A healthy high school athlete in Florida had no symptoms before a required heart screening uncovered a potentially life threatening congenital defect. The discovery came as the state prepared for a new screening requirement covering many students who participate in school athletics.

Florida’s Second Chance Act took effect July 1 ahead of the 2026 to 2027 school year. It requires students in grades 9 through 12 to receive at least one electrocardiogram screening the first time they participate in or try out for interscholastic athletics, with certain exceptions.

An electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG or EKG, is a simple, noninvasive test that measures electrical signals in the heart. The screening can identify irregular rhythms or other signs of possible heart trouble.

Cameron Crider, a sophomore football and basketball player at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, received an ECG because the school requires the screenings for all student athletes. Doctors subsequently discovered that he had an atrial septal defect, or ASD.

The congenital defect involves an opening in the wall separating the heart’s two upper chambers. If a significant ASD remains untreated, additional blood flow can strain the heart and lungs over time.

Possible complications include pulmonary hypertension, heart failure and, in some cases, stroke. However, Cameron had not noticed any warning signs despite playing sports throughout his life.

"I’ve been playing [sports] my whole life and didn’t notice anything, so I was surprised because I haven’t felt anything," Cameron told FOX 13.

His mother, Laura Crider, said he had been able to complete three hours of football practice followed by two hours of basketball practice without experiencing fatigue or shortness of breath. She said the family was completely shocked by the diagnosis.

Cameron is scheduled to undergo surgery in October to repair the ASD. He is expected to be able to return to sports next season.

Laura Crider described the required ECG as "a gift from God that has been given to us, truly," because the family received the news in a doctor’s office along with an explanation and a clear plan.

She contrasted that experience with those of parents who became advocates for screenings after learning about heart conditions through tragedy. For the Crider family, the screening provided an opportunity to identify Cameron’s condition before such an event occurred.

Dr. Jonathan Drezner, director of the University of Washington Medicine Center for Sports Cardiology, told Fox News Digital that up to 80% of young athletes who experience sudden cardiac arrest have no warning symptoms before the arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death during exercise.

The American Heart Association told Fox News Digital that intense physical activity places additional stress on the heart. Therefore, previously undetected heart conditions can become dangerous during sports.

The association said sudden cardiac arrest is not the only concern because these conditions may cause other serious complications. They may also require monitoring, treatment or restrictions on athletic participation to keep students safe.

However, the American Heart Association does not recommend mandatory ECG screenings for every student athlete. It supports a heart assessment that includes a review of a student’s personal and family history along with a physical examination.

If that comprehensive assessment raises concerns, health care professionals can order additional testing based on the suspected diagnosis. Those tests may include an ECG, echocardiogram, heart monitor or other advanced imaging.

The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology support what they describe as an evidence based, layered approach to identifying heart issues early enough for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Drezner said a properly interpreted ECG is among the best screening tools in medicine.

According to Drezner, a standard sports physical using only medical history and a physical examination will miss 80 to 90% of children with heart conditions that place them at risk. An ECG can suggest or detect about 80% of conditions that put young people at risk.

Drezner also warned that healthy athletes can have a potentially lethal heart condition without knowing it. He identified chest pain, passing out and a racing heart as symptoms that should not be ignored.

"Make sure your child feels well when they exercise," he advised. "If you have a family history of genetic heart conditions or SCA, you should bring this up with your child’s doctor. And get your child a proper heart screen with an ECG."