Off Topic ...
Canadian youth dies after lacrosse workout:
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051101/SPORTS/511010426/1002
Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Bellarmine shaken by lacrosse player's death
Goalie collapses during workouts
By Michael Grant
mgrant@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
Rick Passfield, a redshirt freshman lacrosse player at Bellarmine University, collapsed and died yesterday morning while participating in an off-season conditioning drill.
Passfield, a 21-year-old Canadian nicknamed "Tug" or "Tuggy" and described by teammates as fun-loving and upbeat, had completed two of four quarter-mile runs when he was overcome.
"Tuggy went down to his knees just trying to catch his breath," sophomore midfielder Adam Lukanchoff said. "Everyone was like, 'Are you all right?' He said, 'Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine.'
"Then about 30 seconds later he turned over and was lying on his back. Coach ran over to see if he was all right. He wasn't moving."
Emergency workers arrived at 8:30 a.m., and Passfield was taken to Norton Audubon Hospital, where doctors were unable to resuscitate him. He was pronounced dead at 9:20 a.m.
Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jack Arnold said a preliminary autopsy did not reveal a cause of death. The cause will be announced pending further tests. It could take 4-6 weeks before those results are known.
Bellarmine Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Fred Rhodes called it "a truly tragic day for Bellarmine University."
"He will be sorely missed by his teammates as well as the entire Bellarmine community," Rhodes said. "Rick's death is a devastating tragedy for our entire community. We ask for everyone's prayers for his family, friends and teammates in this very difficult time."
Passfield, a native of Oshawa, Ontario, was competing for the starting goalkeeping position after sitting out last season due to academic ineligibility. Coach Jack McGetrick said Passfield was "working hard" to get back in condition to play for the NCAA Division I program.
Bellarmine had its inaugural lacrosse season this year. It technically was Division II but will achieve full Division I status when its second season starts in February. Passfield was to be a part of that transition.
"He was a very positive member of our team," McGetrick said. "(The team) is devastated. He was close with a lot of people. He is a very outgoing and warm individual. He's very supportive of his teammates. He had a lot of close friends here that he played with before in Canada."
Goalkeeper J.C. Hutchins said Passfield "was one of those guys who was the life of the party. He was always happy. There are no dull moments around him."
McGetrick said the team has been conducting quarter-mile runs for several weeks. Members of the team do four quarter-mile runs. After Passfield's second run, he sat down. McGetrick next saw him on his back.
"I said, 'Rick, it's not good for you to lie down like that. Come on. It's your turn to run,' " the coach said. "Although there was no response, I attributed it to him wearing headphones or earphones. I went over to Rick, shook him and there was no immediate response.
"I immediately started to give CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. One of my players who had CPR training started to give the chest compressions. We worked on him until the EMTs came."
McGetrick said that every player is administered a preseason physical exam. He added that he was not aware of any pre-existing condition that could have contributed to Passfield's death. The coach said Passfield never had complained of any discomfort in the previous runs. He did say Passfield "would have trouble" completing a seven-minute mile.
Passfield was a standout goalkeeper in the Ontario club lacrosse circuit. According to the publication Whitby This Week, Passfield played for the Clarington Green Gaels Junior B squad from 2001 through 2002, and the team won a Founder's Cup Championship in his final season.
The past three seasons he played summer lacrosse for the Whitby Warriors.
"This is not something you would expect to happen to a 21-year-old man," Warriors general manager Bob Hanna said. "I've known him and his family for a long, long time. It's a very difficult thing. It's such a shock and hard to understand. In the three years he played for us there was never any indication that he had a medical problem at all."
That's why Passfield's death was so stunning.
"I just couldn't believe it," Hutchins said. "I was in shock. You think, 'Is this really happening?' "
Plans for an on-campus memorial service are under way. Bellarmine officials said they were not aware of any pending funeral arrangements.
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Bellarmine in Kentucky has been working very hard to upgrade its lacrosse program. The sport is enjoying an immense resurgence in popularity in the States, especially in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Kentucky. Let's hope that extra precautions will be taken to protect all players henceforth.
