Georgia: 'Two-A-Days' Coach Supports Two-a-Days

National Association of Athletic Trainers calling for an end to two-a-day practices during the first week in August.

By
Jun 24, 2009, 12:00am
Rush Propst, Colquitt County
Rush Propst, Colquitt County
File photo by Jim Owens
The football coach from the MTV series "Two-A-Days" isn't ready to give up two-a-day practices.
 
But Colquitt County coach Rush Propst, formerly of Hoover High in Alabama, would support scaling back his two-a-days to every other day, as college and NFL teams do, if it were a state or national rule.
 
Last week, the National Association of Athletic Trainers called for an end to two-a-day practices during the first week in August, when risk for heat illness is highest. The trainers then want two-a-days on alternating days - if at all - after that.
 
Propst said he'd like to meet in the middle.
 
"I disagree with not having two-a-days the first week of August," he said. "Any later than that, I think that you have a hard time recouping by the time you play your first game."
 
For most coaches to adopt the trainers' standards, it would take an edict from the Georgia High School Association or the national federation, Propst said. Otherwise, coaches would have trouble holding back if other coaches could get a competitive advantage.
 
Propst also said eliminating two-a-days altogether could cause other problems.
 
"If coaches can't practice two times a day, some are going to practice [once for] three-and-a-half hours, and you're right back in the same deal," Propst said. "So doing away with two-a-days doesn't mean less work because coaches know what they've got to get done."
 
Propst, who was the coach of Hoover High in Alabama for the TV series "Two-A-Days," was careful to dispel any stereotypical images of him from that program. Seven years ago this week, Hoover player Victor Hill collapsed on a practice field and died. It was not heat-related, but Propst was deeply affected.
 
"People think he's two-a-days, he's hard-nosed, but that's the furthest thing from the truth when it comes to safety," Propst said. "When you see a child die on a field and have to sit down with that mama in the emergency room, you think I'm not going to remember that? Not a day goes by that I don't think about it."
 
Propst said he planned to have two-a-day practices for three of the first five days of mandatory preseason practice, as most coaches do. But he felt more discussion with the trainers' association was in order.
 
"Anything that we do that puts the athletes' safety first I will always be for," Propst said. "If research has been conducted and it proves to be the best for our athletes, then I would be for it."

Todd Holcomb is co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily, a free email newsletter. Readers may sign up for GHSF Daily by emailing Todd at ghsfdaily@bellsouth.net.

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