Teen practices w/ no H2O

PlanetVelma

I did search the forums and didn't see this article posted anywhere, if there is already an existing post, I apologize in advance. lol

In any event, I found this article interesting and concerning, as a former soccer coach/team mom and mother to an awesome soccer player (no I'm not biased LOL) I have some serious concerns. I know the body is capable of many wonderous things, at the same time, it puts the school/league in the risk of liability. At the same time, if my child wanted to do this for their faith I would be pretty darn proud.

And the kid does have a point....if it's your time to go, nothing you can do to stop it (regardless of what your faith may be).



http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Teenager-practices-in-extreme-heat-without-water?urn=highschool-wp4537

Teenager practices in extreme heat without water for Ramadan
By Cameron Smith
There is little question that the simmering threat of heat stroke remains a top concern of high school coaches and athletes (not to mention health professionals) across the country, with yet another teen falling prey to the extreme heat on Tuesday. For one teen in Florida, that threat is even more dire as he tries to cope with the religious restrictions of Ramadan, all while working through his first ever varsity football training camp.


Ahmed Elshaer is a rising sophomore at Wesley Chapel (Fla.) High. As first reported in a terrific story by the St. Petersburg Times' Matt Baker, he's also a devout Muslim, with his faith growing even stronger since he and his family emigrated to the United States from Saudi Arabia when he was 9. Soon thereafter, he began fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, a practice which requires him to reject all food and water from sunup to sundown.

The teenager insists that fasting during Ramadan is a keen part of his identity. In past years, Ramadan fasting kept Elshaer from joining football teams at all, for fear that he would struggle to handle practicing without food or water. Yet this year Elshaer decided to play for the Wesley Chapel varsity team, and his commitment to his faith hardly seems to have wavered, even as he works through his first ever training camp, in which he has emerged as a potential starter on the team's offensive line.

"Millions of people on earth don't have food or water," Elshaer told the St. Petersburg Times. "It puts you in their shoes. … "If [Minnesota Vikings safety Hussain Abdullah] can do it, I can do it.

"It's tough, but I've got to do it for my religion."

While daytime fasting hasn't kept Elshaer out of any preseason practices or drills yet, it has created another level of concern for his coaches and other Pasco County officials. Wesley Chapel head football coach Ben Alford said he is particularly concerned about Elshaer because of both his lack of hydration and the level to which he pushes himself on the field, citing the sophomore as one of the team's toughest players.

To cope with the Florida heat for Elshaer and the rest of the team, Alford moved the program's practices to 7 a.m., when it is still a bit cooler for outdoor workouts. When the Wesley Chapel team takes water breaks, Elshaer dumps water over his head and neck in an effort to cool down his core temperature.

At the end of practice, the 16-year-old heads home for a cold shower, a nap and an afternoon spent in air conditioning until his family can gather for its traditional evening meal after the sun sets.
The trying conditions have already taken their toll on Elshaer's body, with the teen dropping some 10 pounds since Ramadan began August 1. Still, while Elshaer's coaches and teammates express concern over his steadfast determination to stick to the guidelines of Islam, he has consistently expressed a more stoic and steely determination, all based on his faith.

"If it's my time, it's my time," Elshaer said. "If not, God watches over me."

melizerd

I'm torn because it's something that's about religion. I would HOPE that people that practice that kind of thing for any reason would be willing to stop in the middle of something if they felt ill and that their coaches would watch for those signs so that they would pull them if needed.

There is an NFL player that practices without water during Ramadan as well.

I think as a MOM I might have a hard time with it because I'd be worried about my child, but as an adult I think that it's up to the adult to make the decision and to know how hard to push myself.

hatchet83

I dont doubt that he is doing this but his parents and coach are idiots!!! If you dont rehydrate after excersise (especially in heat) your body WILL suffer and potentially your kidneys can have problems!! This lad is 16 and his body is still developing so for him to be allowed to do this is outragious!! He should be training at 7pm not am as he can then drink after a 2 hour session!!!

cjsgrimlin

Really i don't think it is very smart for them to do it at all. But then again i'm not Muslim, and i will refrain from saying anything bad about it right now. However, faith like that is commendable, but if it kills him its not intelligent faith.

Jaradel

I guess if he is going to do both football and Ramadan, he probably should hydrate as much as possible between sundown and sunup, and just pay attention to his body during practice. Sounds like he is employing strategies to mitigate the impact of the heat without breaking his fast, and kudos to his coach for moving practice to a cooler part of the day (relatively).

Fortunately he has a few things going for him: 1) he's young, in shape, and resilient, 2) school hasn't started yet, so after practice he can relax for the rest of the day, and 3) Eid is on the 29th at sundown, so he only has a couple more weeks. As long as he pays attention to his body and fuels up to the extent that he can (food and water) between sundown and sunup, it sounds like he'll make it through. Gotta admire his dedication to his faith, though.

I have friends who practice Islam and observe Ramadan; it's always tougher when it comes earlier in the calendar year because the time between sunup and sundown is longer. But the celebrations (and the food!) they have when Eid rolls around are fab!

PlanetVelma

I'm torn because it's something that's about religion. I would HOPE that people that practice that kind of thing for any reason would be willing to stop in the middle of something if they felt ill and that their coaches would watch for those signs so that they would pull them if needed.

There is an NFL player that practices without water during Ramadan as well.

I think as a MOM I might have a hard time with it because I'd be worried about my child, but as an adult I think that it's up to the adult to make the decision and to know how hard to push myself.

I know what you mean about being torn. As a parent of a teen, I think it's great that he's thinking of stuff beyond the new Xbox 360 game coming out or whatever. lol Plus this kid sounds pretty mature for his age, I like his determination. I hope he is able to finish Ramadan w/out any serious complications.