Iโve been following the Arizona State hockey situation closely.
The more Iโve read, the more I keep coming back to two questions:
๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ?
๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ผ?
I am not commenting on the medical care Matthew Mayich did or did not receive after he collapsed. My questions are about the structure and decisions that preceded the workout.
Athlete readiness matters too: sleep, hydration, nutrition, alcohol, supplements, recovery, acclimatization and honest communication should all factor into workload decisions.
ASUโs preliminary review says the hockey staff received permission for an outside consultant to participate, but the training plan was not submitted to ASUโs Strength & Conditioning staff for review beforehand.
That distinction is critical.
The issue is not simply whether an outside consultant was approved. It is whether the actual physical training being prescribed was reviewed by the qualified professionals responsible for physical preparation and athlete readiness.
๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป.
The NSCA and CSCCa have transition-period guidelines addressing volume, intensity, work-to-rest ratios, environmental conditions, emergency planning and credentialed S&C professionals.
But:
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐.
Those guidelines cannot prevent a sport coach from bypassing or overruling a performance professional unless the institution gives that professional meaningful authority.
I spent nearly three decades in collegiate Strength & Conditioning, Athletic Performance and Sport Science. Sometimes the job requires telling a sport coach:
No. We are not doing that today.
That athlete is not participating.
That workload needs to change.
๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐.
Matt Tenan & Bob Alejo argue for transdisciplinary collaboration. That philosophy should extend to leadership and hiring.
Searches should consider qualified leaders from Sports Medicine, S&C/Athletic Performance, Sport Science, Nutrition, Psychology, rehabilitation and other performance disciplines.
Whoever is selected should be treated as a senior-level administrator โ with real authority, direct access to senior athletic leadership and institutional support when professional standards conflict with a coachโs wishes.
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐.
Who had authority over physical preparation?
Who could modify or stop the workout?
Would administration have supported that professional over the Head Coach?
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
NSCA/CSCCa:
nsca.com/media-room/press-reโฆ
Joint Consensus:
ovid.com/10.1519/SSC.0000000โฆ
Tenan & Alejo:
DOI 10.4085/1062-6050-0580.23
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