Step Two in SmartTeams #TeamUp4ConcussionSafety program is for coaches, athletes, parents, and, yes, even fans, to take an online concussion safety course.
Because there are a number of excellent, well-produced concussion courses available online, SmartTeams decided that, rather than re-invent the wheel, we would instead encourage coaches, parents, and athletes to continue their basic concussion education by taking one or more of the following 20- to 60-minute online concussion education courses:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “HEADS UP Concussion in Youth Sports” free online course is available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to help you recognize a concussion and know how to respond if you think that your athlete might have a concussion. Once you complete the training and quiz, you can print out a certificate, making it easy to show your league or school you are ready for the season.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has teamed up with the CDC to educate coaches, officials, parents and students on the importance of proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports. This free online course highlights the impact of sports-related concussion on athletes, teaches how to recognize a suspected concussion, and provides protocols to manage a suspected concussion with steps to help players return to play safely after a concussion. Each state’s requirements for concussion management are included as part of the course. The NFHS course has been downloaded over 1 million times
As part of its SmartTeams™ program, MomsTEAM Institute invited Beth Pieroth, a Chicago-based sports neuropsychologist, to Grand Prairie, Texas in the fall of 2015 to educate parents of youth tackle football players about concussions. The presentation was videotaped and turned into a 30-minute free online concussion video.
And, finally, you can watch our 60-minute PBS documentary, The Smartest Team: Making High School Football Safer, which is now streaming live 24/7 on this website. The documentary offers youth and high school programs across the country specific ways to minimize concussion risks through a focus on what we call The Six Pillars™ of concussion risk management.
