The National Women's Soccer League is launching a league-wide initiative to equip all 16 teams with lifesaving Hands-Only CPR and AED education, making it the first American professional sports league to mandate such training for all players, coaches and staff. The program, led by Angel City FC defender Savy King in partnership with the American Heart Association, aims to empower the soccer community with the confidence to act during cardiac emergencies.
When someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest, immediate CPR can mean the difference between life and death. According to the American Heart Association, over half of individuals who experience cardiac arrest outside hospitals don't receive immediate CPR, leading to a 90% fatality rate. Learning Hands-Only CPR takes just 90 seconds and can double or triple survival chances. Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating their work focuses on improving bystander CPR rates for everyone, everywhere.
The NWSL's commitment represents a significant advancement in athlete safety protocols. Commissioner Jessica Berman noted that this initiative reflects the league's commitment to player safety, community impact and leadership in health education. The Hands-Only CPR trainings will be conducted during the 2026 preseason, with certified instructors guiding participants through the two-step technique recommended by the American Heart Association: calling 911 and pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest.
As part of the comprehensive program, the NWSL is launching a player ambassador program featuring one representative from each team who will serve as CPR awareness advocates both on and off the field. Savy King, whose passion for health education inspired her foundation Savy King of Hearts, will lead this effort. King expressed that this initiative goes beyond training, representing a fundamental commitment to saving lives by ensuring every player, fan and family member knows how to respond in a crisis.
The player ambassador program will include social media campaigns and public service announcements throughout the 2026 season, amplifying the message that anyone can be a hero with just two hands. The American Heart Association, which publishes the official guidelines for CPR and has been creating resuscitation science for more than 60 years, leads this effort through its Nation of Lifesavers initiative. This program supports the Association's goal to double survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by 2030. Additional resources and training materials are available at https://www.heart.org/nation.
This partnership builds on existing collaboration between the organizations through the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, where both are founding members advocating for evidence-based public policies to prevent fatal cardiac outcomes among high school students. According to the American Heart Association, more than 23,000 children under 18 experience cardiac arrest outside hospitals annually, with about 40% occurring among student-athletes, making it a leading cause of death for student-athletes nationwide.
The initiative's impact extends beyond the soccer field, as nearly three out of four cardiac arrests outside hospitals occur in homes. If a teen or adult collapses, witnesses should immediately call 911 and begin chest compressions at 100-120 beats per minute. The American Heart Association provides comprehensive Hands-Only CPR resources at https://www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR, emphasizing that this simple technique requires no mouth-to-mouth breathing and can be learned in under two minutes.
