This course is aimed at:
- age groups 10-18
- their coaches, parents and teachers
and aims to:
- educate them on the brain and why sport is good for the brain
- and also the risks of brain injury and what they can do to reduce the risks and impacts
This Introductory course is not sport specific but we hope to provide further sport-specific courses in the future for rugby, football and other sports.
We are absolutely pro sport of all types and aim to have a positive impact on safe participation in sport.
We are piloting the course in a small number of schools and clubs, with the ultimate aim of gaining accreditation for our course and a national roll out.
What are we aiming to achieve?
- Promote safe participation in sports in schools and clubs across the UK for children up to the age of 18.
- Increase education and awareness of the positive impacts of sport alongside the risks of brain-related injuries and what can be done to reduce these before, during and after playing.
- Enable children, parents, teachers and coaches to make educated decisions regarding sports participation.
- Provide a free and easy-to-use tool for people to use – for the initial pilot course, future modules and other courses.
What is included in the pilot course?
- An introductory presentation from one of our Trustees or Founders and one of our medical experts.
- The initial course is Brain Health and Sport – Introduction covering 3 lessons, including a total of 12 topics (more to follow in 2025):
- The Basics of the brain
- How sport is good for the brain
- How head injuries affect the brain.
- A simple and fun interactive on-line course using proven educational platform LearnDash – including quizzes and a Head for Change “Brain” certificate, plus participation and progress data.
- Content developed by international best-selling children’s author and neuroscientist Dr Dean Burnett, sports experts and teachers.
- Follow up Teams/Zoom calls to support children, parents, teachers and coaches.
The aim of the pilot is to trial our initial Brain Health and Sport – Introduction course in up to 20 schools and clubs across the UK, ahead of a UK-wider roll out of this introduction course, additional modules and additional courses.
More specifically – to test and enable improvements to:
- The course content and effectiveness – how well does it meet the objectives
- The ease of use of the on-line tool
- How much children enjoy this – and how our age-related versions work for different age groups
- How the course content works for children and their parents, teachers and coaches
If you are keen to be part of the pilot or would like more information please contact: brainsafe@headforchange.org.uk