EDITORIAL - Protect the health of student athletes

We mourn with the family and friends of Cavahn McKenzie, the St Jago High School middle-distance athlete who collapsed and died at the end of a race in Trinidad and Tobago.

As Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller remarked, any death, especially in a circumstance such as which Cavahn's occurred, is painful. But his is heightened by the fact that he was so young - only 17.

Cavahn McKenzie's death, apparently from a heart attack, raises an important issue: the management of the health of athletes generally, but more specifically, those who compete at school.

High-school athletics has long been a big thing in Jamaica. And it has, and is growing, including at the primary level, in tandem with Jamaica's emergence as the dominant global power in the sprints and as the country makes strides in other aspects of track and field.

In other words, thousands of youngsters are pushing themselves, or are being pushed to punishing levels as schools and coaches drive for glory. Only rarely will an event such as Cavahn's occur. Young people at that age are likely to be healthy. Some, though, have underlying health issues that are not immediately apparent.

In the event that it does not now take place, or is not formally in place, we would suggest that the health ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, school sport associations, and the individual schools establish a structured system to determine the health status of student athletes. This should start from the time a student enters a school's athletic or other sport programme, and including periodic checks and analyses to determine the state of the athlete's health.

We appreciate that such a system is potentially expensive, but we believe that it can be made affordable if designed as part of the programme of regional health authorities. Of course, this is no guarantee that sad events such as Cavahn's will be totally eliminated, but it is likely to help.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.