U. of Houston Women's Soccer Players Get Rhabdo

If you thought only football players were susceptible to rhabdomyolysis, think again.

Twelve members of the University of Houston women's soccer team were diagnosed with rhabdo — the dangerous condition resulting from muscle injury — after a workout last week. A team parent alerted the UH athletic director after it became known that three players experienced the condition, and nine more cases subsequently came to light. In extreme cases, rhabdo can lead to kidney failure.

The team’s coach, Diego Bocanegra, would not talk about his players' conditions in a call with KPRC's Channel 2 Investigates but did admit his strength and conditioning coach is on the outs with the program. "As of right now, Minor Bowens does not work with the soccer team any longer," Bocanegra said.

Channel 2 Investigates did ask for a clarification from the university, a public institution, on the coach’s employment status, but UH executive director of media relations Mike Rosen said it was not "at liberty to discuss any personnel situation."

"Parents should be concerned, should always be concerned as to whether their son or daughter are getting an education, as to whether their son or daughter is safe when they come onto this campus and our obligation is to make sure that they are," Rosen said. "The University of Houston does everything it can to provide a safe and a healthy working environment."

Rhabdo first caught national attention when University of Iowa football players were affected in 2011, but more recent cases have been reported within the Nebraska and Oregon football programs.