Name: 8 Concussions Changed His Life Forever ft. Ryan Sutton & Seth Mendelsohn
Uploaded: 2026-09-13T11:10:46.731Z
Duration: 23 min 54 s
Description: Eight concussions changed Ryan Sutton’s life. One football concussion changed Seth Mendelsohn's. Their warning for athletes is big

Eight concussions changed Ryan Sutton’s life. One football concussion changed Seth Mendelsohn's. Their warning for athletes is bigger than sport.

From anxiety and invisible symptoms to stigma, coaching gaps, and return-to-play rules, concussion recovery is still widely misunderstood.

In this episode, we break down:

Ryan Sutton’s experience with eight concussions, including repeated hockey injuries and lasting symptoms
How concussions can affect anxiety, headaches, confidence, mental health, and athletic identity
Why concussion symptoms are often invisible and why athletes can still face stigma for sitting out
The culture of playing through pain in hockey, football, and other contact sports
Concussion resources in Canada, including return-to-play and return-to-learn guidance
Why youth athletes, parents, coaches, and sports organizations still face major education gaps
How professional concussion protocols and changing policies are influencing grassroots sports
Why concussion treatment has shifted away from prolonged rest toward a gradual return to activity
The challenge volunteer coaches face when recognizing possible brain injuries during competition
Heads Up CAN’s “Challenge the Stigma” campaign and its work sharing lived concussion experiences
How Heads Up CAN is expanding concussion education through Ontario school boards, universities, research, and its Inside the Concussion Landscape series

Hosts: Jim Lang
Guests: Ryan Sutton, Seth Mendelsohn

Heads Up Concussion Advocacy Network was founded in 2017 to improve concussion awareness, education, advocacy, and research. The organization also uses its apparel and community storytelling to start conversations around brain injuries and concussion stigma.

Timestamps: