Concussions

Andy McDonald has retired from the NHL because he is concerned with concussions. This is now an epidemic. NFL is constantly coming out with new helmets to protect players, yet 350 pound men still have to call it quits because of severe headaches, migraines and dizziness. The NHL is trying to take elbows to the head and blind side hits (see my previous blog "Matt Cooke- Unwanted") out of the game, but even on simple, shoulder on shoulder checks, players can be concussed. Possibly due to their head hitting the ice, or the pure speed of the games, with players going up to 32 km/h, it's easy to understand how so many injuries happen.

 

But people realizing that you can never make a sport like hockey or football completely safe is the key. That's when players, coaches and parents can take the step in preventing as many possible injuries as they can. But sometimes leagues can go too far in preventing concussions, that in the long run, there might actually be MORE concussions. Hockey Canada announced that all body-contact will be taken out of Peewee. Most parents who have a kid that age or haven't had a kid Bantam aged or above applauded it. But like me, many older kids and parents disagree with what they did. Hockey Canada’s reason for this ruling is that it will prevent concussions, teaching kids the basics of hockey, like puck handling. But I think Hockey Canada forgot the most basic rule that every single freaking kid was taught... Keep. Your. Head. Up. If kids do not learn that if they don't keep their head up, while skating down the ice with the puck, someone could very well (I have been on both the receiving and giving side of this hit) cream them and what do you know, give that person a concussion.

 

Concussions have ruined both careers and lives. The more we can do to prevent them, all the better.