The Rockwall Heat football coach stepped down after several students were diagnosed with rhabdo, officials said.

HIT, Texas Editor’s Note: The video above is from a report dated January 17, 2023.

A North Texas high school football coach has resigned following an investigation into the hospitalization of several student athletes after an off-season practice.

In a letter obtained by the WFAA, Rockwall Independent School District officials announced that John Harrell has resigned as head football coach and athletic campus coordinator at Rockwall Heath High School.

The school’s football program came under fire after several players fell ill and were hospitalized after training on January 6. The parents told the WFAA that the students did hundreds of push-ups that day.

A third-party investigation was launched in the county. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (CPS) was also asked to investigate.

At the time, it was believed that sick players had rhabdomyolysis or rhabdo. The disease is a severe breakdown of muscle tissue, resulting in the release of the damaging protein into the bloodstream. In severe cases, it can be fatal or cause permanent damage.

In a letter to Rockwall Heath’s parents, the district said third-party investigators determined that the affected players were diagnosed with rhabdomyosis after football practice.

“Investigators have found sufficient evidence to support the conclusion that the off-season training plan was implemented in a way that adversely affected the physical health of some football students at Rockwall Heath High School, in violation of Rockwall ISD Council policy,” reports Rockwall ISD. . director Russ Reeves said in a letter.

More details about training in the district are not disclosed.

Two parents who spoke to the WFAA said their 15-year-old sons had to do 368 push-ups during their athletic period and were hospitalized with rhabdo for 11 days.

The parents said the group was conditioning and made 23 mistakes in 60 minutes during the prescribed workout. As a result, the athletes were punished with one set of 16 push-ups for each mistake.

During the January 17 board meeting, some parents and students showed their support for Coach Harrell, even wearing T-shirts that read “Keep Harrell”.

“Coach Harrell would never knowingly put our boys in a situation that could harm or injure them,” said Stephanie Laff, whose son Brady is junior varsity captain.

“It was just an awkward situation,” said Bobby Robinson, who has two children who play on the Heat football team.

The county said it plans to implement recommendations from third-party investigators to avoid further incidents:

• Consult and/or hire a full-time certified strength and conditioning specialist to work with coaches to develop and revise their workouts and athletic plans.
• Review and, as appropriate, adopt and implement procedures by which the Athletic Director exercises proper oversight of off-season training.
• Review and, if necessary, adopt procedures whereby off-season training plans are reviewed by athletic coaches for input and comments.
• Provide training to coaches, athletic administrators, athletic trainers, parents, and students about the dangers of rhabdomyolysis and the warning signs for exercise that can lead to rhabdomyolysis.