A new Florida law aims to protect student athletes by requiring first-time players to undergo heart screenings before they step onto the field.
The Second Chance Act is named in honor of Port St. Joe High School football player Chance Gainer. It's a new tool to help prevent cardiac deaths in youth sports. It requires student athletes to receive an electrocardiogram (EKG) to detect potential heart conditions.
Gainer died after going into cardiac arrest during a football game.
“I think it’s very important to find underlying conditions that maybe the standard physical would not detect,” said Heather Peacock, a longtime friend of the Gainer family. “My son played football with Chance and we were all there the night of his death. That really has made a huge impact on our family.”
Peacock says this law has already made a difference in her household. All three of her children received EKGs during a recent community event held at Port St. Joe High School to celebrate the bill’s passage. The event included free heart screenings for students and offered CPR training.
Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, sponsored the bill in the Senate and attended the screening.
“I had a good friend who passed away on the field,” Simon said. “To know that you’re going to make an impact for our young people and they’ll have an opportunity to grow up and also participate in what they enjoy doing means a lot.”
Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, also attended the event. He says he sponsored the bill in the House after hearing concerns about the cost of the screenings, especially for students from low-income families. He says he believes the long-term benefits outweigh the cost.
“Some deep-rooted medical industries fought this,” Shoaf said. “They say it’s too expensive. They say it’s going to eliminate poor kids from playing sports. I think that’s absurd. It’s not at all. It’s actually going to stop them from dying.”
Shoaf says he plans to work with the state and partner with organizations to secure funding for students who need follow-up care after an irregular EKG.
