Smart Heart Sports Coalition's "AEDs for Youth" Program: Pioneering Cardiac Safety in School Athletics
High school sports are undoubtedly exciting, like those played under the lights on a Friday night. Yet, beyond the cheers, big plays and scores, a different kind of drama is taking shape. Some of those high school athletes may have hidden and severe heart problems without even knowing about it.
Fortunately, awareness and real change are arriving not a moment too soon to hopefully prevent as many tragic incidents on the field and in the gym as possible. It comes as part of a collaborative effort involving major sports leagues, advocacy organizations and medical experts to implement life-saving policies in youth sports.
The Smart Heart Sports Coalition "AEDs for Youth" program was born for the primary purpose of creating cardiac readiness in schools for heart emergencies. Education is one component of the Coalition, as it illustrates the precise steps people can follow to help and act should a teen athlete experience a serious heart problem during a game or practice.
The Mission: AEDs At Every High School Sports Event
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) should be easy to find at every high school sports field and gym, right? Unfortunately, they rarely are. There’s still a stunning lack of clarity within many high schools about where an AED is located – or even several of them.
This kind of confusion is deadly, considering bystanders only have 10 minutes or less to use an AED to potentially restart a heart that has stopped beating from sudden cardiac arrest, saving a life in the process.
With this education gap in mind, the Smart Heart Sports Coalition aims to transform a deeper knowledge of cardiac safety into a genuine program for preparedness.
For example, an essential part of the coalition’s work is teaching administrators, faculty, coaches, and students about the heart problems that can occur in K-12 school athletes. This way, they’re more likely to recognize the signs of a significant heart issue and it doesn’t have to fall upon the victim to try to speak up if something feels wrong in their chest area. Make no mistake – the Smart Heart Sports Coalition may have relationships with professional sports leagues, but the organization advocates for all teens to receive physical exams before playing any sport.
The Smart Heart Sports Coalition In Action
Educating coaches, staff and athletes about AEDs and how to perform CPR when someone’s heart has stopped is critical. However, the Smart Heart Sports Coalition is more than talk – it’s made to ensure actions are taken to prevent one more heart-related tragedy in a high school athlete.
That’s why the coalition wants every high school sports team to have an emergency plan. Take roles, for example: Who is going to call 9-1-1? Who is going to retrieve an AED? Who is going to operate the AED? It can’t all be one person and it can’t be discussed during the cardiac event. An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for sudden cardiac arrest leaves nothing to chance if and when the emergency is real.
Speaking of AED location, the Smart Heart Sports Coalition is working to ensure that every high school sports venue has a clearly marked AED and an Emergency Action Plan that is widely distributed, posted, rehearsed and updated annually.
The message appears to be resonating with legislators, courtesy of the Access to AEDs Act, aimed to make AEDs more widely accessible across the country.
The Access to AEDs Act
Passed by Congress in 2022, the Access to AEDs Act states:
- All federal buildings and facilities to have automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed and readily accessible.
- There must be liability protection for individuals who use an AED to provide emergency assistance, acting in good faith. This encourages bystanders to use AEDs without fear of legal repercussions.
- Grant programs should be established to help state and local governments fund the purchase and maintenance of AEDs in public locations.
We all dream of a time when no high school athlete dies from a heart problem during sports. Until that day, there’s plenty of work to be done. You can play a fundamental part in it by learning CPR, how to use an AED and finding out if your high school has at least one AED on the premises. If there’s no evidence of the school having an AED, there’s no better place tailor-made to answer that call than CoroMed.
One way to start is with a Athletics AED Bundle from CoroMed – and we carry all the major brands available. Take a closer look below.
Exclusive AED Packages for Schools and Athletics
CoroMed has the complete set of items required for a cardiac emergency, including:
- AED Bundles by the leading manufacturers: ZOLL, Philips, Defibtech and Stryker
- AED Accessories: Pads, Batteries, Cabinets, Signage and more
- AED365 AED Program Management
Join the movement to make sports safer for all high school athletes with CoroMed, a preferred AED provider to the Smart Heart Sports Coalition.