Extreme heat left this student athlete on life support. He won’t be the last.

An Arizona State University hockey player, Matthew Mayich, 21, collapsed during an outdoor team workout in Tempe on August 20, when temperatures were already near 90 degrees. He was treated with ice towels, cold water, and a hose before being taken to the hospital, where his family's lawyer says he suffered exertional heat stroke, a condition where the body overheats and cannot cool itself. He remains in critical condition. Teammates later said in a letter that the workout ran longer than the university reported and that required safety steps, including a cold-water immersion tub and scheduled shade breaks, were not in place. The head coach has since been placed on paid leave.

The case echoes the 2001 heat-stroke death of NFL player Korey Stringer, which led to new safety standards across professional sports. Experts say cold-water immersion cools the body far faster than other methods and is now considered the best treatment once heat stroke starts. Pro leagues have largely adopted strong protocols, but high school and college programs vary widely. A scoring system from the Korey Stringer Institute shows some states, mostly in the Southeast, score high on rules like requiring gradual heat acclimatization and tracking wet bulb globe temperature, a humidity-adjusted heat measure, while many northern and Mountain West states score low.

The piece is a reminder that rising heat is reaching into everyday activities, school sports included, and that safety rules differ sharply depending on where you live.