As soon as word spread two weeks ago that two West Limestone High School football players had staph infections, the telephone began to ring in the principal’s office.

Parents in the Athens and Limestone County area remembered that a boy died of a staph infection a few years ago and they wanted to know what the school was doing to halt the germ.

“We have purchased all of the supplies that the medical professionals have told us to,” said Principal Stan Davis. “We’ve washed everything with Clorox, sprayed disinfectants and each child has their own towel.”

Aside from that, the school is stressing to children the importance of personal hygiene and the need to wash practice clothes every day.

Rumors that staph infections were widespread at the school were unfounded.

“The rumor was that it was rampant,” Davis said. “Two out of 1,000 students is not rampant. I’ve had more students out with a stomach virus.”

But a stomach virus isn’t likely to kill or to require hospitalization, and that is what parents fear.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Other schools in Athens and Limestone County are keenly aware of the danger of staph and have taken measures to prevent it.



Tanner High School

Tanner High School football coach Laron White makes players use paper cups and a water cooler to quench their thirst off the field, rather than bottles of water.

“A bottle can be laying around on the ground,” he said.

Like a lot of other coaches, he washes practice clothes and towels everyday.

“It’s a hassle, but we have to do it,” he said.

“We never had that problem back when I was in school,” White said. “My gym clothes would last the whole year. They could stand by their self.”

“We have different kids clean up every day and they spray down the toilets and everything everyday with some good products that kill a bunch of bacteria including staph,” White said. “We keep the locker room as cool as possible.”

In the four years White has been football coach, he has never had an athlete with a staph infection, he said.

Throughout the season, White reminds players to shower and to be careful what they touch, including other people’s towels and equipment.

“I tell them, ‘Don’t put things on the ground and wash yourself,’ I kind of preach to them. ”



Athens High School

Athens High School has taken a three-prong approach – keeping facilities, clothing and athletes clean.

“We have put a lot of time into this particular issue,” said Principal Chris Bolen.

Bolen. “Our school nurse, Nadine Brockwell, has education sessions with the coaching staff about this topic and they have expressed to the kids that it is important to take showers and keep their clothes washed,” Bolen said.

“We have purchased certain liquids to treat the wash – our uniforms and towels and other clothing items – and we wash uniforms, towels and practice gear on a daily basis,” Bolen said. “And we make sure the dressing facilities are clean and in good order. We have a full-time trainer, and we treat scrapes and cuts very seriously.”

He believes this comprehensive focus makes a difference.

“We think that it’s the reason we’ve been able to dodge it as much as we have,” Bolen said. “We’ve been very fortunate not to have a large number of infections.”

Referring to the death of Athens Middle School student from a staph infection a few years ago, Bolen added, “When you have a tragedy like that, you want to educate yourself.”



Clements High School

At Clements High School, football coach Forest Williams corrals players the first day of practice and warns them about the dangers off the field. “We try to make sure that our kids are educated on how to think. We tell them, ‘Go home immediately and shower; don’t go home and sit around, ’ ”

Cuts and turf burns – skin rubbed raw by grass or artificial turf – are another worry. Players have to keep wounds clean and covered.

Williams said he had never heard of staph infections before becoming a coach six years ago.

“When I was in school, you went home and laid around on the couch and didn’t worry about it,” Williams said.

He and other coaches probably didn’t picture themselves doing laundry or thinking about washers and dryers when they were college students.

“I would like a professional, industrial washer and dryer instead of a standard washer and dryer,” Williams said. “Because then you could do it all in one load instead of three and you could get the clothes as dry as you want.”

The six paid coaches at the school take turns doing laundry, which includes towels, practice clothes and uniforms.

“We wash the stuff for them,” Williams said. “We don’t want to lose a kid not playing or, worse, staph infection can kill.”