Who are we?
The goal of the Save an Athlete program is to educate student athletes, their families, doctors, athletic directors and coaches about preventing sudden cardiac death (SCD) through early cardiac screenings. Sports screening physicals with cardiac testing may help detect serious genetic heart conditions earlier, which can potentially lead to sudden cardiac arrest like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - a congenital cardiovascular condition that causes excessive thickening of the heart muscle.

Why is Save an Athlete important for young athletes and parents? Congenital cardiovascular conditions are the leading cause of SCD in high school and college athletes, yet most athletes and their family members, who often have this genetic condition as well, are unaware they might be at risk until SCD strikes. It is important that athletes, their parents, doctors, athletic directors and coaches are made aware of the risk of SCD and the role sports screening physicals with cardiac testing plays in uncovering serious cardiac conditions that may lead to SCD.

A typical sports physical routinely covers the basics and does not include an electrocardiogram (ECG) or an ultrasound of the heart (which is known as an echocardiography exam) so it is unlikely to discover serious heart conditions. On the other hand, sports screening physicals with cardiac testing looks at family history and can use both ECG and echo exams to provide more detailed information which may uncover heart conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

A sports screening physical with cardiac testing that includes an ECG and echo exam if needed, allows physicians to uncover serious heart conditions, which may lead to SCD.

Currently, insurance carriers will not pay for an ECG or echo exam for a young child unless your doctor has determined there is a need or if a family history of heart disease exists. An ECG exam is the first step to uncovering serious heart conditions.

What do we provide?
This website is the primary source for information about the Save an Athlete program. Throughout this site you will find information about the importance of cardiac screening in determining family history for more insight into potential risk of heart disease, a checklist for parents to ensure their student athletes remain safe and healthy, finding a screening program, and tips for parents and doctors on how they might start a program that offers sports screenings physicals with cardiac testing in their community, and information about automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools.