USA Football aims to increase concussion awareness with VR program

USA Football took a step to increase awareness about concussions with a new virtual reality program.

The organization announced a partnership Monday with TeachAids, a non-profit that developed an interactive program to teach about concussions, symptoms and recovery called CrashCourse.

The four-part VR program, which will be available for free to members of usafootball.com, has four parts.

Part one is an interactive film in the action of the sport. A video on TeachAids demonstrates how users can see what it’s like to be on the field or court with a team, and it features former Stanford running back Bryce Young.

In the middle of the action, users can experience the hit and what a concussion might look like, along with being able to select options and go through parts of game play.

The second part is a symptoms simulator. Oftentimes, people don’t realize they have concussions. If treated properly, effects can go away in 10 days, according to TeachAids.

If left unattended, concussions can have lasting impacts.

This second part of CrashCourse shows users what they might experience in day-to-day life if they have a concussion.

The third part takes users through the inside of a human brain to help visualize what occurs in a concussion. Injuries like broken bones can be easy to determine, and X-rays show the problem. It’s much tougher to determine what is happening in the brain with a concussion.

Finally, the fourth step is labeled in the video as “training secrets of sports heroes,” which includes Love, who was drafted by the Washington Redskins, and NFL great Steve Young.

Through all this, USA Football and TeachAids hopes athletes can be better educated about concussions and how to tell if they are experiencing symptoms.

“We must make this game as safe as possible for all who play it,” David Shaw, a CrashCourse advisor and Stanford’s all-time winningest football coach, said in a statement. “Providing compelling and accurate education to our young players, their parents and coaches is the key.”