MCMINNVILLE, Ore. -- The number of high school athletes who experienced medical problems during a football camp in McMinnville has grown from seven to 31, with six still hospitalized, officials said Friday.
Wednesday afternoon, several students started experiencing major swelling in their arms and they were transported to Willamette Valley Medical Center. Three underwent surgery and four others were being monitored around the clock and may also need surgery, according to McMinnville School District Superintendent Maryalice Russell.
Then on Thursday night, 24 additional students went to the hospital for evaluation after feeling ill. Authorities told KGW that those athletes were tested for high enzyme levels and 16 of them showed high-risk levels. They will be continuously monitored but did not have to stay in the hospital.
Denise Montgomery, a parent of one of the hospitalized boys, told KGW it's been a very scary experience. She said the high levels could potentially affect the her son's kidneys and liver or even cause renal failure.
"It's secretions that come from muscles that are in his body and it's affecting his kidneys and his liver," she explained. "They're trying to keep it from crystalizing in his kidneys."
Jeff Kearin, the new head football coach, was running what he called a “total immersion” camp at the high school which involved the team staying overnight on the campus and attending three practices a day, including weight training.
But Montgomery said she doesn't blame the coaches. She said the workouts should not have been too much for the kids to handle.
However, not everyone agrees.
"It's heart-breaking," injured player Greg Cordie told KGW from his hospital bed. "I love this game... He pushed us too hard, and here we are."
Cordie's parents and some others were outraged. Jim Cordie said he’s worried his son’s entire football career could now be ruined.
“This ain't the NFL, this ain't college. Stop bringing these college coaches in and pushing these kids so far. They're still growing. They're still kids. They just want to play for fun," he said.
"We're as concerned as they are," said Superintendent Russell. "I mean, there's no reason why we want any student to have to take a visit to the hospital as a result of what may happen in a football camp or any other camp for that matter."
A meeting was held at the school Friday morning and the coaches said they were very confused by what happened and assured parents everything possible was being done to get to the root of the problem.
Despite all this, the football camp was not cancelled, but would end one day early, Russell said. It began on Sunday and had originally been scheduled to end on Saturday. The parents were given the option to pull their children from the camp, but all chose to stay.
As for the hospitalized students' rising medical bills, Russell said the district was considering whether to cover the costs. She also said that the district was considering whether any members of the coaching staff should be disciplined.
Kearin was just recently hired to lead McMinnville's football team. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, his last coaching job was for Los Angeles Loyola High School. He left that job in 2009 after five seasons and one Division I championship.
KGW reporter Chris Murphy contributed to this article.
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