Advocacy and Policy Changes
We work with the governing bodies of sport organizations and state medical boards, among others, to campaign for the creation or improvement of existing policies as they relate to the prevention of sudden death in sport.
Current KSI Initiatives and Policy Efforts
- Continue to advocate for states to adopt health and safety policies
- Advocate for state policies for high schools to hire onsite medical care, such as athletic trainers, who are trained in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of emergency medical conditions.
- Currently less than 50% of America’s high schools have a full time athletic trainer.
- KSI is currently investigating the number of athletic trainers and their impact in the secondary school setting.
- Advocate for state policies for high schools to have AEDs that can be accessed within 1 minute of any athletic venue.
- Advocate for state policies for high schools to create and maintain optimal emergency action plans that cover all potential emergency scenarios.
- Advocate for state policies for high schools to create and use pre-participation exams that utilize specific screening questions that target the top reasons why athletes die in sport.
- Advocate for state policies for high schools to implement standards for coaching education and certification in first aid, CPR and recognition of emergency conditions.
- Included with education is implementing coaching continuing education standards, which require coaches to stay up to date with the most current information on preventing sudden death in sport.
- Advocate for state policies for high schools to create and use environmental monitoring measures (such as wet-bulb globe temperature) for practice and game modifications or cancellations.