Question For Old Timers Like Me

[playnhurt]

This Chile mine incident stirred up some old memories. They talked about how they sent the miners salt tablets to take with their water. Reasoning was, that pure water wasn't enough to keep them from becoming dehydrated.

When we were playing, the coaches made us take salt tablets. I just talked to a trainer and he said it was funny that I brought this up because he and some other coaches were just talking about salt tablets.

He reminded me of how we used to practice without water breaks and take salt tablets after practice when you were drinking gallons of water. Today we schedule water breaks every 20 minutes or so and we seem to have more health problems with our athletes today than we did when we played.

SHOULD WE BRING BACK THE OLD SALT TABLETS and cut back on the water breaks? Can you still buy them anymore?

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by playnhurt


SHOULD WE BRING BACK THE OLD SALT TABLETS and cut back on the water breaks? Can you still buy them anymore?

uhh no..and NO in a big way..just because it was done a certain way in the past does not make it right...If ya want to add salt tablets to the breaks fine, but to take away water breaks is not good IMO

[pancho villa]

It is funny how it was back then. We never got a water break and they handed us salt tablets on the way to practice(we all threw them on the ground outside) The problem is kids now days are not raised right. The parents spoil them, and they are not tough. Oh sure we get a few kids that are raised tough, but most of them are pansies. "Mommy the coach made me run some sprints today" "That is horrible son I'm going to the school board"

If you are a parent take it upon yourself to teach your children some mental toughness!

[Bigraid]

Yeah i remember the salt tablets and also the cold water with ammonia in it. I remember soaking a towel in that green water and just pouring it over my head. It was great.

[Blackcat1954]

When I was manager-trainer back in the 70s in East Bernard we also gave out vitamin tablets as well as salt tablets.

Salt tablets came in the big old plastic gallon jars and we put them in these plastic dispensers in the field house.

Reminds me of the good ol days and I was proued to be affilated with the team in that capacity

Earned my letter jacket and sweater and was proud of it

[Bullaholic]

I often wonder what Bronco Nagurski would have thought of composite helmets with radios and full face-shields and not being able to touch the QB above the shoulders or below the knees or slam him into the ground, and going on injured reserve for 4 weeks with a dislocated pinkie finger....:D

Still, I am all in favor of any measures which ensure the absolute minimum no. of fatalities and injuries to kids.

[Eagle 1]

We still keep a jar of pickle juice on the sidelines for cramps.
I don't know about the salt tablets, I haven't seen them in a long time.

[Ernest T Bass]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
I often wonder what Bronco Nagurski would have thought of composite helmets with radios and full face-shields

He woulda thought they were the greatest things since microwave popcorn!

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by pancho villa
It is funny how it was back then. We never got a water break and they handed us salt tablets on the way to practice(we all threw them on the ground outside) The problem is kids now days are not raised right. The parents spoil them, and they are not tough. Oh sure we get a few kids that are raised tough, but most of them are pansies. "Mommy the coach made me run some sprints today" "That is horrible son I'm going to the school board"

If you are a parent take it upon yourself to teach your children some mental toughness!


Posts like this really irritate me (as a parent) and there are quite a number of you coaches frequently bashing parents on here. I agree with you that most kids today probably don't get as much rest, eat as well-balanced meals or partake in as many outdoor activities on a daily basis as they did "back in the day". Back in the day though, when it came to conditioning, they didn't have all of the other modern training equipment either, so there are two sides to that coin. Trainers? What were those?

As for parents, you know good and well, the majority of them whole-heartedly have complete faith in the coaches/educators they entrust their children to daily.

If you are a coach, take it upon yourself to take good care of our children and teach them more than just the sport of the season!

(And for God's sake, keep them "as safe as you can" from things like heat exhaustion that could result in death or serious permanent injuries.)

[Ernest T Bass]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
Posts like this really irritate me (as a parent) and there are quite a number of you coaches frequently bashing parents on here. I agree with you that most kids today probably don't get as much rest, eat as well-balanced meals or partake in as many outdoor activities on a daily basis as they did "back in the day". Back in the day though, when it came to conditioning, they didn't have all of the other modern training equipment either, so there are two sides to that coin. Trainers? What were those?

As for parents, you know good and well, the majority of them whole-heartedly have complete faith in the coaches/educators they entrust their children to daily.

If you are a coach, take it upon yourself to take good care of our children and teach them more than just the sport of the season!

(And for God's sake, keep them "as safe as you can" from things like heat exhaustion that could result in death or serious permanent injuries.)


Biggest cause of heat exhaustion; air conditioning. Kids report to 2-a-days in great shape, but not acclimated to the heat.

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by Ernest T Bass
Biggest cause of heat exhaustion; air conditioning. Kids report to 2-a-days in great shape, but not acclimated to the heat.

I'm sure you are right. 95 degree days with heat indexes exceeding 105 is hard and unsafe on the strongest of bodies, whether practicing a sport or working in a job that requires exposure.

Every August/September, I say a little prayer for the roofers of the world.;)

[Old Tiger]

global warming...gotta have more water breaks.

[playnhurt]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
Back in the day though, when it came to conditioning, they didn't have all of the other modern training equipment either,

If you are a coach, take it upon yourself to take good care of our children and teach them more than just the sport of the season!

(And for God's sake, keep them "as safe as you can" from things like heat exhaustion that could result in death or serious permanent injuries.) [/B]

This post was not intended to irritate you.

All I am saying is "back in the day" when we took salt tablets as players and didn't get the water breaks like we give kids today it was very rare to hear of a fatality on the field. Are we doing something wrong today? Are all of these modern ways softening our kids too much.

[DDBooger]

100 degrees and humid. Our two a days were horrible. We had to weigh in before and after and anyone who showed a 10 pound drop was immediately IV'd. Seeing people go into body lock was kind of unnerving. Finishing the last station of circuits on the pipes (bear crawling) was the worst way to end it.

[Ernest T Bass]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
I'm sure you are right. 95 degree days with heat indexes exceeding 105 is hard and unsafe on the strongest of bodies, whether practicing a sport or working in a job that requires exposure.

Every August/September, I say a little prayer for the roofers of the world.;)

Indeed, but those roofers have been working outside everyday from the 70 degree days to the 95 days. They're acclimated to it. Yes, it can still be dangerous, but nowhere near as bad as going from 3 months of AC to that 105 degree heat index.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by Eagle 1
We still keep a jar of pickle juice on the sidelines for cramps.
I don't know about the salt tablets, I haven't seen them in a long time. I heard packets of mustard does the same thing pickle juice does or is supposed to do.

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by playnhurt
This post was not intended to irritate you.

All I am saying is "back in the day" when we took salt tablets as players and didn't get the water breaks like we give kids today it was very rare to hear of a fatality on the field. Are we doing something wrong today? Are all of these modern ways softening our kids too much.


I think we did not hear about it because news back then was not as instant and as easily gotten world wide.

We had a kid when I was in Jr High that collpased first day of practice with a heat stroke nearly died, it did not even make the local paper, now it would be in the local paper, and the message boards to pray for that kid and so on.

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
I think we did not hear about it because news back then was not as instant and as easily gotten world wide.

We had a kid when I was in Jr High that collpased first day of practice with a heat stroke nearly died, it did not even make the local paper, now it would be in the local paper, and the message boards to pray for that kid and so on. Yup, and it's just societal tradition to regard every generation that follows as soft.

[CenTexSports]

It is probably not the parents as much as it is the culture. Back in the 60's and early 70's when I was playing, there was nothing else to do. We had one black and white TV that got 4 channels. Besides watching Slam Bang Theater the only other thing we did was play outside. Baseball, football, baseball using a tennis ball and racket and any other game we could think up.

Now days when kids visit their grandparents, they take video equipment and all sorts of games. We took a football and played one on one. Passing the ball to yourself can be fun. When we got through with this we played army by throwing dirt clods at each other. Hauled hay, worked for the highway department (talk about a hot job), and milked cows on a dairy.

Oh yeah, no air conditioning in the school rooms. We did take salt tablets (at home and at school), drank out of a garden hose, and loved it.

I am not sure which is better but I would not change it at all.

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by DDBooger
Yup, and it's just societal tradition to regard every generation that follows as soft.

It is the old Teen Mothers theory...in the 80's news reports erupted about Teens getting pregnant and the epidemic...do some research you find out the rate was at or neat( and some years lower) than teen pregnancy in the 30's-40's-50's....Difference was back then it was hidden

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
It is the old Teen Mothers theory...in the 80's news reports erupted about Teens getting pregnant and the epidemic...do some research you find out the rate was at or neat( and some years lower) than teen pregnancy in the 30's-40's-50's....Difference was back then it was hidden Same with teen violence, has always been there. We have new axioms and methods (cyberbullying) It became deadlier as access became easier. I have very interesting conversations with my students about their GRANDPARENTS sexuality back in their days and how even then, chasing tail was chasing tail. It gets em squirming. :D

[Txbroadcaster]

Also blame parents for kids being lazy..I said this in another post a long time ago

The kidnapping/insurance scare has created kids who stay inside...I was a kid I biked all over town and played football and baseball and basketball in MANY yards..had some injuries( friend of mine once was cloked in head with bat and had 20 stiches).

Last 20 years parents shield their kid afraid of imaginary kidnappers and people worry about kids getting hurt on their property causing them to have to pay

[Old LB]

I won't pretend to be an expert here cause that would be far reaching but I did read something about if you deplete all the electrolytes in your body then the water will not do you any good as far as dehydration goes.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
Also blame parents for kids being lazy..I said this in another post a long time ago

The kidnapping/insurance scare has created kids who stay inside...I was a kid I biked all over town and played football and baseball and basketball in MANY yards..had some injuries( friend of mine once was cloked in head with bat and had 20 stiches).

Last 20 years parents shield their kid afraid of imaginary kidnappers and people worry about kids getting hurt on their property causing them to have to pay When i lived in Burnet till 3rd grade they let us play tackle football at recess till a kid got pushed into a swing pole and broke his collarbone.

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
Also blame parents for kids being lazy..I said this in another post a long time ago

The kidnapping/insurance scare has created kids who stay inside...I was a kid I biked all over town and played football and baseball and basketball in MANY yards..had some injuries( friend of mine once was cloked in head with bat and had 20 stiches).

Last 20 years parents shield their kid afraid of imaginary kidnappers and people worry about kids getting hurt on their property causing them to have to pay That is certainly one variable. Increasingly the HELICOPTER parent plays a role in their own children's social awkwardness. Then they wonder how their kid ended up with a crap load of metal in their face and draped in all black writing poems about Life's Dark Abyss. lol

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by playnhurt
This post was not intended to irritate you.

All I am saying is "back in the day" when we took salt tablets as players and didn't get the water breaks like we give kids today it was very rare to hear of a fatality on the field. Are we doing something wrong today? Are all of these modern ways softening our kids too much.


It wasn't your post that irritated me, I quoted Pancho. But it's all good, I think he just got a burr in his sadle this morning or something.:)

Back to the "Chile Mine Incident" glad that they had everything they needed to survive, including the salt tablets. Am I the only one that was watching television and thought they had rescued a Texan? LOL....I looked at their flag for about 5 minutes before I could identify the difference.

Also, did you hear about the one rescued that while he was trapped, his wife found out about his girlfriend? Needless to say, it was his girlfriend that was waiting for him when he emerged from the mine.:D

[RoyceTTU]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
It wasn't your post that irritated me, I quoted Pancho. But it's all good, I think he just got a burr in his sadle this morning or something.:)

Back to the "Chile Mine Incident" glad that they had everything they needed to survive, including the salt tablets. Am I the only one that was watching television and thought they had rescued a Texan? LOL....I looked at their flag for about 5 minutes before I could identify the difference.

Also, did you hear about the one rescued that while he was trapped, his wife found out about his girlfriend? Needless to say, it was his girlfriend that was waiting for him when he emerged from the mine.:D

I also heard on WBAP yesterday morning, that 1 guys trapped, this was his 3rd time to be trapped in a mine. Holy Cow Man, find a different job and don't play the Lottery, and go inside when it is Lightning outside.

[Paratrooper]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
Also blame parents for kids being lazy..I said this in another post a long time ago
...I was a kid I biked all over town and played football and baseball and basketball in MANY yards..had some injuries( friend of mine once was cloked in head with bat and had 20 stiches).


Nothing wrong with a good scar.........they make the best stories. I agree with the guy who started the post. You ran hard, ate the salt tablets, threw them up, but in general it was a lot of fun. I am sure they will eventually get rid of two-a-days.

[BILLYFRED0000]

Originally posted by AP Panther Fan
I'm sure you are right. 95 degree days with heat indexes exceeding 105 is hard and unsafe on the strongest of bodies, whether practicing a sport or working in a job that requires exposure.

Every August/September, I say a little prayer for the roofers of the world.;)

I agree to a point. When I was in hs we did not have the indoor play video games and watch tv mentality. we were outdoors. I would haul hay in 105 degree heat then go to the pool and swim around and then maybe mow the lawn or something. I never even got cramps or heat exhaustion that I remember. Did take those salt tablets and no we did not get water breaks......

[Rabid Cougar]

You never want to have that conversation with your parents about how things are so "different". You may find out things about them that you REALLY don't want to know.

The difference between the outside activity of my Dad and myself and myself and my sons is exponential. I don't think my youngest ( 14) concept of play was even remotely the same as was mine when I was his age and younger.

My Grandmother had cable TV ( they only person I knew that had it for many years, we didn't have but three channels at my house) and I would sit glued to the that TV set like there was no tomorrow. My mother said that I would watch the Test Patterns (if you know what those are) if allowed.

I also know that my oldest boy was a much better conditioned , physically fit athlete than I ever was in High school but we both cramped up just the same. I was taking the salt pills with no water breaks and he was given all the water and Gaterade he wanted. .

[95mustang]

Salt tablets are not a good idea for athletes. First the actual salt tablet is to hard for the stomach to digest causing a high concentration of salt in the stomach. When the body recognizes this high salt concentration it naturally tries to dilute the concentration. This is done by more water entering the stomach from the body. Where does this extra water come from? The other body tissues. Thus actually increasing the chances of dehydration, cramps, and other complications. The best source for sodium replacement is a sports drink. The liquid form of Sodium is easily absorbed and dispersed by the body.

[firstdown]

We were given potassium tablets along with the salt tablets.

We we were also paddled when we were jackwagons. Ran extra for making mistakes in practice, and had a no pass no play every week. I believe there are somethings that need to be brought back.

[defense51]

good times, we were so poor that the salt tablets were my dinner. And I liked it!!!

[trojandad]

remember when bear bryant switched his team from drinking water with salt tablets to only drinking unsweet tea? lasted about 3 - 5 years and then coaches acted like nobody ever did it......lol

[bobcat1]

Originally posted by pancho villa
It is funny how it was back then. We never got a water break and they handed us salt tablets on the way to practice(we all threw them on the ground outside) The problem is kids now days are not raised right. The parents spoil them, and they are not tough. Oh sure we get a few kids that are raised tough, but most of them are pansies. "Mommy the coach made me run some sprints today" "That is horrible son I'm going to the school board"

If you are a parent take it upon yourself to teach your children some mental toughness! I ate my salt tablets because I liked them. Our school was not airconditioned and we didn't turn it on during the day either at home. We played outside. Back then you could leave your windows up and lose nothing to a burglar. Todays kids are conditioned to climate control and I personally think this is the major reason for heat related incidents.

[MoveInDad]

Originally posted by pancho villa
It is funny how it was back then. We never got a water break and they handed us salt tablets on the way to practice(we all threw them on the ground outside) The problem is kids now days are not raised right. The parents spoil them, and they are not tough. Oh sure we get a few kids that are raised tough, but most of them are pansies. "Mommy the coach made me run some sprints today" "That is horrible son I'm going to the school board"

If you are a parent take it upon yourself to teach your children some mental toughness!
You either never had any kids or too old to remember, in which case you should be congratulated for bein on a message board.
I'm 46, played football from age 6 (my DOB was 2 days after the cut off but they let me slide) all the way through a scholarship to SFA... and I don't remember NOT getting water. We were given Cokes one of those first years, which is funny now when you consider its a diaredic, but who knew. In HS (Stratford) they had a pvc pipe with holes drilled in it that water ran through the whole of practice. Btw we went 15-0 and won the 4A championship that year vs Plano, so I don't want to hear any crap about how much better/ tougher you or your team were because you were deprived of water.
I also remember the salt tablets and gigantic potassium pills... the salt tablets I wish I had thrown on the ground, because the first time I was given them on the ride to play La Porte, I threw them up all over the bus.
HS athletes (boys and girls in all sports) today train/practice/play faaar more then we did in the late '70s and early '80s at least. I don't have time to go into all the examples, parents with kids playing sports will know what I mean... and kicking them outside to 'play' when they are 16, 17 or 18, and have just got home at 5 or 6pm having started their day at 630am in the weight room?? Well, I guess I'm just not tough enough... oh and 'kids these days' have to maintain their eligibility, unlike 'back in the good 'ole days'.
I can't believe I spent even this much time and still didn't address the absurdness of some of your comments. Btw, my oldest is one of the 'toughest' kids in school, mentally and physically and he's being vilified... I better stop right there.
Your post touched a nerve obviously, and I do know 'what you mean', but your comments seemed unqualified.

[MoveInDad]

Originally posted by defense51
good times, we were so poor that the salt tablets were my dinner. And I liked it!!!
Made me laugh, thanks.