Essay On Concussions In Hockey

Nearly 2.4 million Americans play hockey, which has a higher rate of concussions than any other sport. Concussions in hockey also make up 20% of all the injuries recorded for the sport. At the high school level, rules have been made so kids do not take any shots to another player’s head or neck, hoping to reduce the amount of concussions. At the professional level, players can be suspended and even fined for head shots taken during games. Any player who is not playing professionally is required to wear a wired facemask (“cage”) or a visor that connects to a chin protector (also known as a “bubble” or “fishbowl”) to reduce the possibility of the player sustaining a head injury from getting hit with a puck. Even with the cage or fishbowl, the helmet itself still does not provide the player with complete concussion prevention. Hockey helmets are not fitted like football helmets, even when they are fastened. When a player is checked, whether it is an open ice hit or into the boards, the helmet still rocks on the players head, allowing the head and neck to jolt forward, backward or

Concussions could be life threatening, if not treated properly, and the first thing to do is pull the player off the field to prevent further injury and not allow them back to play until their symptoms are gone. Coaches, parents and players should expand their knowledge on concussions and coaching staff should have to take a class on how to spot a concussion before they are able to coach a team, no matter what sport or what level of play. Concussions today are very common, and as future athletic trainers, we should all expand our knowledge on concussions and work toward inventing a way to decrease the possibility for a player to sustain a concussion, and it all starts with common sense and strict rules enforcing the proper wear of