Jun 3, 2026 By Karen Mansfield 4 min read

Here’s a heads-up.

UPMC Sports Medicine and the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation have teamed up to bring the HeadsUP Pittsburgh program to the UPMC Wellness Center at the Wilfred R. Cameron Pavilion in Washington this summer, offering free pediatric and adult ImPACT concussion baseline testing for local youth athletes.

HeadsUP Pittsburgh helps keep young athletes safe by providing baseline testing and education before the start of the sports season.

The nationally recognized program is open to athletes participating in all sports and activities, including football, soccer, hockey, cheerleading, dance and more.

Since launching in 2010, HeadsUP Pittsburgh has baseline tested more than 33,000 young athletes across 39 sports and provided concussion education to nearly 65,000 parents, coaches, referees and teachers. Now in its 15th year, the program continues to expand across the region.

“Concussions are a serious concern in youth sports, and having a baseline test on file can make a critical difference in how an athlete is evaluated and treated after an injury,” said Brook Ward, president, UPMC Washington. “We’re proud to bring this program to our community and give families access to tools that help protect their children.”

Concussion baseline testing is conducted by trained health care professionals to assess an athlete’s normal brain function while healthy. The test evaluates areas such as concentration, memory, reaction time and symptoms that may be similar to a concussion, including headaches or sleep issues.

HeadsUP Pittsburgh uses ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) for ages 10 and older, and Pediatric ImPACT for ages 5 to 9. The computer-based tool was developed by UPMC concussion experts and is used worldwide for measuring a person’s neurocognitive state before a concussion occurs.

Baseline results serve as a comparison if a concussion occurs in the future. Along with a full clinical evaluation, the information helps guide recovery and determine when it is safe for an athlete to return to play. The test itself does not diagnose or prevent a concussion, but provides valuable data for care decisions.

“This partnership allows us to provide families with valuable resources to address concussions in youth sports,” said Yvonne Maher, executive director of the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation.

Pattiann Berton, who is a member of the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Brain Injury Advisory Board and founded Impacted Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization aimed at spreading awareness and support for families impacted by head injuries, is an advocate for baseline testing.

“It’s definitely a good starting point. It also is a way to spread awareness and education, and anything we can do to start a conversation about brain injury is important,” said Berton.

Berton’s son, Patrick, was injured in 2011 during a youth football game when he was 12 years old. After taking a hit during the game, he seemed dazed, and coaches kept him out for the rest of the game.

Two days later, he began having headaches. His concussion was initially misdiagnosed and Patrick eventually was required to use a wheelchair and declared legally blind. The Bertons spent nine years searching for the cause of his debilitating health issues until a neurosurgeon and other experts concluded the undiagnosed concussion was responsible.

Today, Patrick, 27, an attorney in Orlando, Fla., has made remarkable progress and uses only a walker.

“The baseline testing is important because a year or two from then we have something to look at, and anytime we have imaging to show what was normal, that gives us something to compare those current results to,” said Berton.

Free baseline testing will be offered at the UPMC Wellness Center in Washington from June 1 through July 31 for athletes ages 10 and older. Additional testing locations across the region are available for younger athletes.

This year’s participants will receive a variety of wellness items, including Pittsburgh Penguins merchandise, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation.

Registration is required, and space may be limited. To learn more and to sign up, visit: https://www.upmc.com/headsup.

UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program neuropsychologists advise baseline concussion testing each year for children ages 12 and under and every two years for children ages 13 and older.