The death of a Pulaski County high school football player after an injury in practice last week is bringing back terrible memories for another Kentucky family. Andrew Dodson died Monday – a little less than three years after Matthew Mangine Jr. died during soccer conditioning drills at an Erlanger high school. His father, Matt Mangine Senior, said he’s reached out to Dodson’s parents and hopes, in time, to offer some comfort.
“But after a couple of months, I was able to connect with some other parents that lost their children on, on athletic fields, and it was great just to connect with them to kind of cry, talk, just understand the feelings, you know, that you're feeling.”
After his son’s death, Mangine and his wife Kim started the Matthew Mangine Jr. “One Shot” Foundation, which works to make school sports safer. He’s testified on Capitol Hill and worked with state legislators, and said House Bill 331, signed into law by Governor Beshear last week, is a step forward.
“And what that does is help strengthen emergency action plan, planning and training for coaches and athletic trainers in the state of Kentucky. So, moving forward, hopefully we're all better prepared for unfortunate situations like these.”
Mangine says Andrew Dodson’s family has joined a club no one wants to be a part of.
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