FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Helping its student-athletes to add another implement to their toolkit, the NSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) partnered with the Memorial Sports Medicine Center and One Beat CPR to deliver a Sports Focused, Hands-Only CPR and AED Training. In the inaugural group, eleven student-athletes attended the session on Friday, January 11 at the NSU RecPlex Fitness Room. The event was two hours long and consisted of two phases. Participating student-athletes received their CPR and AED certifications after the training.
To kick off the session, Sports Cardiologist Dr. Eli Friedman from the Memorial Sports Medicine Center delivered an informative presentation about athletes suffering from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during competition, recommending CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) device as the best procedures to follow. Furthermore, Dr. Friedman said acting no more than three minutes after someone collapses from SCA is critical to their survival.
Two instructors from the One Beat CPR organization were responsible for the practical phase of the training. They explained every step for CPR and AED use, as well as what it takes to recognize and treat SCA. Student-athletes performed CPR on mannequins during the session and had the chance to ask questions throughout, taking a test after the training concluded to earn their certifications.
“The session was very informative yet interactive. We learned so much about not only how to recognize an emergency on the field, court or in everyday life, but also how to take proper action,” said Megan Burns, senior volleyball player and NSU SAAC co-president. Burns co-organized the event with NSU Manager of Marketing and Promotions Abbie Lawson.
Burns and Lawson worked with Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Zevon Stubblefield to arrange the first-ever CPR and AED training for the Sharks. Whether on the court, on the field with teammates or even home with family, knowing how to perform CPR could prove to be a live-saving skill.
“I have worked at NSU since 2006 and, as far as I know, this is the first time that we have offered this to our student-athletes,” Stubblefield said. “You can never train anybody too well in life-saving techniques – It only takes one person who knows how to recognize an emergency and then what to do.”
Stubblefield plans on working with SAAC to achieve his future vision for the NSU program, which consists of having all student-athletes CPR and AED certified. Apart from working side-by-side with student-athletes, he also plans on including Dr. Friedman in the future trainings. Dr. Friedman believes CPR and AED training to be extremely important for athletes and is open to partner with NSU again in the future.