Smart Heart Sports Coalition driving change in Year 1
The Smart Heart Sports Coalition is making significant progress after its first full year.
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.
According to the American Heart Association, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among student athletes. There are as many as 23,000 people under the age of 18 who experience sudden cardiac arrest annually.
Given that SCA is the leading cause of sudden death among young athletes, the Smart Heart Sports Coalition advocates for the implementation of evidence-based best practice policies to prevent deaths among student athletes from sudden cardiac arrest:
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 committed more than $1 million to support communities nationwide CPR education and AED access, including $20,000 for each NFL club to spend on such efforts in their communities.
There's been significant progress across the country since the Smart Heart Sports Coalition launched last year. The coalition has made significant changes and progress with new laws enacted in California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Tennessee and West Virginia.
It has also actively promoted legislation in more than 20 states
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