ORLANDO, Fla. – Starting July 1, Florida will set a precedent as the first state in the U.S. to mandate heart screenings for students engaging in high school sports for the first time. This requirement stems from a new law aimed at safeguarding young athletes’ health.
Named the Second Chance Act, the legislation was inspired by the tragic case of 18-year-old Chance Gainer, a high school football player who passed away in 2024 after collapsing during a game. His death was attributed to an undiagnosed heart condition.
In anticipation of the law’s implementation, Orlando Health, in collaboration with the nonprofit group Who We Play For, organized a media event on Wednesday at the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. The demonstration highlighted the importance of these screenings and how they could potentially prevent similar tragedies.
“This is an electrocardiogram, also known as an EKG,” explained Stacy Cartechine, the heart screening director at Who We Play For. “It’s a very straightforward, under-five-minute, painless, noninvasive test and is truly a lifesaver.”
Starting July 1, all students participating in sports governed by the Florida High School Athletic Association for the first time will need to complete the heart screening before engaging in practices, tryouts, or games, regardless of their grade level.
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“Maybe a junior decides to play lacrosse for the first time,” Cartechine said. “He or she is going to need a screening.”
During the demonstration, Cartechine placed several stickers on a participant’s chest, connected wires to the EKG machine and completed the screening in just a few minutes.
“The wires look kind of scary, but they’re not,” she said during the demonstration.
According to organizers, all screenings are reviewed by pediatric cardiologists trained to identify potentially dangerous heart rhythm abnormalities in children and teens.
“All of our tests are read by a pediatric cardiologist,” Cartechine said. “They are experts in kids’ heart rhythms so they can find out if there’s anything potentially dangerous happening.”
The event also featured emotional stories from people personally impacted by sudden cardiac arrest.
Riley Broadhurst, a survivor of sudden cardiac arrest and former competitive athlete, said he collapsed while out on a run at 17 years old.
“One random day, I was going on a run and collapsed, suffering cardiac arrest,” Broadhurst said. “This is when I was 17 years old.”
Broadhurst said he believes the new law could help prevent similar emergencies for other students.
“If this new law was in place back when I was in high school, I would have been required to take that EKG, and this could have been prevented,” he said.
Martha Lopez-Anderson, executive director of Parent Heart Watch, shared the story of losing her son Sean to sudden cardiac arrest caused by an undetected heart condition.
“Four and a half months later, we learned that Sean’s cardiac arrest was caused due to an undetected heart condition that could have been picked up by an EKG,” Lopez-Anderson said.
She said many parents assume their child is healthy because they show no symptoms.
“Parents may think, ‘Well, my child is healthy.’ My son looked healthy too, and he’s gone,” Lopez-Anderson said.
Advocates say the law is an important first step but hope screenings eventually expand beyond student athletes.
“The next step is to go beyond athletes,” Broadhurst said. “This law is obviously for the high school athletes, but anybody can have a sudden cardiac arrest.”
Upcoming Central Florida heart screening events
Orlando Health Orthopedic Institute Downtown Complex Community Heart Screening
Date: May 9, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: 60 Columbia St., Orlando
Organizer: Who We Play For
Cost: $20
Financial assistance is available through the State of Florida heart screening grant program.
Orlando Health Horizon West Community Heart Screening
Date: May 16, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: 17000 Porter Rd., Winter Garden
Organizer: Who We Play For
Cost: $20
Financial assistance is available through the State of Florida heart screening grant program.
Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute Alafaya/Waterford Lakes Community Heart Screening
Date: May 19, 2026
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: 1900 N. Alafaya Trail, Suite 900, Orlando
Organizer: Who We Play For
Cost: $20
Financial assistance is available through the State of Florida heart screening grant program.
