The parents of an Arizona State University hockey player who collapsed during a summer team practice and remains hospitalized are calling for the coaches involved to be placed on leave.
John and Christina Mayich asked the ASU president in a letter sent Tuesday through their attorney to place the coaches who led the Aug. 20 practice, led by an Army veteran, on leave “while an independent investigation reveals the truth.”
Matthew Mayich, 21, collapsed during outdoor practice just five days after his debut with the team and suffered external heatstroke for which he remains hospitalized and is unlikely to recover, family attorney Rob Carey said.
Seven players, whose attorney said they were not named for fear of retaliation, sent their own letter Monday to ASU President Michael Crow, disputing several findings in ASU’s initial internal report on the incident. Although the letter did not include past instances of retaliation by the coaching staff, players said they feared retaliation because coaches “decide our playing time, scholarship levels and team status.”
Like Mayich’s parents, the players are calling for the team’s coaches to be placed on administrative leave pending an independent investigation.
The Mayiches said in their letter Tuesday: “Players should not have to worry about retaliation from the people they report to every day. And there are plenty of former college and professional players in the Valley who could step in and help.”
The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. A report released Sept. 21 detailing the actions of coaches and staff members that day reveals that an athletic trainer assessed Mayich’s condition, told him to stay in bed, put ice towels and cool water on him, call 911 and order student-athletes to help move him to a shaded area.
All seven players criticized the report in their letter to Crow. Timothy J. Casey, their attorney, emailed the letter and said he verified the identities of the people who sent it.
The players noted that Mayich was new to Arizona, having spent only eight days in the area and having participated in the hockey program for five days. Drafted by the St. Louis Blues, Mayich is from Hamilton, Ontario, according to the NHL.
The workout took place on the morning of Aug. 20, a day when the afternoon high temperature was 104 degrees and the early morning low temperature was 74, according to National Weather Service data.
The anonymous players said that practice that morning was different from what is described in the school’s report and did not follow university policy.
In its report, the school says temperatures were between 86 and 89 degrees during practice, with relative humidity between 51% and 46%. The players’ letter alleges that the university’s temperature and humidity figures “understate conditions on the field.”
They said the workouts lasted longer than the university’s report said and that Mayich was without water during a break that lasted only seconds because he was one of several players who did not make it to the water in time before being “pushed straight to the next task.”
The players added that “additional drills were used as punishment” and that training continued despite signs of distress from some players.
No training plans were submitted to the strength and conditioning coaches, the players said in the letter, and emergency equipment, including a tub of water for cooling off, was not present as required.
The players claim the Army veteran who led the drills left before the final event, saying, “The medicine ball relays in which Matthew collapsed were performed with no one other than ASU’s coaches and athletic trainer to supervise them.” »
The players say head coach Greg Powers characterized Mayich’s condition after his collapse as “just a little heat stroke” of the type he’s seen before, according to their letter.
Carey, the family’s attorney, said by email Tuesday evening that Mayich was in the custody of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. “He is incapacitated and has no chance of recovery,” Carey said.
Efforts to reach Powers Tuesday evening were unsuccessful. He was asked about Mayich during a video media question-and-answer session hosted by the National Collegiate Hockey Conference last week, but declined to answer specific questions about the incident.
“Matthew and his family are at the forefront of our thoughts and prayers and are at the forefront of our minds as we try to prepare for a new season,” he said.
On Monday, House Education Committee Chairman Matt Gress and Senate Education Committee Chair Hildy Angius echoed the players’ claims by calling on Arizona Board of Regents Chairman Doug Goodyear to retain an independent investigator.
“We need an independent investigation to determine whether ASU followed its own rules, who was responsible for protecting these athletes and what happened when Matthew Mayich showed signs of distress,” Gress said in a statement. “ASU should not be left to investigate its own conduct and decide whether anyone should be held accountable. »
The incident remains under investigation by ASU Police. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, the region’s top prosecutor, said Tuesday on X that once ASU police complete their investigation, “my office will review this matter at the highest level.”
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