A Barren County community member alleged that the middle school football team was made to practice for over two hours without a water break.
Barren County High School’s football team, the Trojans, is located at 555 Trojan Trail, Glasgow, Kentucky, United States.
The team’s colors are burgundy and gold, similar to the University of Southern California.
In the 2021-2022 season, they had an overall record of 3-8 and a district of 1-2.
The team is ranked 124th in the state and 28th in their division. The team’s head coach is John Myers, who was officially appointed in January 2024.
Football Practice Stopped At Barren County Middle School Following Unsafe Conditions Sparked Outrage
Concerns are rising in Barren County after a Facebook post by a community member named Mike George alleged that the Middle School football team made their players practice for over two hours without having a single water break during extreme heat.
Over the past five days, Barren County has experienced hot, humid weather typical of mid-summer in the region.
Daily high temperatures consistently reached the upper 80s and low 90s Fahrenheit, with overnight lows in the low to mid-70s.
Despite the storm threats, skies mainly remained dry, adding to the heat stress caused by the heavy humidity.
The incident has garnered strong reactions from parents, players, and former athletes.
Mike George wrote,
Apparently barren county middle school thinks it’s okay to make the football team practice for over 2 hours without any water breaks
Mike George
One of the players, Cullen Short, commented, stating that several athletes started feeling lightheaded during the practice session. He added,
we was running and I did two laps and then I started getting lightheaded so I went up to one of the coaches and said none of us had anything to drink all practice. So he had to stop the practice
Cullen Short
The post quickly gained traction online, with several commenters calling the situation “total bullshit” and “dangerous,” especially given the ongoing extreme heat warnings across the region.
One person named Brad Hooten stated that the players in neighboring states died under similar circumstances due to heat-related illnesses, pointing to longstanding policies that restrict outdoor sports practices under high heat index conditions. He added,
Used to be if index was over a certain they wasn’t allowed to practice. Last yr I played tn had a couple kids die from it
Brad Hooten
Earlier on July 14, 2025, a 16-year-old high school football player, Joshua Henderson, from Tennessee, was hospitalized in the intensive care unit for days after he passed out at practice.
Doctors said the cause of the incident was heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Community members are urging the school system to implement stricter safeguards around athletic practices in hot weather.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Barren County Middle School’s football team competes in the Kentucky High School Association (KHSAA). The team’s home field is located at Barren County High School.
- On July 27, 2025, the Barren County High School Football team announced that they are hosting their second annual youth night camp on Friday, August 1, 2025, and asked all youth league participants to attend the free camp under the lights.
