Protecting Our Youth from Concussions in the Hockey Community

Hard hits, fighting, physical toughness; these are the things that ice hockey is known for. Fans all over America and Canada turn on the NHL network to watch their favorite players throw big hits. There is no doubt that this aspect of the game adds excitement and marketability. For example, fans have coined terms such as “kronwalled” to describe the force with which Niklas Kronwall is able to hit. However, despite the excitement that stems from such physicality, it is high time to consider how these hits effect the health of hockey players, not only at the professional level but also in youth hockey.

 After an increase of knowledge about the effects and causes of concussions, the NHL has attempted to decrease the frequency of such injuries. Through rule 48 they have banned all hits to the head in the hopes that this would reduce the prevalence of concussions within the league. However, concussions continued to increase even after the new rule was put in to effect. This has caused a debate within the hockey community as to what is the best way to go about protecting its players.

  

Youth hockey players have looked up to those in the NHL since the first time they laced up their skates. This means that when they see a big hit on television, they become eager to play with this high level of physicality in their own games. As a result, concussions in youth hockey have become an issue that needs addressing. Youth hockey associations such as Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have been working towards a safer game in order to encourage parents to sign their children up for the sport. However, it is not clear what the best path is for decreasing concussions in youth hockey.

Youth hockey in Canada has banned checking in the peewee age group (12 and under) in an attempt to hold off on dangerous hits. However, this only means that children at this age do not learn how to properly body check or how to properly receive a hit. As a result, when the children are able to check at the bantam age group (14 and under), they are not doing so in a safe manner. This leads to even more concussions because learning the proper techniques at 14 means the stakes are higher, that is the hits are harder because the children are stronger and bigger. In contrast, learning the proper method at the age of 12 is much safer because hits are not as hard or dangerous, as the participants are smaller.

Although it is important that Canada is looking in to the problem of concussions in youth hockey, I believe that their methods are not the most effective route. Instead, some of the ideas that USA Hockey has implemented make more sense. One thing that USA Hockey is trying to do is improve the quality of equipment. Hockey equipment companies such as Bauer, CCM and Cascade have invested large amounts of money in to creating better helmets that are more suited to protect against concussions. Additionally, USA Hockey has began a widespread campaign to educate their coaches about the severity and dangers of concussions as well as the warning signs that they need to look for should they think that their player may have sustained a head injury. This means that fewer concussions are going unnoticed by coaches and that players are receiving the care that they require after a concussion, such as suspending participation in physical activities for a time period and consulting with a physician.

Hard hits will continue to play an integral role in the sport of hockey, as it has for many years. However, it is important to consider the safety of hockey players and take measures to best protect them. The NHL has begun to take measures to decrease concussions and youth hockey followed suit with strong campaigns from both Canadian and US youth hockey organizations. There are many ideas that have been proposed in order to decrease concussions in hockey and many great ideas have already been implemented. However, the problem is still prevalent and so it is important to further ask ourselves how we can best protect the youth within the hockey community from concussions.

Sources:

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-hockey-concussions-20130717,0,6800845.story#axzz2qZqwKlLY

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/Hockey-Programs/Safety/Concussions/Facts-and-Prevention.aspx

http://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/275908?referrer_id=908034

http://www.rocketfishtank.com/blog/bid/254994/Study-shows-underreporting-of-concussions-in-action-sports