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Sudden death in sport isn’t rare — it happens every few days during the school year, often going unnoticed beyond the local community. Stephanie Kuzydym, an award-winning journalist with the Louisville Courier Journal, is changing that narrative.
On April 18, 2023, The Courier Journal launched Safer Sidelines, a four-part national investigation into sudden death in high school sports. From that work emerged the Deadly Games Database — the first public resource tracking athlete deaths across all sports, levels, and states.
“Sudden death in sport happens multiple times across the nation every year,” Kuzydym wrote. “And sudden cardiac arrest, the leading cause of death in high school athletes, happens once every three days during the school year.”
With contributions from nearly 100 Athletic Trainers, a former collegiate AT, and a sports medicine physician, the project has documented nearly 1,900 athlete deaths since the early 1900s — more than 1,300 of them at the high school level. The number continues to grow, with over 150 new entries added since the database’s launch.
These athletes died from common but often preventable causes: head trauma, sudden cardiac arrest, sickle cell trait complications, and exertional heat illness. Their stories — now paired with newspaper clippings and narratives — reflect a nationwide issue, not confined by geography, sport, or age.
Recognizing the power of prevention, the Courier Journal has also launched a save database to honor lives that were preserved through quick action, training, and access to life-saving tools.
Kuzydym’s investigative work calls for urgent attention — and action — to make sidelines safer for every athlete in America. To explore or contribute to the Deadly Games Database and save database, visit the Courier Journal’s ongoing project.
Check out the full article, with links to the database, here!
