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Bronny James, son of future Hall of Fame NBA legend LeBron James, suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice at USC on Monday. He was attended to by the Athletic Trainers and other medical staff before being rushed to the hospital, where he spent time in the ICU.
This was another high-profile incident that shines a light on the need to ensure there are ATs present — even during practices — at every organization... as well as having Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and AEDs!
What is also remarkable is that this is not even the USC basketball Athletic Training staff's first foray into saving a life. In fact, they received the California Athletic Trainers' Association 2022 Lifesaver Award after resuscitating Vince Iwuchukwu last summer from cardiac arrest.
So, Bronny James was fortunate that his health scare happened at USC. But many high schools in Southern California are not quite as well off. California is the only state not regulating ATs, which means many schools rely on coaches and volunteers instead of certified medical personnel.
According to the Los Angeles Times:
"There are eight athletic trainers employed at Los Angeles Unified School District campuses, according to district employees. More than 150 high schools compete in the Los Angeles City Section. Members of the California Athletic Trainers’ Assn. (CATA) said during an April summit that 95% of schools in L.A. don’t field a certified athletic trainer."
So, a lot of work needs to be done to bring L.A. high schools up to the level of USC.
We, at Healthy Roster, have and will always make every effort to recognize and support Athletic Trainers because they save lives. And we will continue to promote the importance of having the EAPS and AEDs that help save those lives.
Every school and sports organization needs access to all three to make sure everyone gets the care they need in emergency situations like this one.
We hope Bronny recovers and our thoughts are with him and his family!
