The death of an athlete is a rare event but grabs headlines. The death of a non-athlete is more common but much less likely to get publicity. What is the impact/cost after such an event? These deaths are unaccountable, especially for an exceptionally fit individual. The full implications of the impact of the sudden cardiac death of a young athlete (SCDYA) have not been recognised. The public perception of the death of an athlete is that of suspicion and maybe assumed to be a result of performance enhancing drugs, or excessive training damaging the heart. Further, the sudden death of a young child in sport is seen as an isolated incident and dismissed as a type of cot death. The public cannot relate to SCDYA or apply the potential to their family. Media headlines reporting SCDYA are often dramatic and misleading.

There is a catastrophic impact on the family after such a death. This can make family members disfunctional as all grieve differently. They become vulnerable to nervous breakdown, alcoholism, inability to return to work (especially if parents have witnessed the tragedy), terror of the genetic implications for siblings, guilt of a parent if found to be the genetic carrier. Families become angry that their child has been unwittingly put at risk and this anger translates into targeting associations for not screening.

Within the community there is a need to respond. They know and value the athlete as an individual whose sporting prowess and fitness will have been well known. The peer group is devastated and unnerved. Such deaths haunt those that witness them or know the victims. There is often a need for screening to reassure and sometimes groups affected become involved in campaigning for change. Such tragedies send shudders through the sport and can lead to strident demands for screening from other athletes/parents. The more SCDYAs are publicised the more crucial it is that there should be an approved pro-active response through screening.

Screening is effective in identifying the majority of causes associated with SCYDA, e.g. hypertrophic cardiomyopathy accounts for 50 % of SCYDA; screening is able to identify 97 %. Early diagnosis saves lives. Screening is a positive response to public demand. Most SCDYA are preceded by symptoms that have been dismissed. Screening raises awareness of symptoms amongst coaches, trainers, physiotherapists and parents, and establishes a ‘fast-track’ pathway for athletes giving cause for concern. Screening feeds valuable research and will help identify the prevalence of diseases. Screening of athletes averts the dangers of potential litigation and should automatically be included in the sophisticated package of medical testing for risk assessment now in place in many sports. Screening offers reassurance for young people who are being urged to stay fit through sport with a confirmation of cardiac health prior to strenuous activity. Safeguarding the health of the athlete should be paramount and therefore there is a moral responsibility to encourage athletes to be screened.