Herricks QB’s Health Endangered at Game”)
The varsity football game between Herricks High School and Elmont High School on Sept. 8 was indeed a physical game, as most football contests are.
At times, watching a contest from the stands, one might conclude that a player is injured more so than he or she really is. This was certainly the case during the Sept. 8 game at Herricks.
Just before halftime, on a third-down play, the Herricks quarterback was attempting to run for a first down. He was tackled from the side and did not gain the yardage for the first down. He walked off of the field on his own and the punt team came on.
When he reached the sidelines, he felt very sick and tired and he vomited.
During the previous series, the quarterback had run the ball four times and had two passing attempts and had felt a bit ill then as he did following his touchdown run during the Highlanders first possession.
When I interviewed him as to why he felt sick during the game and why he had vomited, he enlightened me with the fact that his pregame meal consisted of the following: Steak, macaroni and cheese, a peanut butter sandwich and several glasses of water.
This is a meal for a 350-pound lineman, not a 150-pound quarterback!
After the quarterback vomited, he was examined by a medical doctor (Herricks has a doctor at all home and away contests). The doctor assessed the situation and cleared the quarterback to return to play.
There was no hit to the head and no injury whatsoever. This was simply a case of an athlete who had taken in way too much food prior to a game.
The quarterback told me that he “felt much better after vomiting and regrets eating as much as he did”.
When I spoke to the quarterback’s mother, she agreed that “From the stands it looked bad, seeing an athlete come to the sidelines, double over and throw up,” “but I know my son and he always gives 100 percent and I knew the meal he had eaten prior to the game.”
His mother also commented on her “total satisfaction of the job his coaches are doing and their concern for his safety”.
The Herricks community does a sound job of keeping their children safe. Our coaching staff always puts student safety ahead of wins and losses.
When a student/athlete is injured during a game, the proper steps are taken to ensure student safety.
Hopefully, this rebuttal will set the record straight.
The author of the previous article did not contact anyone from Herricks before getting the facts.
Jim Petricca
Director of Athletics,
Physical Education,
Health Education and Intramurals-Herricks UFSD
