Football is a cruel mistress. It often leaves those who love it tired, sore, bleeding, injured. But there was something different about the kind of fatigue Tydreke Thomas experienced during his first year of playing tackle football. The seven-year-old was unusually sore and tired after practices and games, to the point that his parents, Gary and Rossett Thomas, took him to the doctor. Something was wrong, that much they knew. They just couldn’t find out what it was. For two years, doctors told the Thomases to simply give their son Tylenol to treat the symptoms of whatever it was that was bothering him.
Then a light went off.
“His mother asked the doctors to test Tydreke’s CK levels. I had been diagnosed with elevated CK levels when I was in the Army. Doctors did the test and Tydreke’s CK levels came back as too high. I had passed it on to him,” says Gary Thomas.
Creatine kinase, or CK is it’s commonly called, is an enzyme found in muscle tissue, the heart, and the brain. An elevated CK level is one of the signals of a heart attack, among other serious medical conditions. In an otherwise healthy person, high CK levels cause chronic pain and fatigue. If the condition isn’t managed, it can lead to chest pains, kidney failure, and other major organ problems. Gary Thomas was diagnosed with elevated CK levels in 2000 while in the Army. The condition cut his career short. It also threatened to end his son’s football career prematurely.
According to Gary, there is no cure for elevated CK levels. One simply has to manage the symptoms and make sure the condition doesn’t cause any further problems. The primary treatment is to stay hydrated and never get too fatigued. Which is easier said than done when dealing with an overactive middle school football player. “He gets really sore and stiff. It’s like arthritis. Tydreke has to stay hydrated, and he drinks a lot of water and Gatorade. Tydreke doesn’t drink very many sodas and very little caffeine. It’s mainly water and Gatorade,” says Gary.
When doctors diagnosed Tydreke, Gary and Rossett discussed whether or not they should let him keep playing football. They were skeptical that he could manage his condition and keep playing. Of course Tydreke wanted to play but his parents wanted to make sure they were doing what was best for his long-term health, not his short-term football goals. At the end of the day, they decided to let him keep playing. “The contact of football isn’t a problem. Tackling and getting tackled won’t do anything to accelerate his condition. He’s just got to stay hydrated,” says Gary.
His coaches are well aware of his condition and take every precaution to make sure he stays healthy. That includes extra water breaks and rest during practices and games. “When he starts getting tired, they let him take a break. In games, sometimes he’ll come out for a few plays to rest,” says Gary. Tydreke is a running back and linebacker/defensive back for Hahira’s sixth grade team. There aren’t many plays that take place without him on the field. Tydreke is an important part of Hahira Middle’s team and a big reason why the Hahira sixth grade team’s 2015 season was one of the best in recent memory.
Tydreke plans to keep playing football. His goal is to one day play for the Lowndes High Vikings and quite possibly the University of Georgia. He also wants to play basketball but his parents drew a line there. “That’s just too much. He can’t be engaged in too many sports. Right now, we’ll just focus on football and stick with that,” says Gary.
For Tydreke, stepping away from the sport he loves has never been a consideration. He’ll do whatever he can to keep playing and become the best football player he can be, no matter what his bloodwork says. “I love football. I never want to quit. It never hurts too bad to play,” he says.
Special Feature/South Georgia/February 2015
Tydreke Thomas
Hahira Middle School
Hahira, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
Hahira Middle eighth grader: ‘I never thought about quitting’
