Soccer Sixes launch health awareness campaign called ‘Where is the heart in football’

Every week in the UK, an estimated eight apparently healthy young people die from an undiagnosed heart condition.

Last Friday, Soccer Sixes launched their most recent partnership with an important health awareness campaign called ‘Where is the HEART in Football’ where they are challenging the internet to a keepy up challenge.

The challenge entails a 30-second keepy up challenge, then nominating your friends, family and even favourite sports personalities if you wish, to see if they can beat your score.

Through this everyone states in their video that they are doing the challenge to raise awareness for the issue that is non-league footballers and all athletes that have unfortunately passed away due to undiagnosed heart conditions.

This issue has been an issue for a long time in sport, at all levels and across a range of age groups and is still prominent today.

A statement by the Professional Footballers’ Association read: “The PFA is pleased to support this campaign to ensure that all grass roots footballers and sports participants are aware of the need to ensure that they are physically fit to take part in their chosen activity. We wish them every success in achieving their aim.”

An estimated 80 per cent of all non-traumatic sudden deaths in young competitive athletes are due to heart conditions.

Matt Scoffham, of Soccer Sixes, added: “We wanted to get on board with this campaign as we thought it was a fantastic idea.

“Raising awareness around this issue and giving our players somewhere to go if they are concerned could save lives and this is something we are always happy to get involved with.”

The idea derived from a Birmingham City University female student, who has a former League One player, now playing semi-professionally, as her partner.

She wanted to raise awareness around an issue she felt concerned about after hearing of athletes passing away due to heart issues.

High profile charities like Football Aid have already shown their support on social media.

Anybody who is a semi-professional or amateur sports person can go to the website page on the Soccer Sixes website - https://www.soccersixes.net/article/33

There are links to CRY, an organisation who promote and develop heart screening programmes and funds medical research.

CRY publishes and distributes medical information written by leading cardiologists for the public and fund fast track referral, screening and cardiac pathology services at leading UK hospitals.