PHOENIX – Although the Arizona State hockey team notified the university of its intent to allow an ex-Green Beret to speak to the team, it did not submit a plan of training activities to ASU’s strength and conditioning coach, according to a report issued Monday about the Aug. 20 events related to hockey player Matthew Mayich's collapse during a workout that has left him incapacitated.

The report was submitted by Senior Vice President of Educational Outreach James Rund to university President Michael Crow.

No blame was assigned in the report, which also said ASU will create a blue-ribbon advisory panel to make future recommendations.

Here are some of the key findings and recommendations from that report:

• The ASU hockey team coaching staff requested permission for Tim Ziesel to speak to the team but did not submit a plan of training activities for review by ASU’s strength and conditioning coaches prior to the event.
• According to a timeline included with the report, on Aug. 12, ASU hockey staff submitted a request to approve Ziesel’s use as an outside consultant on teambuilding. The request does not include a written plan for the activity. The report does not indicate when or if the request was approved but notes Ziesel’s participation was arranged by an ASU hockey supporter and Ziesel does not have a contract with ASU to provide consulting services.
• All the athletes who participated in the event had been medically cleared for athletics participation prior to the event. This included Mayich, who had arrived in Tempe from his home in Canada eight days earlier (on Aug. 12) and been medically cleared by the team physician and the athletic trainer after a pre-participation physical examination.
• In the month following Mayich’s hospitalization, ASU's review has focused on fact finding with the goal of identifying additional steps the university can and should take to improve student-athletes’ well-being.
• A total of 20 individuals have been interviewed either as part of this review or by the ASU Police Department, and relevant information has been gathered from available records.
• ASU did not follow its own heat guidelines for treating heat illness, which call for immediate immersion in ice water, but the university found Mayich was left lying on the ground as staff draped him in wet towels.
• A break was taken approximately 20 minutes into the event for the athletes to drink water. Toward the end of the event, another break was taken while athletes were given instructions for a wind-down exercise of running with a medicine ball.
• Mayich was in one of the later groups to complete this exercise. When running, Mayich appeared to struggle, and then in rapid succession stumbled, dropped the medicine ball and fell to the ground. He attempted to get up and resume running but fell to his knees.
• While Mayich was initially responsive, his condition deteriorated. The athletic trainer called 911 and asked for EMS to respond. She directed athletes to assist her in moving Matthew to a shady area and continued applying iced towels and water from a hose while waiting for EMS.
• Rund said ASU would not tolerate retaliation against anyone who provides information or raises concerns in either inquiry.

In its further review of best practices for outdoor training, practice and competition, ASU will engage a multi-disciplinary panel of experts to provide recommendations regarding best practices for:

• Planning and approval of outdoor athletic activities, including strength and conditioning activities, practices and competitions.
• Staffing, monitoring and conduct of outdoor athletic activities, including adjustments to address changed conditions or adverse reactions.
• Preparation for and response to adverse events or reactions occurring during outdoor athletic activities.

This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.