Amidst COVID-19, high school athletes “come together ” to learn about concussions
In these difficult times amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen inspiring acts of leadership and ingenuity that bring us closer together even when we are far apart. At Jesuit High School in Sacramento, CA, Assistant Principal Fadia Desmond demonstrates how to build community between students and coaches alike through spreading CrashCourse’s concussion education training to Jesuit’s student athletes.
“The biggest challenge with digital learning has been finding ways to develop closeness to bridge that distance gap. CrashCourse does this by teaching our student athletes how to care for themselves and their teammates,” said Assistant Principal Desmond.
With high school spring athletics cancelled, Assistant Principal Desmond and Athletic Director Hank Weinberger led the initiative to distribute CrashCourse to over 1000 students to bring together the athletic community at Jesuit. This month, CrashCourse’s concussion education has taught student athletes in sports ranging from rugby to football how to recognize the signs of a concussion.
“Concussion education is important at Jesuit because here, we take a lot of athletes. Over 65% of our student body is involved in athletics,” said Hank Weinberger, Athletic Director at Jesuit High School. “CrashCourse teaches these student athletes not only ‘what’ a concussion is but shows the ‘why’ with the science behind it. As a result, students want to learn more and it sticks with them.”
By equipping athletes with critical knowledge about the symptoms and science of concussions on the field, Jesuit High School is educating its student athletes to be prepared for what may happen on the field during this unintended “offseason” so that they can be better prepared in season.
“Our students are getting critical concussion education through CrashCourse – knowledge that could protect them for the rest of their lives,” said Assistant Principal Desmond. “At the end of the day, we need to be there for our students, wins and losses will come and go, but we need to prepare them ultimately for success in the future.”
We commend all educators working tirelessly to provide education for students while sheltering-in-place. The initiative of leaders such as Assistant Principal Desmond and the Athletics Department at Jesuit High School demonstrate the hope and possibility during these unprecedented times.