NFL: Schools are unprepared to save young athletes from cardiac arrest. We can change that

Every three days, a high school student athlete dies as a result of sudden cardiac arrest. Many of these tragedies are preventable. Not enough is being done to stop it.

When Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field from cardiac arrest on January 2nd, the nation held its collective breath. The medical team sprang into action. And while many have called his recovery miraculous, the vital element to survival is much more tangible: preparedness.

The work of medical professionals that night was heroic. NFL team doctors and athletic trainers worked together with independent gameday medical staff and on-site paramedics to employ life-saving measures. The right people with the right equipment had a plan, one they had rehearsed repeatedly. Those elements ensured the best possible outcome in an extraordinarily challenging situation. For that we are enormously grateful.

SAFER SIDELINES: The Courier Journal spent several months investigating sudden death in high school sports. Here’s what we found.

Sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletes is all too common

While there was no precedent in our league for the events that night, sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletes is all too common. According to the American Heart Association, as many as 23,000 kids under the age of 18 suffer sudden cardiac arrests annually in the U.S.. Forty percent happen when kids are participating in athletics making sudden cardiac arrest the number one cause of death among young athletes.

Yet our high schools do not have the policies in place to prevent otherwise preventable tragedies. Three simple best practices save lives: Emergency Action Plans prepared for and rehearsed at athletic venues, CPR education for coaches and the availability of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) at games and practices. Studies show that these foundational tools save 90% of student athletes if an AED is used with CPR within two to three minutes of a cardiac incident. Professionals saved Damar’s life that night, but every high school can be ready, too. All it takes is a plan, preparation and easy to use equipment to save a young athlete’s life.

From the Editorial Board: Kids are dying on sidelines. Here's what parents should know about youth sports

All 50 states should have safeguards in place for all kids who participate in sports

According to the Korey Stringer Institute, only seven states have all three best practice policies in place; nine states have none. Our coalition of professional sports and leading public health, nonprofit and patient advocacy organizations is on a mission to change that. All 50 states should have safeguards in place for all kids who participate in sports. Our mission is simple: save lives.

State legislators in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan are still in session. They still have time to act to advance legislation before the next school year and athletic seasons begin. Looking ahead, our coalition is committed to lead a coordinated and sustained effort to pass laws and adopt regulations in all 50 states within the next three years.

There is a precedent for this kind of action. More than a decade ago, nationwide passage of the Lystedt Laws changed head safety for student athletes by preventing potentially concussed athletes from returning to the field without proper evaluation and medical clearance. It changed the culture in sports permanently and for the better.

Parents, coaches and administrators need not wait for lawmakers. Ask your local leaders about what plans are in place, take a CPR course with the American Heart Association or American Red Cross, and advocate for emergency readiness to be a priority before students take the field.

If your community is like mine, athletic events are a gathering place for friends and neighbors. Sports foster community. Putting in place these safeguards is likely to have a broader impact on anyone who suffers a cardiac emergency in those venues, beyond the student athletes participating. All too often we see these issues addressed only after there has been a tragedy in the community. We have an opportunity to be proactive today to save lives tomorrow. Our student athletes deserve it.

Jeff Miller is an Executive Vice President for the National Football League. He oversees the league’s player health and safety programs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: NFL: Damar Hamlin case common in youth athletics. schools must prepare