SportsConcussions.org Founder, 'Real Hero'

Founder Jean Rickerson accepted the American Red Cross 'Real Hero' Award November 3, 2011, in recognition of her work raising awareness about sports-related concussions.

What began as a quest to educate herself about her 16-year-old son's concussion -- so that he didn't return to the game before he was completely healed -- led Rickerson to create one of the leading concussion education organizations in the country.

A non-profit organization, SportsConcussions.org is anchored by a website that serves tens of thousands of visitors each month. The site brings the most up-to-date medical, research, and legislative information to the public, in addition to concussion-related news focusing on professional, collegiate, and youth sports issues.

Staffed by volunteers from Rhode Island to Alaska, the organization works with teams, leagues, schools, and individuals seeking help with injury management, location of resources, or concussion policy development. Through the iBaseline(TM) program, SportsConcussions.org offers computerized baseline testing to athletes nationwide.

The Advisory Board is made up of some of the leading experts in the field, including Harvard instructor Dr. William Meehan III; Dr. Neal McGrath, who oversees concussion care for more than 25,000 Boston-area athletes, Dr. Ann Glang, research scientist at the Oregon Center for Applied Science, and Marjorie Albohm, President of the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

Famed sports attorney and agent Leigh Steinberg, and Jacksonville Jaguars' head athletic trainer Mike Ryan are also on the board, as well as Dr. Gillian Hotz, Deptartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami; Dr. Gerard Gioia, Chief of Pediatric Neuropsychology at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC; Dr. Jacob Resch, Director, Brain Injury Laboratory, University of Texas; Mike Nelson, Lystedt Law attorney in Seattle, Washington, and Lystedt Law co-author, Doug Andreassen, president of Washington Youth Soccer.

Rickerson's son, a high school quarterback, was speared during a game in November 2008. He was cleared by the emergency room staff that night, and two additional doctors several days after his injury. He deteriorated five days later and was transported to a trauma center in Seattle, Washington. His recovery took four months. He did not require surgery. A college physics major, he is currently on the baseball team.