Another Goal Post Death - 8 year old boy dies in Phoenix

May 5, 2008 · Filed Under Parenting Athletes, Uncategorized 

PHOENIX — An 8-year-old boy has died of injuries suffered when a goal post fell on top of him at the South Mountain YMCA in Phoenix.

Gabriel Mendoza died at St. Joseph’s Hospital within hours of the accident Thursday.

Investigators say that Mendoza was playing goalie and tried to swing from the overhead bar when it came crashing down and killed him.

This story is so incredibly sad. So much has been written about securing goals to keep our kids safe. Did you know that it was such a hazard? According to the site Anchored for Safety a gust of wind…a young player…an uneven playing field…In their current design, only 22 pounds of force can bring a 400-pound goal crashing down, injuring – even killing – a player. Since 1979, there have been 34 reported deaths and 51 injuries caused by soccer goals. While the short-term solution is to anchor existing goals, the long-term solution is most likely one of redesign.

Please…talk to your kids. Hanging on a goal is no joke. If you see a child monkeying around on a goal post, please put a stop to it. It could be a matter of life and death!

Tags:

Comments

Leave a Reply