The first practice of Falcons training camp is officially underway — and the AJC has a whole crew keeping tabs on things. Live updates here, injury updates here and we’ll hear from Bijan Robinson later in the newsletter.
First we need to talk about something more serious.
A file photo shows high school football players in Texas.
Credit: Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
A 15-year-old from Arabia Mountain High School died yesterday.
His name was MiKah King. He was a sophomore football player. He was rushed to the hospital during practice.
The DeKalb County School District said King experienced “a medical emergency.” On Common Ground News, an online publication in south DeKalb, reported that King expressed “some level of stress or illness” and was put on an IV before going to the hospital.
At this point, we don’t know a lot more than that.
Was it heat related? Something else? How quickly did coaches or officials respond — and how appropriately?
Tragedies like this happen, across the country and in Georgia. They’ve even happened before at Arabia Mountain, where a dance team member died after collapsing at practice in 2019.
Every single one is horrific.
But I do think it’s worth noting that Georgia takes protecting high school athletes seriously.
Just a few weeks ago, the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut — which has studied prep sports safety policies since 2017 — ranked the Peach State No. 1 in the country for its guidelines to prevent and manage sudden death and catastrophic injury.
Here’s what Christianne Eason, the institute’s president of sports safety and education, said at the time: “Georgia does an amazing job. They did their research, particularly in heat-illness prevention, to determine what some of the safety standards should be, and we’ve really adopted their model, especially environmental monitoring. So Georgia has been a leader in sports safety. They deserve a lot of credit for that.”
Again, we don’t yet know what happened this week.
Regardless: If you have a high school athlete in your orbit, talk to them about staying hydrated, taking breaks, being smart in the heat (and otherwise). Talk to their coaches, make sure they’re doing everything they’re supposed to be.
Whatever it takes to make sure practice matches policy.
The stakes couldn’t be higher.
“The entire King family is in our thoughts and prayers,” Arabia Mountain principal Tanya J. Mason said, “and we ask that you keep them lifted in love and comfort as they navigate this heartbreaking moment.”
Celebrated for its sunshine and laid-back vibe, Daytona Beach is the perfect place to keep the summer spirit alive long after the school year begins. While other parts of the country cool down, Daytona Beach offers comfortable temperatures in the 60s to 80s and endless ways to enjoy the weather. This coastal destination is built for year-round fun, from watersports to scenic trails and ballgames under the lights. And with welcoming places to stay just steps from the action, it is easy to turn this getaway into an unforgettable experience.
“There are consequences for our failure,” he said. “It’s something that we’ve talked about as a group for the last couple months, is just the direction that we’re headed, that we might be saying goodbye to some friends if we don’t turn things around. And unfortunately, we might be in that boat now.”
None of that is news, per se. But it’s pretty jarring to hear Strider state it so plainly.
⚾ Keep tabs on AJC.com/braveslater today for a closer look at Marcell Ozuna’s potential trade value.
GIVE THE MAN HIS FLOWERS
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (10) runs for a fourth-quarter touchdown during the Jackets' eight-overtime loss to Georgia.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Haynes King is very good at what he does. You know it, I know it.
On any given day (or play), King is battering ram, gunslinger, run-game advocate — whatever it takes. And not even an honorable mention on the preseason All-ACC team?
C’mon now.
“When you’ve got a guy like that (who) puts the team above himself and is willing to lay it on the line for his teammates, everybody else is going to run through a wall for him,” King’s coach, Brent Key, said Wednesday.
I can imagine.
After you read Michael’s column, check out all the other things the Tech contingent said at ACC Football Kickoff.
Speaking of Georgia Tech: Officials confirmed its men’s swimming and diving roster recently dropped from 34 competitors to 16.
The women? Once 36, now 22.
Welcome to the world after House vs. NCAA, where revenue sharing and increased scholarships for big-dollar sports like football and basketball drive tough decisions everywhere else.
😔 Cuts like this were not unexpected. But kind of a bummer to see them become reality, no?
Advertisement
WHAT’S ROB UP TO?
With Atlanta United struggling mightily under first-year manager Ronny Deila, you’d be forgiven for wondering what former Five Stripes leader Rob Valentino is up to these days.
The only difference between you and beat writer Doug Roberson is Doug can do something about it.
He caught up with Valentino, who’s managing the U.S. boys under-19 team — and recently caught a United match in person.
“I’ll be honest, I didn’t watch it in the beginning,” Valentino said. “It was not anger; it was hard to watch. I had emotions. I was just sad I wasn’t there.”
Not sure Texas really needed the help. But that second part — spending a full month training with a more experienced NFL star — sounds like a good idea.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
He taught me a whole bunch of nuanced moves that I got to learn on the field, I did the same with him. I think it was just really cool having a vet like McCaffrey be a brother to me as well so I can learn all of the cool things that he’s done on the field and vice versa.
-Robinson
Advertisement
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
-SPORTS
Sports Daily
Follow Us On
-SPORTS
Sports Daily
Follow Us On
Sports Daily offers an insider’s perspective on the good, the bad and the ugly of Atlanta’s prep, college and professional teams. If you do not want this weekday newsletter, unsubscribe here.
