The American Heart Association and Houston Texans gathered nearly 100 youth sports coaches from the Texans Showcase League, Spring Branch Memorial Sports Association for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training on May 31 at the Houston Methodist Training Center. According to American Heart Association data, nearly 9 out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time.
The American Heart Association reports that as many as 23,000 people under the age of 18 experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital every year, with nearly 40% being sports related. It is a leading cause of death for student-athletes. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person's chance of survival.
The training is part of the Texans' commitment to improve bystander CPR and support the American Heart Association's work to double the survival rates of cardiac arrest by 2030, the goal of Nation of Lifesavers™ movement. Each participating coach also received a CPR Anytime Kit to continue the CPR education with other coaches, parents and volunteers extending the education surrounding the youth sports teams. CPR, especially if performed immediately, could double or triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival.
"We are delighted to work with the Houston Texans to help improve emergency outcomes by ensuring youth sports coaches know the lifesaving skill of CPR and AED use," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. "Each year, hundreds of thousands of cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals, and immediate CPR can double or even triple a person's chance of survival. That's why we are committed to ensuring more people are trained, confident, and ready to act as a lifesaver in a cardiac emergency."
The American Heart Association is the worldwide leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and publishes the official scientific guidelines for CPR. With nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests outside of the hospital occurring in homes, knowing how to perform CPR is critically important. With more people ready to perform CPR, the chance for a positive recovery increase for the community.
Compression-only CPR, known as Hands-Only CPR, can be equally effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of emergency response and is a skill everyone can learn. It is as simple as calling 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest.
In 2023, the NFL launched The Smart Heart Sports Coalition in collaboration with founding members including the NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, NCAA, the American Heart Association and others. The coalition aims to advocate for all 50 states to adopt evidence-based policies to help prevent fatal outcomes from cardiac arrest among high school students.
