Following a weekend of football, it’s not uncommon to hear reports of high school, college and pro athletes being put on a “concussion protocol.” And it’s not just football. A first-round hockey draft pick missed the first day of training related to concussion. 

Athletes aren’t the only ones to suffer. Any one of us can bump or fall on our heads and end up with a concussion.

An increased focus on the impact of these injuries has led the University of Michigan to use its online platforms to offer two learning opportunities — one a required professional certification for those who work with high school athletes and the other a general awareness teach-out for anyone interested in learning more about concussion.

Both are developed by the Center for Academic Innovation and led by the Michigan Concussion Center, which was established to accelerate and advance future clinical and translational concussion research.

“Over the past decade, there has been growing attention on possible long-term effects of concussion,” said Steven Broglio, director of the Concussion Center. “U-M faculty are working with federal and private partners to actively investigate these concerns and are placing cutting-edge findings into the hands of stakeholders to develop policies that improve outcomes for athletes and warfighters.”

The Michigan Sports-Related Concussion Training Certificate is available now and satisfies a state-mandated requirement for concussion training for all coaches and volunteers working with Michigan High School Athletic Association athletes.

“The Michigan Concussion Center and Michigan NeuroSport partnered with Academic Innovation to produce an easily accessible online sport-related concussion education module,” said Matt Lorincz, clinical associate professor of neurology and co-director of NeuroSport and the Michigan Concussion Center clinical core.

“The aim of the project is to provide practical up-to-date concussion knowledge for athletes, parents, coaches and others involved in youth sports.

“The education will allow the learner to recognize possible concussion, what to do following a concussion, and new approaches for return to learn and play.”

The Understanding Sports Related Concussion Teach-Out is another in a series of timely topics offered by the Center for Academic Innovation. The free online learning opportunities address topics of the day in a self-paced presentation of information from U-M faculty and other leading experts.

Participants in this teach-out will learn about concussion education and protocol from leading experts in the fields of neurology, engineering, law, journalism, athletic training and policy. They also will learn from coaches, athletes and parents who have experience working with sport-related concussions.

Lead instructors and hosts, all from the Michigan Concussion Center, include Broglio, Lorincz, and James Eckner, research core director of the center and associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, and Carrie Morton, deputy director.