MEDIA

NOTE FROM TED: Research around CTE diagnosis remains an ongoing field of study. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdf Since a concussion ended his WWE career, Dr. Chris Nowinski has spent 15 years leading a global revolution in the public understanding of concussion. But the sports industry is hiding a bigger problem: chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Dr. Nowinski shows how Big Sports is misleading the public and offers solutions to prevent CTE starting with a simple request: Stop Hitting Kids in the Head. Chris Nowinski, PhD, is co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization leading the fight against concussions and CTE and dedicated to improving the lives of those impacted. An All-Ivy Harvard football player-turned WWE professional wrestler-turned neuroscientist, Chris discovered the concussion crisis the hard way. A 2003 kick to the chin in a WWE match ended his career, causing Post-Concussion Syndrome and sending him to the office of his eventual CLF co-founder Dr. Robert Cantu. Through Dr. Cantu, Chris was first exposed to medical research that revealed to him that concussions and brain trauma were misunderstood in the sports world. Chris realized this lack of awareness among athletes, coaches, and even medical professionals not only cost him his career, but also threatened the health and well-being of athletes of all ages. The lessons Chris learned from Dr. Cantu lit a spark that inspired him to commit his life to serving patients and families affected by brain trauma. You can watch his TED Talk about this journey here. Chris wrote the investigative book Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis in 2006, co-founded CLF in 2007, co-founded the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank in 2008, and served as a co-director of the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy in from 2008 to 2014. Today he serves as an Outreach, Recruitment, Education, and Public Policy Leader for the BU CTE Center. Chris’ journey has been profiled in media outlets like HBO Real Sports, ESPN Outside the Lines, and the New York Times, and he was the subject of the award-winning documentary Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis by celebrated director Steve James. Dr. Nowinski earned his doctorate in Behavioral Neuroscience from Boston University School of Medicine and has authored more than 30 scientific publications. VICE Sports called him “the man most responsible for making CTE part of the national conversation,” and Sports Illustrated said, “It is Nowinski's figure which looms behind the doctors and the headlines and the debate roiling over sports' newfound commitment to minimizing head trauma.” Nowinski serves on the NFL Players Association Mackey-White Health & Safety Committee, the Ivy League Concussion Committee, the Positive Coaching Alliance National Advisory Board, and as an advisor to All-Elite Wrestling. Chris has received multiple awards for his advocacy. In 2019, the United States Sports Academy presented him with the Ernst Jokl Sports Medicine Award for his contributions to the growth and development of sport medicine through practice and/or scholarly activity. Chris has been the recipient of the Dr. Alan Ashare Safety Award from Massachusetts Hockey, the Impact Award from HealthSpottr, the Zach Lydstedt Angel Award from the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, the Distinguished Service Award from the United States Sports Academy, the Sport at its Best Award-Player Safety Advocate from Ralph Nader’s League of Fans, the CoBI Award from the Council on Brain Injury, the Patrick Brady Award from the Brain Injury Association of Illinois, a Compassionate Action Award from PETA, and the Presidential Medallion from Western New England College, the school’s highest honor. Athletic Business named Chris an Industry Difference-Maker, Boston Business Journal named him to their 40 under 40 list, HealthLeaders Media named him to the HealthLeaders 20, and Hockey News named him to the 40 Under 40 most powerful people in hockey. In 2010, Sports Illustrated named Chris a finalist for Sportsman of the Year. Chris is an Eisenhower Fellow, a program which identifies, empowers and connects innovative leaders to pursue projects that create positive impact across sectors and borders to make the world more peaceful, prosperous and just. Chris is a frequent speaker on various aspects of brain trauma, and since 2004 he has spoken more than 400 times at universities, conferences, high schools, and sports organizations around the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What if you are so concussed that you don't know you have a concussion? We are finally talking about concussions in sports, but we are not delivering the right message. If an athlete receives concussion education, the primary message they are told is, "Take yourself out, as it's better to miss a game than a season." But what if you are too impaired to recognize your concussion? What if your 12-year-old feels too much pressure to keep playing? The solution was discovered in a diary more than a century old, and the Concussion Legacy Foundation is bringing this lost wisdom back to keep kids safe. Chris Nowinski, Ph.D., is founding CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation (ConcussionFoundation.org) a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to solving the concussion & CTE crisis through research, advocacy, and education. He is also co-founder of the Boston University (BU) CTE Center and the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank. A former Harvard football player and WWE Superstar, he wrote Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis after post-concussion syndrome ended his career in 2003. He received his doctorate in behavioral neuroscience from Boston University School of Medicine. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

part 2 of real sports episode featuring the work of the sports legacy institute and chris nowinski

FRONTLINE reveals the hidden story of the NFL and brain injuries. Subscribe on YouTube: http://bit.ly/1BycsJW The National Football League presides over America's indisputable national pastime, but the league is under assault: Thousands of former players have claimed it tried to cover up how football inflicted their long-term brain injuries. What did the NFL know, and when did it know it? Twitter: https://twitter.com/frontlinepbs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontline Google+: https://plus.google.com/+frontline/posts FRONTLINE is streaming more than 200 documentaries online, for free, here: http://to.pbs.org/hxRvQP Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation, the Park Foundation, The John and Helen Glessner Family Trust, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation.

Now, more than ever, we are committed to holding the NFL accountable for protecting its players. In case you missed it, the NFL failed massively by allowing Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to return to play in a Sunday game after suffering an apparent concussion. Tagovailoa was hit again during the Thursday game four days later, suffering another concussion that resulted in seizure-like decorticate posturing that could have life-long consequences.   “No amount of money can make up for brain damage,” said CLF CEO Dr. Chris Nowinski. “I don’t care what the NFL fines the Dolphins or care what comes of this financially. The punishment should be enormous, and no one should ever do this again with another human being.” Nowinski was outspoken to try and ensure Tua got time to rest his brain. After the horrific Tua incident, Nowinski released the following video imploring the NFL to do better. Tua Tweet: https://twitter.com/ChrisNowinski1/status/1575578179581771776?s=20&t=VTqs84d7WbA-c5JKXZtWaQ

From Oscar nominated director Steve James ("Hoop Dreams") comes this revealing documentary about the concussion crisis in sports. Athletes and parents share their personal struggles in dealing with concussions from professional to youth levels, taking a deeper look at the devastating and long-term effects of concussions in all sports. #documentary #concussion #sports #fullmovie #football #youthfootball Directed by: Steve James Starring: Christopher Nowinski, Isaiah Kacyvenski, Cindy Parlow Cone, Alan Schwartz, Bob Costas, Keith Primeau WANT TO SEE MORE MOVIES LIKE THIS FOR FREE here on YouTube? Just visit our other channel for hundreds of free movies and documentaries! https://youtube.com/@gravitasventuresVOD | https://youtube.com/@gravitasadrenaline | https://youtube.com/@gravitasunexplained