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12-year-old boy dies after collapsing during baseball training in Mie

25 Comments

A 12-year-old junior high school boy died after collapsing during baseball training in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, on Tuesday morning. According to an NHK report, the boy collapsed while running with his teammates at about 11 a.m. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:30 p.m.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the temperature just before noon was 31.5 degrees in Tsu.

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25 Comments
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Don't be too harsh on the teachers.How could they know that it is that hot in summer?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

One thing that isn't taught in Japanese schools is 'Common Sense'.

It is the only reason that so many within the education board & government etc, etc have none.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Of course no forensic autopsy will be performed....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

But...... it comes to mind..... there are thousands of kids running around outside at this time of day in Japan and the instances of heat related deaths are extreamly low. There is a factor of acclimation when you do it regularly. One death, although tragic, is not really out of scope, considering the thousands and thousands of kids exercising. We are jumping to conclusions that it was caused by the heat and even if it was, there is the possibility of unknown preexisting conditions that were the real cause. I think in the overall scheme of things, the kids are better off getting the exercise instead of sitting around getting fat.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Only one sensible opinion - thank you Riffraff!

I have boy who is doing soccer and yes - their sessions are 9:00-12:30 or 13:00-17:30. In this season here is hot even in 9:30 but of-coarse the hottest is 11:30-14:30. Usually small teams have parents voluntarily coaching and basically I think everyone knows how to prepare. Other parents are bringing water, where kids put their towels. They are given often breaks to go under shade, drink and refresh with wet towel.

The story is very sad but I am sure the necessary measures were taken.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Child abuse, plain and simple. Rest in Peace, poor boy. Make no mistake: more Japanese kids will die this hot summer due to this parental and teacher abuse. I'm all for kids doing sport - there is not enough of it here - but NOT IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

To be fair, we dont actually know why he died, and it could have been an entirely different cause, but running around in the heat here, especially in baseball uniforms, is clearly insane.

Attitudes DO seem to be changing slowly. My son had a soccer trial recently on a really hot day and I was interested to see how the coaches would handle it - they made them stop every 5 minutes to have a drink in the shade and asked us all to bring cool packs and towels. I was pretty impressed. But there still seem to be a lot of "gaman, it toughens you up" coaches around.

My husband says he remember being forced to exercise as a child in the summer and wasnt allowed a drink as it was seen as a weakness. But he also swears like many Japanese that summers werent as hot as they are now.

RIP little man. My heart goes out to your family.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"0 Good Bad

RiffraffAug. 10, 2011 - 01:17PM JST

But...... it comes to mind."

You guys must be newbies on the scene - - this happens all the time. My son was run until he collapsed, with no water, no shade, no rest. He was lucky. So many others are not. If it was your son you'd sing another tune.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Here's what we as readers/posters on JT know about this incident:

A 12-year-old boy collapsed while running during baseball practice and was subsequently pronounced dead.

The temperature was around 31.5c about an hour after the time of the collapse.

Here's what we as readers/posters on JT DON'T know about this incident:

How long were they practicing before the collapse occurred?

Were any re-hydration breaks given prior to the collapse?

What was the actual temperature at the time of the collapse?

And probably the most important question...

What caused the collapse/death?

Speculation serves no purpose. If you want to comment, comment on facts.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Unbelievable this doesnt happen more often. Today 35 degrees and here in my hometown they are organising some sort of sports event, with THIS heat, hope noone collapses and dies. My thought go out to the parents of that boy.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I can,t say that i,m surprised, I tennis coach a few kids in Matsuyama twice a week and on the surounding courts you have the japanese coaches obviously coaching a different way than myself.. When other players cannot fit onto the tennis court or when their particular drill is over they start running around the whole tennis complex continously until the coach says so,absolutely ridiculous espescially in this weather.. In Australia it,s a legal responsibilty to ensure that the coach has a certain degree of "DUTY OF CARE" My thoughts go out to the family..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I always wondered how anybody could go on and practice in this kind of weather. I'm afraid we know the answer now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Those people just won't understand. Every year it is the same story. I wished the government would intervene and forbid those sports activities in summer especially the HS baseball tournament. RIP little boy.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Wow! Playing in the middle of the day? Stupid. Poor kid

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The hottest part of the day, running...

The kids follow the rules of sports teachers/coaches, but whose rules do they follow?

If enough parents protest, and demand things be changed, to accommodate the heat, this type of accidental death might become a rare occurance, rather than what it is...

Another young poor soul dies.

It is heartbreaking...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

1 dies 10 are hospitalized stupidity on a grand scale, every year again and again, there is no excuse except ingrained stupidity

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I've just watched a high school baseball at Koshien stadium where it's got to be nearly 40 degrees on the field and the pitcher sent down over 140 pitches! However it looks like the situation is even worse in the US:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/us/july-dec11/footballheat_08-09.html

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Another reason hwy I am glad I dont have kids in this country!

Another example where common sense aint common enough! RIP little one.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Why are kids doing this during school holiday time and in teh ehat of midday? Kids should be finding their own ways to entertain themselves during the holidays. After all it is a holiday, but they feel compelled to go and train when they shoudl be away from school and doing other things. You don not get creative children by making them feel they have to do things like this. sadly, you end up with dead kids.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Got to agree with others.

What is the big deal here, similar amount of guys/gals die overseas some even older and into pro/amateur sports.

I found most coaches(non-pro) do take care and involve parents. For numbers lets see each school(any grade) has atleast a Soccer and Baseball team(if not more) add to that a Kendo/Judo team, etc that train in non-cooled halls, etc.

Do the maths how many schools in your city and how many teams per school. Sad that he died but I seen it myself many pupils refuse to drink, etc.

And as was said who looks after the kids that are out there playing all day and don't get the same care/liquids?

Rather than the coach, etc I blame the parents who didn't teach their kids to stay hydrated, etc. Don't take much to pack a thermos or freeze a bottle of mugi-cha(23yen/litre) and get them to take it along.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

It's about time this happened. He was probably running from 7am, and their annoying yelling and chanting woke up all the neighbors. "ichi ni san shi" [go roku shichi hachi] "ichi ni san shi" [go roku shichi hachi] "ichi ni san shi" [go roku shichi hachi] I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. These "baseball teams" are nothing more than military training for the youth.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

When will these idiot "coaches" learn. The teachers often have no background in the sport, nor training in care of young athletes.

ps. 4.5 seems a bit cold for heat stroke.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

There are people that run 20+ miles per day, every day, in the sweltering heat of Equatorial Africa and don't drop dead.

Please excuse me for bringing some common sense into play, but the cause of death may be completely unrelated to the temperature.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

mitoguitarman.

You were there and watched him collapse? What did you do to prevent it?

Sorry, but if you didn't hydrate him before you send him off, you are just as much to blame. The coach is not a superman who can know each kids condition to the T.

And why didn't you teach your son to stand up for himself and say that is my limit?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

**have boy who is doing soccer and yes - their sessions are

NOOOOOOOO… no one should go outside in the hot sun unless they buy this very expensive sunscreen… and OBTW you need THIS helmet, knee pads, don’t forget your bottled water… no, no, no you can’t drink from the fountain, you HAVE to BUY BOTTLED water. Do you have your cell phone.. the yellow one with the GPS, heart monitor and PS3 uplink? Exercise? Noo, Noo its too hot to exercise and become accustomed to the heat…. After all, that would be free and how would we sell air conditioners to protect you from that nasty heat? You need to wise up, doing things that do not require you to buy something, and {{{{{SHUDDEER}}}} go outside… are not cool!…. Now where are my Nike shades and Nike sport gloves, you know, the ones without the fingers? I am going to do some serious Final Fantasy on the PS and drink a diet coke… gotta stay healthy ya know…

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

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