About the HEADS UP Campaign

At a glance

ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's HEADS UP program helps healthcare providers, school professionals, athletic trainers, and others diagnose and manage concussions. HEADS UP materials are the go-to resource for concussion prevention and education.

Educating people and communities

Heads Up: ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø HEADS UP 20 Year Anniversary - From 2003 to 2023
Heads Up 20 Year Anniversary: ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø HEADS UP 20th Anniversary occurred in 2023.

ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø HEADS UP is a collection of online trainings, videos, PSAs, posters, fact sheets, and more. Millions of people use these trainings and resources to raise awareness about concussion in their communities.

ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø HEADS UP is the go-to resource for concussion prevention and education. We have:

  • Reached more than 200 million people through ad campaigns, PSAs, and more.
  • Partnered with more than 85 organizations across the fields of athletics, healthcare, public health, education, and scientific research.
  • Educated over 10 million participants across six online training courses designed for coaches, healthcare providers, school professionals, athletic trainers, and sports officials.
  • Created over 100 communication products to promote concussion prevention and care.

Research to action

ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø HEADS UP educational initiatives and materials align with the best scientific evidence available on concussion prevention and management. Studies show that ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø HEADS UP materials:

  • Increase communication about concussion between athletes and their parents. 1
  • Reach a large number of coaches and parents and improve their knowledge about concussions.234
  • Lead coaches and others to view concussion more seriously.356
  • Increase the capacity of youth sports coaches to appropriately prevent, recognize, and respond to sports-related concussions.6
  • Improve knowledge about symptom resolution and return-to-play recommendations.36
  • Improve awareness of under-reporting of concussions among athletes.3

ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø HEADS UP to the future!

ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø developed the HEADS UP initiative in response to the Children’s Health Act of 2000 to improve awareness of mild traumatic brain injury—an under-diagnosed and under-identified injury. We have made great strides in building, improving, and supporting concussion safety around the country. We plan to do much more. Exciting upcoming ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø HEADS UP initiatives include:

  • An updated and expanded training for youth sports coaches—the most popular ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø HEADS UP product.
  • Resources to help parents of toddlers and young children learn about concussion safety, prevention, and care.
  • Enhanced efforts to reduce disparities through concussion education tailored for American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic parents and youth.
Print
Content Source:
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
  1. Zhou, H., Ledsky, R., Sarmiento, K., DePadilla, L., Kresnow, M.J., Kroshus, E. (2022). Parent¨CChild communication about concussion: What role can the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HEADS UP concussion in youth sports handouts play? Brain Injury, 36:9, 1133-1139, .
  2. Parker, E. M., Gilchrist, J., Schuster, D., Lee, R., & Sarmiento, K. (2015). Reach and Knowledge Change Among Coaches and Other Participants of the Online Course: "Concussion in Sports: What You Need To Know". Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 30(3), 198¨C206. .
  3. Daugherty, J., DePadilla, L., & Sarmiento, K. (2019). Effectiveness of the US Centers For Disease Control and Prevention Heads Up Coaches' Online Training as an Educational Intervention. Health Education Journal, 78(7), 784¨C797. .
  4. Rice, T., & Curtis, R. (2019). Parental Knowledge of Concussion: Evaluation of the ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's "HEADS UP to Parents" Educational Initiative. Journal of Safety Research, 69, 85¨C93. .
  5. Daugherty, J., DePadilla, L., Sarmiento, K. (2020). Assessment of HEADS UP online training as an educational intervention for sports officials/athletic trainers. Journal of Safety Research, 74:133-141. .
  6. Covassin, T., Elbin, R. J., & Sarmiento, K. (2012). Educating Coaches About Concussion in Sports: Evaluation of the ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's "HEADS UP: Concussion In Youth Sports" Initiative. The Journal of School Health, 82(5), 233¨C238. .