Chickasha Coach Once Again Dealing with Tragedy

Originally Published: Sep 20, 2010 8:35 AM CDT

Michael Swisher
CoachesAid.com Staff Writer

CHICKASHA, Oklahoma -- Most coaches are fortunate enough in the sense that they never have to deal with the death of one their student-athletes.

Chickasha football coach Rick VanCleave is dealing with that experience for the second time in his career.

Junior offensive lineman Kody Turner died in an Oklahoma City hospital early Friday morning, three days after he collapsed after the Chicks’ football practice.

As funeral plans and dedications and the preparation for the remainder of a football season are being made, VanCleave is left to pick up the pieces for himself, his coaching staff and his team.

“It’s a coach’s worst nightmare for something like this to happen,” he said.

Sadly, it’s not the first time for VanCleave to deal with this kind of tragedy.

Read more about how VanCleave is using his past experience with losing a player to help his team remember Kody Turner.


Photo Courtesy: Creative Image Studios, Chickasha