Concussions in Amateur Hockey
I still remember watching my son skate down the ice for the first time – all 40 pounds of him. I could see the excitement on his four year old face, through the bars on his helmet, from 30 feet away. My son’s excitement vanished abruptly, however, when his teammate intervened to stop the rubber chicken my son had shot, just before it went into the net. Shortly afterward, I sought to instill in my son the virtues of practice and hard work, pointing out that the Toronto Maple Leafs have to practice virtually every day. In his sullen state, my son shot back with the obvious response that “practice hadn’t done much for the Maple Leafs either”.
Canadian parents have known for generations that there are few better opportunities to teach their children the virtues of hard work, commitment, determination, excellence, and team building than on the ice. Hockey is a fundamental part of our culture and who we are. The lessons and friendships built on the ice can last a lifetime.
In recent years, we have all learned about the seriousness of the head injuries that have cut short the careers of some of our greatest stars. Students of the game theorize that today’s players are bigger, faster, and stronger than in the past, but the real problem may be that, until recently, conventional imaging tests have been unable to detect mild traumatic brain injuries. Thus, the injuries often went undiagnosed, with the long term impact unknown until recently.
Increasingly, there is evidence that mild traumatic brain injuries are occurring in amateur hockey, in addition to the NHL.
Concussion symptoms include headaches, vomiting, sleep disturbance, balance disorder, cognitive impairment, fatigue, and mood changes. Anyone who sustains a head injury while playing hockey should be assessed by a medical professional with expertise in assessing traumatic brain injuries, such as a neurologist, neurological surgeon or emergency medicine physician.
Advancements in our understanding of the impact of concussions may ultimately lead to changes in the way hockey and other contact sports are played, particularly at the amateur level. Given what we have already learned, you may wish to have your child play in a non-contact league.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with a concussion or a brain injury, you should consult an experienced and recognized personal injury lawyer immediately.
