Philadelphia-area football coaches learn CPR techniques at training combine: "CPR is life saving"

Class was in session at Lincoln Financial Field where football coaches from the Philadelphia region gathered for a coaching combine on developing young athletes and building strong team cultures.

"Just reinforcing the leaderships skills and being a better coach," said Andrea Drummond who is a youth coach for the Northwest Raiders in Phildadelphia. "[Being] more positive staying away from the negative things and speaking to the children more positively."

Saturday's combine, which included coaches on the youth, high school and college levels, aimed to equip them with skills that can help them on the field. But there was one lesson that was less about the game and more about saving a life: CPR techniques.

A simple but important skill that can increase a person's chance of surviving cardiac arrest.

The American Heart Association lead the demonstrations. Although coaches weren't getting CPR-certified, the association says it's important for everyone to learn CPR, especially coaches.

According to the organization, cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for youth competitive athletes.

"Our goal is to teach as many people this life saving skill because without any intervention during cardiac arrest, it's 100 percent fatal so as long as people are acting you are giving someone a chance of surviving," Jeffrey Salvatore, with American Heart Association, said.

Coaches learned skills that can help them win a football game, perhaps the most important one for Drummond was one that went beyond the x's and o's.

"CPR is life saving," Drummond said. "If you have a child passed out on the field, and their unresponsive and you do those chest compressions, it could literally save their life."