A Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, cutting off blood flow to the brain and other vital organs.  Sudden cardiac arrest is fatal if not treated immediately, most often by a defibrillator.

A new law passed in Ohio in 2016 and made effective in the spring of 2017 (SB 252, AKA Lindsay's Law) imposes new requirements on participants in sports programs, including youth recreational activities such as those organized by Community Soccer Club. These requirements include educating all parents/guardians, players, coaches, and officials / organizers of athletic programs on the causes, symptoms, and responses required to deal with SCA. The specific paragraph in the Ohio Revised Code applicable to CSC is Sec. 3707.58, beginning on Page 9 in the SB 252 document linked above.

In order to comply with this law, all CSC parents / guardians, coaches, board members, and referees must go through an annual education and certification process. This process consists of:

1. Watching an on-line video available for free on the Ohio Department of Health web site, and
2. Reading and understanding an informational hand-out which describes SCA and what to do when it is encountered.
3. Printing out and signing an acknowledgment form to be turned in to the coach. 

There are separate videos and hand-outs for parents / guardians and coaches. Click here to visit the Ohio Department of Health web page for details.

Note that this is an ANNUAL requirement so if you already did this last season you're all set. Just advise your child's coach.