Take the ‘Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports’ Free Online Training Course

By Roger Foisy on August 15th, 2014

We can often take it for granted that kids will get concussions when they play sports growing up. We think, “It’s just a concussion”. We brush it off.

Unfortunately, many people don’t know that a concussion is actually a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Mild traumatic brain injuries can be quite serious and should not be taken lightly.

I encourage you to take the time to educate yourself about the potential risks of youth sports concussions: click here for a more in-depth discussion in my previous post, “What You Need to Know About Sports-related Injuries: Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries and Concussions”.

As you will read in the post mentioned above, there are about 18,000 sports-related mTBIs reported annually in Canada by teenagers between 12 and 19 years of age. Remember, this number does not include those concussions that are not reported.

I believe if more coaches, parents, and other adults knew more about concussions, we would be able to keep our young athletes safer and help them return to play safely after a full recovery. To that end, I recommend a fantastic free online training course, available on the Center for Disease Control website: Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports. I have personally completed this course to complement my other brain injury training.

Heads Up Concussion Training

What is Heads Up?

Heads Up is a free online course intended to teach adults more about sports-related concussions, how to recognize them, and how to respond. It takes less than a couple of hours to complete, but the knowledge is invaluable.

As the website details, the course will help you:

  • Understand concussions and potential consequences
  • Recognize concussion signs and symptoms
  • Learn how to respond if you suspect a concussion
  • Learn the steps for returning to activity (play, school, etc.) after the injury
  • Learn how to be prepared for concussion and keep young athletes safe

Click here to view the Heads Up Online Training Course information page.

>> Roger R. Foisy is an Ontario personal injury lawyer experienced in mild traumatic brain injury cases. If you or a loved one have suffered a brain injury at another party’s fault, please contact us for immediate support and a free consultation.

*Roger R. Foisy has completed courses in Neurorehabilitation, Advanced Brain Injury Rehabilitation, and Understanding Neuropsychological Testing from Brock University. However, Roger R. Foisy is not a medical professional and the advice in this blog is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.

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