Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for youth athletes, with as many as 1 in 250 youth athletes having a heart disorder that may increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. On July 24, 2015, a new State of Washington law regarding sudden cardiac arrest awareness went into effect. SB 5083 - referred to as the Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness Act - was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor with the intent of making youth athletes, their families, and coaches aware of sudden cardiac arrest.
In order to be in compliance with the act, we require that our parents/players and coaches do the following:
- PARENTS/PLAYERS - Annual Statement of Compliance (waiver) from Parent/Guardian and Player - each year, prior to the beginning of the season, each player and the player's parents and/or guardian must sign and Alderwood Little League a statement of compliance that the player and parents have both reviewed an online pamphlet providing information about sudden cardiac arrest. The form can be found as part of the registration process or can be downloaded here. Parents and players must both sign - it can be submitted in person at a document turn in event or email to [email protected].
- ON FIELD VOLUNTEERS - Coach Training and Certificate of Completion Every Three Years - every three years, each On Field Volunteer must complete an online sudden cardiac arrest prevention program and submit a certificate showing completion of the program to the club/association. Until the State of Washington has its own training, it has been recommended that we use the National Federation of State High School Associations (NHFS) online training. The training takes approximately 15 minutes and is available for free at https://nfhslearn.com/courses/61032. In order to receive a Volunteer ID Badge, you will need to submit the certification of completion to [email protected].