Smart Heart Sports Coalition driving change in Year 1
After its first full year, the Smart Heart Sports Coalition is making substantial progress.
The coalition was founded in March 2023 in response to the life-saving medical emergency care provided to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin after he suffered cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Smart Heart Sports Coalition continues to advocate for all 50 states to adopt policies that will prevent high school students from fatal outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest.
The American Heart Association states that sudden cardiac arrest is the primary cause of death in student athletes. Annually, up to 23,000 individuals under 18 years old suffer from sudden cardiac arrest.
The Smart Heart Sports Coalition advocates for the adoption of evidence-based best practice policies to prevent sudden cardiac arrest related deaths among student athletes, considering that sudden cardiac arrest is the primary cause of sudden death in young athletes.
- Ensure that high schools have a venue-specific athletic emergency action plan (EAP) that is widely distributed, posted, practiced, and updated every year.
- Make sure that each athletic venue, or places within 1 to 3 minutes of each venue where high school practices or competitions take place, has clearly marked automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
- Make sure coaches are trained and educated in CPR and AED.
Over its first year, the Smart Heart Sports Coalition expanded from 11 founding members to nearly 40 — some of the founding members include the NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, American Heart Association, American Red Cross and Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation.
The NFL Foundation has pledged over $1 million to back nationwide communities in their CPR education and AED accessibility efforts. This includes a provision of $20,000 for each NFL club to use for similar endeavors in their respective communities.
Since its launch last year, the Smart Heart Sports Coalition has made considerable progress nationwide. Significant changes and advancements have been made, particularly through the enactment of new laws in California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Since March 2023, the coalition has actively advocated for legislation in over 20 states, with former NFL stars Aeneas Williams, Torrey Smith, and Delanie Walker throwing their support behind the cause by participating in meetings and hearings with lawmakers in Maryland, Missouri, and Tennessee. The coalition anticipates further progress as it persists in engaging with lawmakers to ensure that all 50 states adopt the three policies.
The Smart Heart Sports Coalition recently attended Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. The coalition, represented by the NFL, the American Heart Association and Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, used the event to announce a generous donation from Hamlin’s foundation. They pledged to donate an AED to all 47 Nevada Title I high schools with athletic programs. These schools are need-based and receive federal funding.
To learn more about the coalition, visit smartheartsports.com.
