University student-athletes will be able to return to sports they love more safely with the launch of a new training course on concussion management.
A new course on the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) was created with a focus on varsity-level athletes by Dr. Shelina Babul, associate director of the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit at BC Children’s Hospital, clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s faculty of medicine and sports injury specialist, in collaboration with U SPORTS, the national governing body of university sport in Canada, which represents 56 universities.
“Athletes are starting to take concussions more seriously, but they still have questions about how to properly care for a concussion and what their recovery may look like,” says Babul.
“This course addresses the importance of reporting a concussion and teaches athletes how to support themselves or a teammate in the event of a concussion.”
Some sports, such as football, soccer, rugby, ice hockey and basketball, have a higher risk of concussion than others; but concussions can happen anywhere, anytime, during and outside of sport. A concussion that’s not managed properly can result in long-term physical, mental and emotional consequences.
The free course, delivered in an interactive and engaging format, provides detailed information on concussion recognition, reporting and management in the context of varsity and high-performance athletes. Modules include information on the signs and symptoms of concussion, navigating the reporting process, advice on medication, supporting a teammate who has experienced a concussion, addressing mental health challenges and managing a successful return to school and sport. Current and former student athletes across Canada provided input to the course, which also includes personal stories from athletes who have experienced a concussion.
The course is available through CATT, a series of online educational modules and resources that are based on research led by Babul and informed by the latest research and standards of practice.
“We are thrilled to provide a free, bilingual, evidence-based concussion education module that addresses the unique challenges faced by student-athletes,” says Dr. Taryn Taylor, team physician for the Ottawa 67s, Ottawa RedBlacks, Carleton Ravens varsity teams and Chair of the U SPORTS Sport Medicine & Research Science Committee. “This is a collaboration that U SPORTS is very proud of and couldn’t have happed without important contributions. We greatly appreciate the support.”
Funding for this project was generously provided by Canadian Academy of Sports and Exercise Medicine, U SPORTS, Canadian Athletic Therapists Association, Ontario Athletic Therapist Association, Atlantic Provinces Athletic Therapists’ Association, and Department of Health Sciences, Brock University.
To take the concussion e-learning course for athletes, please visit the CATT website.
