From Mother Jones · Tik Root · · 2m
Hockey Player Collapses During Extreme Heat Workout
Hockey player Matthew Mayich hospitalized after heat stroke during Arizona practice.
In brief
Hockey player Matthew Mayich hospitalized after heat stroke during Arizona practice. Hockey player Matthew Mayich remains hospitalized after collapsing during a morning workout in Arizona's extreme heat, highlighting rising risks of heat-related athletic deaths as climate change intensifies. Originally reported by…
Matthew Mayich collapses
Matthew Mayich collapsed during a morning workout at Sun Angel Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on August 20.
“Matthew Mayich appeared to struggle, then stumbled, dropped the ball, and fell”
Heat stroke diagnosis
Mayich's family lawyer Robert Carey described his condition as exertional heat stroke.
“he has told journalists the family’s hope for a meaningful recovery hovers near a miracle”
Training session details
The session lasted 45 minutes with push-ups, planks, flutter kicks, bear crawls, squats, sprints, and buddy-carries.
“the players set off in small groups, according to the university’s timeline of events”
Heat intensity
Temperatures reached mid-80s with heat index near 100 degrees during the session.
“the heat index, a measure of temperature and humidity, hit nearly 100 degrees”
Medical response
Mayich received iced towels and cool water before paramedics rushed him to the hospital.
“By the time paramedics arrived, he had been down for 17 minutes, during which nothing effectively cooled him”
Korey Stringer's death
Korey Stringer died of heat stroke 25 years before Mayich's hospitalization.
“Korey Stringer died of heat stroke 25 years to the month before Mayich’s hospitalization”
Heat policy failures
ASU did not follow its own heat policy with no immersion tub, no ice chests, no on-field heat measurement.
“the session continued after some of us showed signs of distress, including dropping to a knee, vomiting and, in Matthew’s case, visible disorientation well before the final task”
Teammate letter
Teammates accused ASU of policy violations and wrote that Mayich showed signs of distress before the final task.
“Matthew crawled on hands and knees and appeared disoriented. When he stood, he nearly fell”
Acclimatization issues
Mayich arrived in Arizona eight days before the session but NCAA rules barred official practices until August 2.
“NCAA rules barred official practices until August 20”
Heat measurement errors
ASU used weather station data instead of on-field wet bulb globe temperature measurements.
“On-field WBGT observations were, on average, significantly higher than WBGT estimated from regional weather stations”
University review
ASU appointed Scott Bales to lead an independent review of heat policies by December.
“The university has asked Bales to complete the review by early December”
Family demands
Mayich’s family wants an independent investigation of what happened on the field and who was responsible.
“It wants an independent investigation of what happened on the field, who was responsible, and whether university, athletic conference, or NCAA rules were violated”
Heat policy impact
Georgia implemented strict heat policies that reduced heat-related illnesses by 75% in three years.
“Researchers found that, within three years, heat-related illness had dropped dramatically”
Heat stroke risks
Exertional heat stroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body overheats and cannot cool down.
“It’s a leading cause of preventable sports deaths, and the risk is rising as climate change has made extreme heat more frequent, intense, and prolonged”
Heat policy gaps
Many states have weak heat policies with only 5 points or below on the Korey Stringer Institute’s scale.
“There is a huge amount of disparity in the results”
What happens next
Mayich remains on life support at Barrow Neurological Institute while ASU launches a heat preparedness center.
“Heat is a killer. In Phoenix, you don’t have to have that reminder.”
Here's the gist
Hockey player Matthew Mayich remains hospitalized after collapsing during a morning workout in Arizona's extreme heat, highlighting rising risks of heat-related athletic deaths as climate change intensifies.
