(Boston) – The Concussion Legacy Foundation is proud to announce it has partnered with ThinkTaylor and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), along with the Massachusetts Concussion Management Coalition (MCMC), on 2016 Concussion Awareness Week from Monday, Sept. 12 through Friday, Sept. 16.
Throughout the week, over 86,000 student athletes from various sports teams throughout high schools in Massachusetts will feature ThinkTaylor wrist bands, concussion awareness (#TTpledge) bag tags for players and more to remind themselves and others about the dangers of not reporting a concussion. The ThinkTaylor team will make appearances at select schools as well, in addition to hosting Concussion Awareness Night during the New England Revolution vs. Colorado Rapids game at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016.
“It is imperative we educate athletes, parents, coaches and athletic directors about concussion education and awareness, along with traumatic brain injuries that can happen as a result, at the youth level,” said ThinkTaylor Founder Taylor Twellman. “We launched Concussion Awareness Week last year with the MIAA for that very reason. Through our partnership with them, and help from the Concussion Legacy Foundation and MCMC this year, we’ve been able to expand on last year’s inaugural efforts and impact more and more students throughout the state of Massachusetts to hold each other accountable in observing the established concussion protocol.”
The weeklong concussion education and awareness program will kick off with a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016 at MIAA offices in Franklin, Mass. at 1 p.m. The Concussion Legacy Foundation will also host Team Up Day: an educational program designed to help better identify concussions by encouraging athletes to ‘Team Up: Speak Up’ to fight concussions. Coaches across the country have pledged that on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, they will give their team a speech emphasizing that teammates look out for one another, and should speak up if they see a teammate who may have suffered a concussion.
“The MIAA is once again pleased to partner with ThinkTaylor to help educate and inform all student-athletes about concussion,” said MIAA Associate Executive Director Richard Pearson. “The ThinkTaylor/MIAA Concussion Awareness Week is an outstanding vehicle to bring focused attention to this very important topic. The #TTPledge focusing on students being educated, honest and supportive is a profound and pointed objective for all.”
ThinkTaylor is also asking for everyone to take the #TTpledge online at thinktaylor.org, encouraging them to post photos and videos online showing their support and pledging to be educated on the signs and symptoms on concussions; pledging to be honest with his or her coaches, teachers, parents and teammates; and pledging to be supportive of anyone who gets a concussion.
Proud sponsors of Concussion Awareness Week 2016 include DCU, FOX25, New England Revolution, Robert C. Cantu Concussion Center at Emerson Hospital, Bag Tags, Gatorade and Gauntlet Films.
About the Concussion Legacy Foundation:
The Concussion Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Boston. It was founded in 2007 by Robert Cantu, MD, and Christopher Nowinski to solve the concussion crisis by advancing the study, treatment and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes and other at-risk groups. The Concussion Legacy Foundation is a collaborator with Boston University’s CTE Program. For more information, please visit ConcussionFoundation.org. For more information about Team Up Day, visit TeamUpDay.org.
About ThinkTaylor:
ThinkTaylor was founded by former Major League Soccer all-star and current ESPN Lead Soccer Analyst, Taylor Twellman. Twellman retired from professional soccer in 2010, due to complications from multiple concussions. In 2008, Taylor suffered a concussion that many believe ended his storied career and as Twellman later realized, this brain injury was far more than a career-ending injury; rather, it was a life-changing event. ThinkTaylor is driven and dedicated to changing the culture in the world of concussions. As a leader in the social change for concussion safety, ThinkTaylor’s positive message emphasizing awareness, recognition, education and putting the health of kids first helps create positive social change and in return a safer, healthier and smarter environment. ThinkTaylor is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. More information can be found at thinktaylor.org.
About MIAA:
The mission of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association is to serve member schools and the maximum number of their students by providing leadership and support for the conduct of interscholastic athletes, which enriches the educational experiences of all participants. The MIAA promotes interschool athletics that provide lifelong and life quality learning experiences to students while enhancing their achievement of educational goals. www.miaa.net
About MCMC - Massachusetts Concussion Management Coalition:
The Massachusetts Concussion Management Coalition (MCMC) is a group of individual stakeholders who are dedicated to the health and safety of our students. The broad range of groups like the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), Massachusetts School Nurse Organization (MSNO), Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts (ATOM), Department of Public Health (DPH), Brain Injury Center of Boston Children’s Hospital, and the NHL Alumni Foundation are represented and whose top priority it is to prevent and manage concussions. MCMC is a pioneer in concussion research and education outreach. For more information on our program or how to get involved, please visit our website at: www.massconcussion.org.