How Military-Style Workouts in College Sports Get Dangerous
For elite athletes, high-intensity training can be “very appealing.”
In an article detailing the dangers of military-inspired workouts in college sports, the story of Arizona State hockey player Matthew Mayich is highlighted. On August 20, Mayich collapsed during a workout conducted by Tim Zeisel, a former Green Beret who was not an ASU employee. The workout, which was conducted in hot weather, led to exertional heat stroke, causing Mayich to suffer a lack of oxygen to the brain. Mayich remains hospitalized.
The article explains that military-style workouts, which can include simple exercises like sprints or crawls, are often used by elite athletes for team-building and problem-solving. However, these workouts are not necessarily strenuous and may not intentionally push athletes to their limits. The article points out that the dangers often arise when the authorities facilitating the workouts fail to evaluate the plans for safety and effectiveness, or to address emergencies if they occur.
Experts suggest that the responsibility for athlete safety lies with the institutions. The NCAA provides guidelines for athlete safety but does not ban specific types of conditioning. Individual schools are responsible for evaluating each plan and creating a governance system. This was done at Tufts University after a military-style conditioning session left nine students hospitalized.
The university commissioned an independent investigation, which found the workout was unusually intense and did not follow NCAA, NESCAC, or university guidelines for acclimatization. Tufts has since instituted a stringent "vetting process" for any third-party workouts.
The article also discusses the importance of proper emergency action plans and heat-illness policies. Rod Walters, national director of athlete safety for Andrews Athlete, points out that many institutions lack these essential precautions. While some internal sports-medicine departments have become better equipped, issues still arise from unprepared internal staff. Walters notes that 85% of the cases he's dealt with as an expert witness deal with failure of an emergency-action plan.
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