They say a football coach came into the weightlifting class and took the students into the wrestling room to practice new tackles without pads or helmets.
SHELTON, Wash. — The Shelton School Board has accepted the resignation of Shelton High School's head football coach, months after an unauthorized drill left several students seriously injured.
Parents and attorneys at Shelton High School say at least five students were injured in a 30-minute period during an ambush drill on Jan. 31.
They say a football coach came into the weightlifting class and took the students into the wrestling room to practice new tackles without pads or helmets.
“I trusted my coach, but as the situation continued, it got worse and worse and more aggressive, and I thought this was dangerous,” said Machine Gard, a player at Shelton High School.
“I saw someone slam their head against a wall and then dislocate their finger. The doctor said they would never function the same way because the bones were ground together,” Marshall said.・Gard said. Shelton High School football.
Some players suffered serious head injuries, like 15-year-old Jaxon Leth, who is recovering from a concussion.
“My coach told the other players that they had to try harder because no one was tackling me. I was running towards the opposite wall and was running from another kid's tackle. Then another kid grabbed me from behind and grabbed me by the head and slammed me over the head, 'I'm crazy,''' Jackson Less said.
At Tuesday night's Shelton School Board meeting, Board President Matthew Wellander confirmed that head coach Mark Smith's resignation had been accepted. The district superintendent said the search process to find a new leader for the program has already begun.
Many district residents were hoping to get more information about what happened at the Jan. 31 practice, but Wellander said that's not possible at this time.
“I understand that everyone wants information. I feel like throwing up every day because I want to keep people informed,” Welander said. “The fact is, we're not allowed to give out sensitive information like this. We're sorry, but there's an ongoing investigation. If you don't want us to do that, we'll have to leave. yeah.”
Information about the status of other football staff who participated in the unauthorized training was not available.
