Our son has been lucky. He's had only one suspected, minor concussion as a result of playing minor hockey. It wasn't a hit. It was a whack with a stick on the back of the head while he was sprawled on the ice after delivering a legal hit. The opposing player he hit struck back with his stick. And no, there was no penalty on the play.
My nephew, who once played on teams with first round NHL draft pick Brayden Schenn in Saskatoon, was forced to quit hockey early due to concussions suffered on the ice and on the rugby field. He faced a choice of risking another concussion and perhaps being left unable to play the guitar well or leaving contact sports. He's now in a Saskatchewan rock band.
There are many important things to remember about minor hockey. Rule 1: Kids come first. Rule 2: Hockey is temporary; heads are for life.
Today, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., starts a seminar on concussions in hockey at all levels. Let's all pay attention. Here's a link to today's CBC story http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2010/10/18/sp-concussion-summit.html
No comments:
Post a Comment
Scream at the ref by leaving your comments here. But remember, the kids are listening and learning.