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March 31, 2023
To address the health and safety of young people, this week the National Football League (NFL) launched The Smart Heart Sports Coalition. Encompassing the NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), the American Heart Association (AHA), American Red Cross (ARC), Korey Stringer Institute, National Athletic Trainers’ Association and Damar Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, the Coalition is advocating for all 50 US states to adopt evidence-based policies that will prevent fatal outcomes of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) among high school students.
The effort builds on the league’s work to raise awareness of SCA and educate on preventative and life-saving measures following the onfield cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest during a game in January. Following this, the league, alongside its long-time partners AHA and ARC, launched an initiative to promote CPR education and ensure proper training on medical emergencies among coaches and other youth sport providers.
“We have a history of leaning in when we’re faced with challenges as an organization,” said Anna Isaacson, the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility. “And when something like what happened to Damar, happened on our field, we said, what more can we do? So that not only Damar’s life was saved but how can we save additional lives? And how do we best use the NFL and our assets and our reach to do that?”
The leading cause of death for student-athletes is SCA, with as many as 23,000 youths under the age of 18 experiencing an incident annually (out of hospital). Sports-related SCAs account for nearly 40% of SCAs among people under 18. If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is applied within three minutes, as it was in the case of Hamlin, the chances for survival increase by 90%.
The Smart Heart Sports Coalition is specifically calling for three best practice policies:
- Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for each high school athletic venue that are widely distributed, posted, rehearsed and updated annually
- Clearly marked automated external defibrillator (AEDs) at each athletic venue or within 1-3 minutes of each venue where high school practices or competitions are held
- CPR and AED education for coaches
Currently, only seven states have implemented all three best practice policies, 12 states have none and most have one or two. SCA is a life-threatening emergency that can quickly become fatal if appropriate steps are not immediately taken. In its first move, the coalition sent letters to governors of 43 states where additional policies are needed and following this it will encourage decision-makers to adopt these policies within the next three years.
“Common sense medical emergency policies are critical for student-athlete safety,” said Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President of Communications, Public Affair and Policy. “The knowledge to effectively deliver CPR, have access to an AED and have in place an emergency plan makes a difference in saving a life. We want to help create communities that are empowered with the tools and skills to do just that. Student-athletes deserve it.”
Additionally, the NFL Foundation has committed more than $1 million in grants to support nationwide CPR education and AED access. $20,000 will be made available to each NFL club to partner with public or private non-profits to support CPR education and training among youth and student-athlete programs, schools and the general public. The grants will also help high schools in low-socioeconomic communities purchase and maintain AEDs.
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