Arizona State’s policies for preventing and treating heat-related illness are being called into question following the Aug. 20 collapse of hockey player Matthew Mayich, who remains in a coma after suffering what his family’s attorney says was exertional heatstroke.
According to a report in The Arizona Republic, Mayich had been in the Phoenix area for no more than five days when he participated in an outdoor, military-style workout on the first day of classes and the first day of hockey practice. ASU guidelines call for athletes to gradually acclimatize to heat over seven to 14 days before strenuous outdoor activity, the report said.
Mayich, a sophomore from Stoney Creek, Ontario, was entering his first season at ASU after transferring from Clarkson.
The report identified several provisions of ASU’s exertional heat illness policy that could be relevant. Family attorney Robert Carey told The Republic that Mayich showed signs of distress and disorientation before collapsing near the end of the roughly 50-minute workout.
Carey said Mayich was not immediately moved to a cooling station or placed in an ice bath. ASU guidelines identify immediate cold-water immersion as the preferred treatment for heat illness and call for a cold tub and several coolers of ice to be available during outdoor activities.
Weather conditions also raised questions. The Republic reported temperatures of approximately 87 to 89 degrees with 49 percent humidity around 8 a.m., placing conditions in the “high” category on ASU’s heat-stress index, the report said. The university’s guidelines state that only fit and heat-acclimatized athletes should participate under such conditions.
ASU acknowledged its heat guidelines but declined to say whether they were followed. The university said its police department is investigating and that a separate review of the workout is underway.
The workout was led by former Green Beret Tim Ziesel at the request of hockey coach Greg Powers, according to the report. Ziesel’s attorney disputed the characterization of the session as extreme and said coaches and medical personnel were present.
This report is based on reporting by Robert Anglen of The Arizona Republic