Savy King Launches Initiative to Provide CPR Training For Every NWSL Team

What began as a terrifying collapse for Savy King has become a catalyst for the NWSL's most ambitious safety initiative yet. The Angel City FC player's new initiative, with her nonprofit organization Savy King of Hearts, aims to make soccer safer for everyone playing. Since collapsing during a match six months ago, she has openly spoken about how CPR training and the Angel City medical team saved her life. Now in recovery, King has made it her purpose to ensure that life-saving knowledge is available to everyone that needs it.

King revealed the news during the NWSL's annual awards ceremony, making the league the first in the United States to have all of its staff, players and coaches trained in CPR and AED usage. CPR can triple survival rates after a cardiac episode, and having everyone in the league properly trained is something that King has described as a necessity, especially after recent events.

Only a few months after King's cardiac arrest, Racing Louisville's Savannah DeMelo collapsed during a match against Seattle Reign. Like King, she was treated on the field before being transported to the hospital. For two medical emergencies to happen in one season shows how much an initiative like this is needed, not just in the NWSL, but in leagues worldwide.

King started her nonprofit over the summer, providing preventative screenings and building awareness around heart health and CPR. Savy King of Hearts and the NWSL have partnered with the American Heart Association to provide in-depth, accurate training to all 16 teams in the league before the 2026 season kicks off in March.

In other news, Alessia Russo held a youth tournament to encourage young girls in the U.K. to play football.

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