Lompoc youth soccer coaches will receive new safety equipment and hands-on medical training as part of an effort by Lompoc Valley Medical Center and the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation to prepare for injuries and medical emergencies on local fields.
LVMC recently announced it will donate a Philips automated external defibrillator, or AED, to Lompoc AYSO Region 77 on Aug. 29 at River Bend Park. Coaches also will receive instruction on using the AED and basic first aid.
The initiative is funded through a CenCal Health grant obtained by the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation and coordinated by LVMC Employee Health Nurse Whitney White, MSN, NP.
“Lompoc AYSO brings hundreds of local children and families together through youth sports, and this is an opportunity for LVMC to use our healthcare expertise and resources to support their safety,” White said.
The medical training will be led by LVMC physicians Dr. James Trettin and Dr. Justin Chang, registered nurses Alexa Berryman and Mireya Osegueda, and White.
Training will cover basic wound care, concussion recognition and management, splinting and care for sprains, AED awareness and use, and when an injury requires additional medical attention.
The Lompoc Hospital District Foundation, in partnership with CenCal Health, also will provide 100 first aid kits, one for each Lompoc AYSO team. The kits will include items such as adhesive bandages, instant ice packs, elastic bandages and cleansing wipes.
The donations and training coincide with Lompoc AYSO’s Photo Day and field cleanup, allowing coaches to participate while teams and families are already gathered.
The effort also comes as youth sports organizations prepare to comply with California’s AB 310, the Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act, which requires organizations serving athletes 17 and younger to establish sudden cardiac emergency safety protocols. The law requires coach CPR/AED certification beginning Jan. 1, 2027, and field-accessible AEDs beginning Jan. 1, 2028.
Lompoc AYSO Region 77 is estimated to serve about 1,000 young athletes ages 4 to 19, with more than 100 teams each season.
“Having an AED readily available at our fields is an important part of creating a safe environment for everyone in our AYSO community,” said Candace Justice, Region 77 safety director. “In a cardiac emergency, every second matters, and having immediate access to an AED can make a lifesaving difference while emergency responders are on the way.”
LVMC CEO Yvette Cope said the partnership reflects the healthcare district’s role in promoting community health through prevention and education as well as medical care.
“By putting lifesaving equipment, first aid supplies and practical training into the hands of the adults who are caring for our young athletes, we are helping create a safer environment for children throughout our community,” Cope said.
Lisa André covers lifestyle and local news for the Santa Ynez Valley News and Lompoc Record, editions of the Santa Maria Times. She can be reached at landre@syvnews.com