KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas and Missouri High School Athletic Associations don't have any specific requirements about having medical staff or equipment on-site sporting events.
However, they do require all coaches to be trained in CPR, as well as training on how to use a defibrillator.
They encourage schools to go a step further and hire full-time athletic trainers.
Dr. David Smith is the youth sports program medical director at the University of Kansas Health System, which is contracted to provide athletic trainers for several local school districts.
Smith says they can be lifesavers trained for almost any kind of sports injury, but they can't be everywhere.
He says sometimes they're only able to go to high-risk varsity events and practices, and that rural districts can't always afford them.
"When you have a higher level of injury, or in the case like we saw last night where it's a potentially catastrophic problem, it's really nice to have someone medically trained and ready for that," he said.
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