Amherst High School Trains Athletes and Coaches to Respond to Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Coaches and athletes at Amherst High School are spending part of their practice time preparing for something they hope never happens: responding if an athlete collapses from sudden cardiac arrest.

Over the past year, the district has expanded hands-on emergency drills, increased access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and refined emergency action plans across every sport and venue.

The initiative was developed in close collaboration with the Amherst Fire District, reflecting a growing emphasis on coordinated emergency preparedness.

The effort gained momentum after a video circulated this spring about Matthew Mangine Jr., a Northern Kentucky high school soccer player who collapsed during conditioning in June 2020, according to Jodi Waltenberg, the Athletic Trainer at Amherst High School.

“I don’t want this to happen at Amherst,” Waltenberg said. “We don’t want that to happen here.”

While the school has long had emergency action plans in place, Waltenberg said the district recently took a more detailed approach—breaking plans down by sport and location and clearly assigning responsibilities, such as who calls 911, who retrieves an AED, and who initiates CPR. Then, they practice it.

Drills typically last about 10 minutes, mirroring the average EMS response time.

“It takes the panic out of it,” Waltenberg said. “Nobody is standing there wondering what they’re supposed to do.”

Amherst Fire District assistant chief Adam Meshak said the collaboration reflects a broader cultural shift.

“It’s not about turf anymore,” Meshak said. “It’s our patient, and we work it together.”

AED access has been a major focus, especially during away games. In addition to six AEDs on campus, the soccer program helped fund more units, while the fire district provided two on long-term loan. Teams now travel with AEDs.

Basketball coach Kevin Vander Laan said the training resonates because it feels real.

“When EMS comes in, they’re not just teaching the material—they’re telling real stories about what they’ve seen,” he said.

For Waltenberg, the impact is clear.

“I see a lot more confidence,” she said. “They know what to do now.”

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