By Hannah G. Bleikamp
In 2026, a lawsuit was filed against Valparaiso Community Schools after an athlete suffered serious injuries during a non-contact drill (Feurer & Savini, 2026). The football player, Malakai Solomon, was participating in a non-contact drill without protective equipment in which two other players allegedly used excessive force, resulting in Malakai falling and hitting his head on a hard surface. He sustained a severe concussion and wrist injuries, including a fracture in one wrist.
Malakai’s parents claimed that the drill was not properly supervised in addition to alleging that the coaches did not provide proper medical care following the injury (Feurer & Savini, 2026). Medical attention was only given once Malakai contacted his father, after which he was taken to the hospital.
In this case, plaintiffs Malakai and his father sued defendants Valparaiso Community Schools and the football coaching staff. The lawsuit claimed negligence and failure to protect the athlete’s safety. The suit alleges numerous breaches of duty, including the fact that the coaches did not monitor the drill and ensure that the non-contact drill was executed correctly and without excessive force. The drills were also done without proper protective gear. The plaintiffs claimed that the actions were foreseeable, especially considering that the drill was conducted by pairing older players with younger ones. The case also states that negligence occurred when the coaching staff did not appropriately assess Malakai’s injuries, specifically his suspected head injury. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for the injury and medical costs, including physical pain and suffering, mental and emotional distress, actual medical expenses, loss of enjoyment of life, permanent impairment and/or disfigurement, and other damages.
The outcomes of this case should not be limited to the financial recovery for the plaintiffs, but the organizational, industry, and player welfare outcomes. The legal outcome will most likely be a financial compensation settlement to the Solomons for injuries and medical costs. If the settlement is not taken, the case may be taken to trial in which negligence, liability, and duty of care would be determined.
Athletic organizations should review safety protocols for contact and non-contact drills in addition to the supervision requirements. Although common, concussion protocols should be enforced and reviewed annually. Coaches and instructors should take care when pairing athletes for drills to take into account age, size, and experience so as to avoid mismatching injuries. Organizations should place an emphasis on staff training on risk management and risk response. The sport industry should become more aware of the liability around allowing contact during a non-contact drill. State associations have rules in place to reduce the number of athletes in training settings in addition to timelines for contact with football. When these rules are not followed, the team may experience consequences. These rules help improve athlete safety and awareness for emergency response obligations. The current standing of the case is still pending, and no final court ruling has been determined.
References
Feurer, T., & Savini, D. (2026, March 6). Family sues Valparaiso High School after son seriously injured during off-season football drill. CBS News Chicago. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/valparaiso-high-school-lawsuit-football-player-injury-practice-malakai-solomon/
Hannah Bleikamp is a High School Athletic Director at Whetstone High School and Doctor of Philosophy in Sport Management student at Troy University. Her research specializes in athletic program development and risk management. She currently serves as the Female Representative for the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. She lives in Columbus, OH.
