JournalStar.com

Pius: Conditioning, not practice

By the Lincoln Journal Star
Saturday, May 17, 2008 - 12:37:07 am CDT
The conditioning session in which a Lincoln Pius X junior collapsed and died Thursday was not unlike any other workout offered for out-of-season athletes at the school.

Principal Tom Korta said Friday that the school’s coaching staff provides supervision for voluntary conditioning workouts almost every day of the school year.

Nebraska School Activities Association rules allow for conditioning sessions organized and run by members of a school’s coaching staff.

Such sessions must be voluntary and are limited to an hour in length.

Korta said about 40 athletes, including John Liescheski, were involved in Thursday’s supervised session that included weightlifting and running.

It was not an organized practice, Korta said. There were no footballs on the field, nor was any athlete wearing football-specific equipment. No plays were being run.