U.S. Soccer, Recognize to Recover and ThinkTaylor Partner for Concussion Awareness Week

Players, Coaches, Referees and Fans Across the United States Are Encouraged to Take the #TTPledge from Oct. 6-15; Fill Out a Pledge Certificate at recognizetorecover.org

CHICAGO (Oct. 6, 2019) – As U.S. Soccer and ThinkTaylor continue their partnership to promote safe play and reduce injuries in soccer players of all ages, the two organizations will highlight the importance of concussion education during Concussion Awareness Week.

The initiative, which is part of U.S. Soccer’s comprehensive player health and safety program called Recognize to Recover, will take place from Oct. 6-15 across the country.

Concussion Awareness Week encourages everyone involved in the game of soccer to take the #TTPledge, an oath for players, coaches, referees, parents and fans to be educated about concussion symptoms, to be honest in self-evaluation and to be supportive of anyone with a concussion.

Visit recognizetorecover.org to fill out a certificate confirming you have taken the #TTPledge.

“After the success of our inaugural Concussion Awareness Week in 2017, we are once again looking forward to the partnership between Recognize to Recover and ThinkTaylor as we continue to connect with all those involved with the game of soccer across the United States about health and safety,” U.S. Soccer Chief Medical Officer George Chiampas said. “An important part of managing concussions is the education around how to identify when a possible head injury occurs and informing parents, coaches and medical staff. We want to change the culture within the game around reporting concussions and that needs to start at an early age."

U.S. Soccer Member Organizations will aid in driving support of Concussion Awareness Week as will the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams. Various pre- and in-game announcements and ceremonies will bring attention to Concussion Awareness Week during the USWNT’s Victory Tour game, presented by Allstate, against Korea Republic on Oct. 6 at Soldier Field in Chicago, the USMNT’s opening Concacaf Nation’s League game vs. Cuba at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 11 and the weekend of U.S. Soccer Development Academy play on Oct. 12-13.

Throughout Concussion Awareness Week, players, coaches, parents and fans are encouraged to visit recognizetorecover.org, the U.S. Soccer Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts for coverage and information about concussion awareness and player health and safety.

Recognize to Recover, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive program dedicated to safe play and reducing injuries, was launched by U.S. Soccer in 2015. The program was developed with the help of medical experts to provide coaches, players, parents and referees with information, guidance and educational materials to improve the prevention and management of injuries.

Concussion and head injury awareness and prevention are a core part of the program, and in 2016, U.S. Soccer released a new video designed to raise awareness of this important issue and highlight it throughout its coach and referee education programs.

ThinkTaylor was founded in 2011 by former U.S. Men's National Team player Taylor Twellman after he was forced to retire from professional soccer due to post-concussion syndrome (PCS). ThinkTaylor is dedicated to changing the culture of traumatic brain injuries and aims to dispel the notion of concussions as something to "shake off" or play through, and establish protocol of handling brain injuries with the utmost seriousness. 

"There were times in my career I wasn't honest with my coaches, my parents, my teammates, and it only made things worse," Twellman said. "When you recognize the signs and symptoms of a concussion and you do something about it, you are already on the road to recovery. That's why it's so important to me that athletes are educated and honest about concussions. We only have one brain and it needs to last a lifetime."