Playing sports is a terrific way for kids to keep healthy, active and have fun, but participation does come with a degree of risk: 40 per cent of head injuries in children aged 10-19 occur doing sports. The nature of concussions makes them difficult to diagnose, but it’s important to do so.

Parachute, a national charitable organization focused on injury prevention, has designed a set of online courses aimed at informing young athletes and the adults around them how to prevent, recognize, and handle concussions. Three courses were created: one for elementary and high school teachers, one for parents, and one for teen athletes.

Each course is 30- to 60-minutes long and tailors topics for the target group. The course for parents, for example, focuses on conveying messages of safety to children and sports teams, identifying the signs of a head injury, and describing what do if there are signs.  Elementary and high school teachers will also learn about symptoms as well as how to support students with head injuries and understand the timeline for returning to play.  Athletes learn about the impact of concussion on the brain, the recovery period, and how to avoid head injuries.

Each course costs $14.99. To take one or learn more, visit passporttosafety.parachutecanada.org