High School Football Player Dies After Collapsing During Game

The latest in a string of athlete deaths of young athletes, ranging from middle school-aged athletes to high school athletes, occurred on Sept. 6 at a high school football game in Bristol, Florida.

According to NPR, Chance Gainer, a senior at Port St. Joe High School, died after he collapsed shortly before halftime during the school’s game against Liberty County High School.

Gainer was pronounced dead after he was taken to a local hospital, according to Port St. Joe Principal Sissy Godwin. Godwin told the outlet that Gainer had just turned 18 in August.

Godwin said that Gainer left an impression, even though he was a quiet kid.

“You may not have heard Chance in the crowd, but you could see his smile from across the room,” she said.

Likewise, Gulf District Schools Superintendent Jim Norton described Gainer’s death as a “tragic loss” before saying that he was an exceptional young man.

“He was a remarkable athlete, a beloved teammate, and an overall exceptional young man who loved Jesus,” Norton said. He said Gainer was quiet, “but exuded captivating warmth and genuineness that drew people to him.”

According to Liberty County Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Tim Davis, Gainer suddenly collapsed on the field.

“He just went to the ground suddenly,” Davis told the Tallahassee Democrat . “Coaches attended to him and after a few minutes, they called for EMS. After they got to the field they took him off to an ambulance behind the visitors bench. One of our school resource officers drove the ambulance to Blountstown while the medics worked on him.”

Davis also said that Gainer’s death affected his teammates greatly.

“Many were crying and hugging each other. It puts everything in perspective for sure.”

Following the game, school staff, friends, and clergy from the Florida Gulf Coast community gathered to support Gainer’s family, who later joined them.

According to PBS Newshour , seven deaths that have been linked to football have raised questions about how safe the sport is for young people.

Chris Nowinski, a former football player and professional wrestler, now the co-founder and CEO of Concussion Legacy Foundation, told the outlet that fundamentally, the game is violent and kids will die each year.

“Children, unfortunately, will die in these activities. Some have died randomly from heart disorders and other things. So the deaths don’t really tell us what to do. The way I advise parents on youth sports is, we absolutely want our kids playing sports and team sports. They do wonderful things for their physical and neurological and mental development. But what we don’t need and what we have, what we should get rid of is our children getting hit (in the) head hundreds of times a year.”

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