“We are grateful to our team members for their recovery to good health,” Tufts University President Sunil Kumar said in a message to the community. “We applaud their resilience, commend them for the compassion they showed for one another during these difficult times, and thank their families for their unwavering support,” the message read.
The university announced Wednesday that it had hired D. Rod Walters II, a “nationally recognized expert on the care and prevention of student-athlete injuries,” and Randy Aliment of the law firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. Conduct external research on training.
Tufts officials said the investigation will “determine exactly what happened before, during and after the training, evaluate the university’s response, assess health and training protocols, and review procedures and policies to determine what changes should be made to prevent something like this from happening again.”
The university said it would release its findings once the investigation is complete.
“We know you have many questions and, frankly, we do too,” university officials said in a message Wednesday. “And we understand you may be frustrated that we have not yet answered all of the questions raised. However, we are following investigative best practices by refraining from making public statements so as not to unintentionally influence the direction of the independent investigation. We are committed to conducting a thorough, unbiased investigation that will ultimately lead to better and safer training methods for our student-athletes.”
In a message, university officials did not reveal the identity of the person leading the training but said the individual is a Tufts University graduate who recently completed Navy SEAL training and was “invited to lead the session.”
Rhabdomyolysis is a life-threatening condition in which damaged muscle breaks down. Toxic components of the muscle fibers can enter the circulatory system and kidneys, causing kidney damage.
It can be caused by overexertion, trauma, drugs, or an underlying medical condition. Common signs and symptoms of rhabdomyolysis are muscle weakness, muscle stiffness, muscle pain, and a change in urine color.
Medical experts say rhabdomyolysis can be caused by strenuous exercise that a person’s body is not used to.
The NCAA and the New England Small College Athletic Association, of which Tufts is a member, could not be reached for comment.
The Tufts University men’s lacrosse team is the reigning Division 3 national champion after defeating RIT for the title in May. It’s the team’s fourth championship since 2010 and the first under head coach Casey D’Anolfo, a 2006 Tufts graduate who is in his eighth year at the helm.
The university has come under intense scrutiny after the Globe reported last week that five students were in hospital for treatment days after the practice, which the university said had about 50 players in attendance. The university’s athletic department said 56 players were on the team last season. Website.
On campus Wednesday, students said they were surprised and saddened that so many players were injured.
“We were shocked,” said Emma Namiranian, 18, a freshman biology major from Newton. “It was sad to hear.”
Others, who declined to be named, believe the apparent rigour of the training raised questions about supervision.
“This should never have happened,” one student said.
Connor Smeal, 19, a freshman economics major, said he is friends with some of the lacrosse players who attended the workout but declined to share details.
“Apparently they don’t want to discuss the topic,” Smeal said.
Jordan Andrew, 21, a senior computer science major and member of the girls track and field team, said it didn’t make sense that a 45-minute workout could send so many students to the hospital.
“I’ve lived here for four years and I’ve never heard of anything like this happening,” Andrew said.
“These aren’t Navy SEALs; they’re D-III level athletes.”
Danny MacDonald of the Globe staff and Globe correspondents Sabrina Lamb and Izzy Briers contributed to this report.
Nick Stoico can be contacted at [email protected]. Rachel Umansky-Castro can be contacted at [email protected].
