Chris Nowinski

The November 2015 announcement by a group of US youth soccer groups of a recommendation that players age 11 and younger be barred from heading the ball and that headers be limited in practice for those from age 12 and 13, has generated controversy, with experts lining up on both sides of the debate.

Head Games: The Movie paints the sports concussion picture largely in black and white terms, eschewing a more nuanced approach in favor of the sensational. It is a movie that is intended to evoke in viewers an emotional, not rational response but, in the end, it is the movie that is playing games with our heads.

The Sports Legacy Institute's  "Hit Count" initiative is designed to dramatically reduce youth athletes' exposure to repetitive brain trauma in multiple sports, with the goal to reduce concussions, sub-concussive trauma and risk of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

When I ate dinner recently with my friend Chris Nowinski, President of the Sports Legacy Institute, I did so with the pride of knowing that the early support I gave him helped make his career in concussion education and research possible.