Youth Ice Hockey Checking: Mandatory Penalties - Contact USA Hockey

We are getting close to launching Zero Tolerance Youth Ice Hockey: The Parents' Voice. It should be up in about two weeks.
ztyouthicehockey.org

One of the hardest challenges is figuring out what we can most quickly address with the hope change can be made by next year. The goal of the change is of course to reduce the risk of injuries.

USA Hockey has that power to institute stronger penalties. If you are concerned, contact USA Hockey.

I wanted to go over the complexity of the checking issue. The battle we can not fall into is should checking be allowed or not allowed. Checking is the issue and it is not the issue. I can't stop checking from happening at this point as easily as I and other parents can find a common ground to inhibit bad checks and hits. This is our problem, what to tackle, in the way of risk reduction, that can be changed quickly. There is no way we can stop checking leagues, build non-checking leagues, or build hybrid leagues by next season. It would be a Sisyphean task. We can not get lost in debate when we can organize for action. Penalty change is action.

What we can do is push for a penalty that impacts the players and coaches ASAP and sits burned in their brains. We need to get rid of discretionary penalties when it comes to hitting a youth player in the neck, head, or back. We need to penalize excessive force checks. This is by no means complicated or difficult. It will not inhibit a player's development nor will it take away from the game. It will save harm to our children and it will reduce the risks associated with the physical play of youth ice hockey. We must get our voice heard.

I am 100% sure based on my 20 years experience as a mental health professional and clinical therapist that this penalty will reduce the number of concussions and injuries to our youth players by reducing the reckless hits and checks. Will it stop concussions? NO, but that isn't the goal. The goal is to GREATLY reduce them. Failure to institute this stronger penalty is unacceptable and will lead to our children getting hurt.  This change is simple and it is a no-brainer.  Better protect our children, institute this penalty. This penalty lets a youth player know that if they don't check the right way, they won't play anymore. Simple and clear. Let me repeat simple and clear. A real penalty that extinguishes unwanted behavior.
Here is the penalty to Reduce Risk of Harm:

Check the Wrong Way and You Don't Play

A player will be immediately suspended from game play for any contact to a player's neck or head. A player will be suspended immediately from game play for forcefully hitting a player in the back. A player will be immediately suspended from game play for using excessive force beyond what is needed to check a player.

The bench of the suspended player will be give a 5 minute penalty to be served.

The immediate game suspension will be extended to 2/3 of the next game if the player gets a suspension in the third period. If a player is suspended in the last 5 minutes of the third period, they will be suspended the entire next game.

A team getting 3 players suspended in one game will forfeit the game.

This penalty will not harm the players or teams that follow the rules. Isn't that what a penalty is meant to do? Reward you for following the rules not marginally or insignificantly penalize you for breaking the rules.  It will not protect the players that don't follow rules. It will impact the coaches and how they teach. It will protect our children. Penalties for youth players must be severe when it comes to behavior that injures other youth players, our children.

This is a penalty that USA Hockey can adopt and it is an additional penalty a League can adopt.

Speak up and out. Protect your child.

Here is a point to ponder....

Is it better to have strict penalties and deal with the occasional player that is erroneously suspended or a game lost due to the new penalty

or

Is it better to have children get more concussions and miss weeks of game play because the current penalties are currently too relaxed?

We can add this type of penalty today if we wanted!

What a Ten Week Youth Ice Hockey Clinic on Safety, Skills, and Scrimmaging Might Look Like

The idea we are developing is a 10-12 week clinic that blends safety and skill training together. Every skill that is taught will focus on improving the youth player's hockey abilities while teaching them indirectly and directly about safety. What exactly does that mean? By using USA Heads Up Hockey drills, along with additional behavioral skills that incorporate vision, position, and mental execution with the core hockey skills taught by experienced coaches... our clinic will help a youth player better protect themselves on the ice.

Many hockey drills only focus on the core hockey skill. For instance stick handling might be taught using cones that are draped through the offensive zone and neutral zone. This is typically done just for spacing reasons and because the focus of the drill is only on controlling the puck with the stick. Coaches my yell to keep your head up while the player is instructed to weave through the cones up and down the ice. This is effective in teaching the core skill but not effective in teaching the player how to make mental decisions during a game.

We are developing a safety and skills clinic that would teach the player how not only to stick handle and mange the puck but also teach them when to dump it, pass it, or even ice it. Each part of the ice requires the player to think about what they should do with the puck. Here are some questions that will mentally prepare the youth player?

How many opposing players are in front of me?
Should I bounce the puck off the boards and try and pick it back up in the neutral zone?
Should I pass across ice?
Have I crossed the center line and can dump and chase?
Should I just softly clear the puck out of our zone?
Do I have room to skate it out?

The above questions can only be answered through practice. Practice needs to teach the player both the core skill and the mental skills (pass or dump) and/or behavioral skill (head up).

If a player isn't thinking about and addressing these questions before the puck is on their stick, they will be more at risk of getting checked by choosing the wrong option. If they have to think versus react, then they will be slower and more at risk in a game. Protection is about thinking and making decisions.

A better method is to incorporate the use of blue lines and center lines (neutral zone) as they might be used in a game. No player should stick handle the puck out of their zone, through the neutral zone, and into their offensive zone. That is what the above drill teaches indirectly. Skating the puck out like this, is a recipe for getting hit and losing the puck. Both bad hockey plays.

The modified cone drill would have a player stick handle through cones on one end of the ice. When they approach the blue line, the will make a decision to pass to the opposite side of the neutral zone or pass it off the boards over the blue line. They would then pick up another puck as if they picked it up in the neutral zone or had open space. Once they cross the center line they would have to decide to dump the puck in hard for a dump and chase or pass it. They would continue into the offensive zone picking up another puck and practice stick handling.

The addition of choices forces the player to look up and make decisions they will have to make in a game. This is an optimal way to teach a player to think and behave during a practice. It is much better then just having a player skate up and down the ice stick handling the length of the ice. If they practice it during a clinic then they will use it in a game.

Youth Ice Hockey: One and Done

With the new year only 3 days away, it is a good time for me to refocus on what I would like to help change in youth ice  hockey.

There are a lot of issues that can be addressed to reduce risk of injury. I know what I don't want to do. I don't want to start a new league or club. Why? I don't think that is the most efficient place to address change. They do a good job.

I think the best area is in the education of the parents and players.  Education in the form of the website we are developing to help parents learn and organize to find a voice, is one area I can address for change. Putting pressure on USA Hockey, Leagues, Referees, and Clubs is a good thing. I am not talking about finger pointing but requests on improving safety and on more thoroughly teaching our children how to check and protect themselves on ice. Emailing my concerns and ideas is another area I can address for change.

There is nothing wrong with asking for change and specifically pointing out what you want. That doesn't mean it will be done, but I can guarantee you will be listened to. And the more people that speak up and out, the better chance for change to happen more quickly.

My intention is to maintain the website, develop additional skills and training programs for the youth players, and push the idea of an immediate clear cut rule change.

One and Done

or

Check the Wrong Way & You Don't Play Anymore Today

The hit is what causes the injury. Teaching youth players to think before they hit by using a zero tolerance penalty will greatly reduce the risk of harm to your child.

The Mental Aspects of the Game: What is Going on with the Washington Capitals?

The mental aspects of a game typically fall apart slowly and are hard to detect. The problems seep in rather than rush in. This slow seepage makes both identifying and correcting the problem or problems, very difficult. It grabs hold player by player, until it becomes a plague on the team. It is a virus. Once it becomes a plague, it easily identified. I am a licensed clinical therapist and have a lot of experience with cognitive behavior therapies. The issues are real and the solutions are effective.

The Washington Capitals began seeping last year when they were booted out of the playoffs early. Mentally, the team changed. It changed in two ways. One, the loss was a huge let down and the sense of invulnerability was gone. Two, and more importantly, the loss focused the team away from playing to win each game to believing they must win the Stanley Cup. They mentally became distracted. The current 84 game season has become more of a hindrance they have to tolerate and play through before getting their shot at the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup. Players and teams do not have unlimited mental capacity. Let’s consider mental capacity as focus. Where is the team focus for the Washington Capitals?

The 2010-2011 team focus for the Washington Capitals was significantly shifted.  It is printed and stated everywhere and that is the Washington Capitals must win the Stanley Cup to be considered successful. This shift takes the teams focus away from playing to win the game in hand. They are less focused on the present and are now spending some of their mental energy on the future. It can be a subtle process. In the case of the Washington Capitals it has been exacerbated, by the media and themselves, to a level that is mentally draining. This isn’t good or bad unless it reaches unhealthy levels. They are officially distracted and have to direct some of their mental energy/focus away from the immediate game in hand. The less mental focus they have as a team in the present, the more likely they are to make a mistake during a game.

The Washington Capitals are a professional team. It is not unrealistic to keep a bit of an eye on the future or in this case, the Stanley Cup. That isn’t the problem. The problem really only manifests itself when a losing streak begins or a slump starts. Or more than likely a losing streak with slumping players and bad breaks. The Washington Capitals have them all going on. A perfect storm so to speak. A team must be 100% focused on the game at hand. Great and talented teams have some leeway.

Once a slump starts, a team begins to press. Mentally the players focus, with great intensity, on winning the game in hand. They want to break out of the slump. That is exhausting physically and mentally. They begin to expend a tremendous amount of mental energy to break out of the slump or end the losing streak. The longer they fail to break out, the more mentally exhausted they become. This is a slow process. That is why a team in a 3 or 4 game losing streak looks differently than a team in the midst of a 6, 7, or 8 game losing streak. They mentally begin to wear down. It begins to show in their body language on and off the ice. Defeat and doubt begin to set in.

The Washington Capitals are talented. Their talent carried them through the first 25 games of the season. They didn’t start the season focused on winning one game at a time. Their focus was pushed or directed beyond the game in hand directly to getting back to the playoffs. Let’s say that is a loss of 10% of their mental capacity. Being very talented, 90% worked, for a while. The losing streaks, slumps, and bad luck set in. The toll for all these things, let’s say, another 25% drain on their mental capacity. No team can coast through a full season at 65% their mental capacity. The numbers aren’t science but they work for the point.

The team’s focus is way out whack. Their mental energy is spent looking toward the Stanley Cup, wondering why they can’t score, thinking about the shot that hit the post, worrying about what if they lose again, and just about anywhere but on the game in hand. No professional team can be successful if they are mentally in the wrong place. There are no free passes to the World Series of the Stanley Cup. They need to refocus on the present task, not look to the future - which is much easy said than done.

Now add in a long losing streak. What happens? The players become mentally exhausted. Mental exhaustion leads to frustration. Frustration leads to further failure to focus on the game in hand and the downward cycle comes quickly and lingers. Some teams never get out of it. Most teams do. You can see the frustration surface when a puck clangs the post. Players look to the sky. A call goes against them, they look down. Pretty soon when things stop going their way, they slow down. The game, which is a game, is no longer fun. It becomes a chore.

What happens when you slow down in hockey? You get beat. Losing your focus as a player in hockey is losing a step of speed. The Washington Capitals have lost their step. They have lost their attitude of invulnerability to the point they become defeated when the puck doesn’t bounce their way. It is a slow seepage. It catches teams by surprise. It can be corrected.

The good news tends to be found in the timing of the mental exhaustion. Mid season slumps and mental lapses can be corrected. It starts with recognizing the problem and refocusing their minds as players and as a team. The short answer is to recognize this is not about character or talent. The biggest mistake coaching staff can make is to  focus on the players skills and character. If they didn’t have that, they would be in the NHL. It is a red herring to chase in the case of the Washington Capitals. It is all about helping them to focus mentally on the immediate game at hand. The team needs to have fun on the ice and win each shift.

The solution is a form of cognitive modification. If a player is on the ice and is worrying about any of the above things, their mind wanders. Their mental focus goes elsewhere. That lapse, even for a second, can cause a breakdown in play. That breakdown, can lead to an opponent scoring. And that goal will then get into the heads of the entire team. And the process that affected one player, begins to replicate itself in all the players. The goal of the coaches is to help the players purge their negative thoughts and give 100% of their mental capacity to the game in hand. In short, have fun, and win each shift. You have to help the player stay focused and not wander down a trail of negative thoughts. It is the same thing we teach our youth players. Focus on the game in hand. Play your shift hard. Win today and we will deal with the next game later. The solution is found in the moment.

NHL Illegal Checks to the Head: Revisited for Youth Ice Hockey

Below is the new NHL rule. I posted this before. It isn't a bad idea to just adopt this for youth ice hockey. While kids learn to check they should have a major penalty in mind which would be a game misconduct. If they hit to the neck, head, or back, they can't play anymore that day. This isn't about intent but the action of behavior. Intent isn't what harms, it's the act. Penalties must be strong enough to change behavior before they happen.

Now intent might carry additional penalties and suspensions which I am all for. But adopting this NHL penalty for head contact should be the precident for youth ice hockey neck, head, and back contact.

Here is the rule again.


Rule 48 - Illegal Check to the Head


48.1 Illegal Check to the Head – A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted.

48.2 Minor Penalty - There is no provision for a minor penalty for this rule.

48.3 Major Penalty - For a violation of this rule, a major penalty shall be assessed (see 48.4).

48.4 Game Misconduct – An automatic game misconduct penalty shall be assessed whenever a major penalty is assessed under this rule.

48.5 Match Penalty - The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgment, the player attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent with an illegal check to the head.

48.6 Fines and Suspensions – Any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconducts under this rule, in either regular League or playoff games, shall be suspended automatically for the next game his team plays. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.
If deemed appropriate, supplementary discipline can be applied by the Commissioner at his discretion (refer to Rule 28).

Changing Checking in Youth Ice Hockey and What I Have Learned: A New Clinic?

I learned there are 4 wheels to youth ice hockey. They are USA Hockey (they make the rules), Leagues and Clubs (they adopt the USA Hockey standards), and Referees (they enforce the rules). Well maybe three wheels. I also learned that if you say "change checking..." you get a lot of looks. I know I wrote that in the title but what I  (we parents) have been blogging about is not changing checking but enforcing a new rule for improper checking. As I have said... "hockey is a physical sport but it is not a reckless sport."

The four wheels tend  roll their own way but make youth ice hockey move forward. Since they spin at different rates, the direction changes at times. However, they all care about the players and keep things mostly going in the same direction. The difficulty in getting change to occur, with respect to safety, is getting the wheels to spin together. As parents, we can't really easily do that.

The problem is an inherent barrier that makes change difficult because you have essentially four wheels. USA Hockey has the rules. The League adopts the rules and can add their own rules. The Clubs find Leagues that have USA Hockey rules or amended rules. The Referees enforce the rules. With three or four wheels spinning autonomously, it is difficult to get any one wheel to do something about immediately changing the rules with regard to hits to the head, neck, or back. The rule change we want is for kids to lose the privilege of playing out the game if they hit in the described manner. We want an immediate non-discretionary call. You hit to the head, neck, or back... you don't play anymore that game.

When you bring up this safety change, for example, the main barrier is which wheel is responsible for saying here is the new rule. The answer... all of them but they tend to stick with the status quo. The status quo is what I call the hockey culture, which is also the barrier to quick change. And the barrier raises its head, for instance, when someone says, "the rules are there and Referees need to enforce them" or "that this is part of hockey", etc, etc. I've been over the barriers in other blogs.

Now, we (parents) could create a new League that adds this penalty to the mix. That is a lot of work. We could create a non-checking League. But I think checking is needed. We could develop a Club that has more practices and skills development and less games. I am not really interested in doing that. We like our Club. We could send emails to USA Hockey with our thoughts. I have done that. The question becomes what can we do that most quickly helps our children. That is what we are interested in. We don't want to change the face of youth ice hockey. We want the immediate risks of harm reduced to protect our children.

USA Hockey is going to delay checking to the Bantam level (13-14) come the 2012 season. That is fine but what is really missing is the skills training to teach the players how to check, protect themselves on the ice, and how to respect all players above the victory. The Leagues, Clubs, Coaches, and Players all need more standard repetitive training in this area. But what can we do as parents? What can we do quickly? What can we do while the USA Hockey changes come? And you know what, I am 100% sure our idea of one and done will be adopted. However, I think it will be over the next 5-10 years. That is to long for our children to wait.

We have decided to create an instructional checking, skills, and scrimmage, 10-12 week clinic, that falls between seasons. That is the April, May, June time frame. We are developing a standard of training that brings in best practices for teaching youth players how to check, protect themselves on the ice, and develop player respect. The youth players will practice and scrimmage through the teaching of a very specific skills training course that incorporates the Heads Up Hockey Training, Behavior Safety Skills (like body position), Mental Awareness (play options & tracking players), and Scrimmage (practice in action). It will be an adjunct to the current hockey Clubs and Leagues and hopefully help reduce the risk of injuries to our children by teaching them. After a lot of thought, we (parents) felt that teaching was the best place and way to immediately begin to help our children. Our goal is for rule change but we also want to immediately help the youth players that are actively playing. 

We believe we can't prevent injuries but we can reduce the frequency of injuries. If we can help teach a child when to dump a puck verses skate head down into three players... well we reduced risk of injury to that child. And that is one of our goals.

Huskies Win - Beating First Place Prince Williams

Huskies Win - Beating First Place Prince Williams

The Huskies came out strong and scored 44 seconds into the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Alec #8 poke the puck in for a goal when he found #38 Thomas's rebound floating under the goalie's feet. The Huskies then capitalized on a power play with James #44 putting in #8 Drew's rebounding point shot. Two minutes later Thomas #38 scored with an assist coming from #91 Noah. The Huskies were up 3-0 in the first. The team new the importance of this game and they showed they came to win. The first period could be summed up with hustle and 5 players attacking the offensive zone.

In the second period the Huskies saw their lead shrink to 1. Prince William wasn't about to sleep through the game. They scored 2 goals in the closing 10 minutes of the 2nd period. It seemed liked our penalties were catching up to us.  With 1:11 to go in the 2nd, Matt #64 lifted a puck over the goalie's pad to take a 4-2 lead. Without #30 Harsh's hustle to keep the play alive and without his delivery of the puck to the crease, the Huskies would not of had the breathing room of 2 goal lead entering into third period. The Huskies scored their first 4 goals because a player took a shot and a player crashed the net for a rebound. A winning formula!  The Huskies escaped 5 second period penalties with the help of some great goal tending by #39 Lizzy.

The third period started with an early goal by Prince William to bring the score to 3-4. The Huskies answered with goals by Jimmy #12, assisted by #64 Matt and an unassisted goal by AJ #62. The Huskies were up 6-3. Prince William scored again 10 seconds into their power-play off of yet another Huskies penalty. The Huskies gave up 8 power plays, a full period of time. The game took a turn when Lizzy got hurt in goal. She managed to work through it and stayed in the game.

I can't forget a great defensive play, though I missed the number. The puck squirted passed Lizzy and was on the way to crossing the goal line. Matt or Nick (I believe) swept in behind the goalie and tucked the puck under her pad. Hockey isn't always about scoring. A great defensive play! - that had the Prince William parent's sighing and cheering. Who was that masked defensive player? The Huskies beat first place Prince Williams and ended the season on a high note before entering our holiday break.

Happy Holidays to all the Huskies. Let's hope Alec and Lizzy heal up fully. And let let's hope Tucker's arm is good to go. Peewee Silver had a great first half of a season. Let's see what Santa brings the team for the second half! This is a great time to review the Heads Up Hockey video with your child and get them ready for January. Happy Holidays!

Mental Aspects of Youth Ice Hockey: A Basic Review of Rules and Such

Even when writing about the cognitive development of Peewees, I still forget. That might be a function of my cognitive decline. They are learning so much and trying to assimilate so much, that somethings get lost. My son was talking after practice with his coach. They were discussing icing. Alec was calling for icing during practice, off the coach's stick. Sounds good but it was a power play and the coach was on the penalty kill.

I joined the discussion and added basically he knows what icing is.. "he yells for it all the time watching the Caps games."

He actually didn't know the whole rule. He either forgot or it never really registered. He knew on the power play you should ice the puck and clear the zone. It his mind it was clear the zone. He didn't realize if you fully ice the puck that a penalty wouldn't be called. Maybe that is a function of his team never really fully icing the puck, so he never paid attention to the no icing call. I don't know. His team gets it out of the zone but not always over the opposing goal line. He was essentially trying to ice the puck on his shifts and he would clear the zone, he just never sent it fully down the ice to see the no call.

But after practicing something standard and talking with his coach, he can now improve his game a degree. He no longer has to worry about being called for a penalty during the penalty kill. His words, "well now I can smack it our of there."

It was a good lesson for me to realize that some things get missed.  Basic review of rules and such is a good way to help you child polish up their game.

Travel Volleyball and Travel Hockey: Alternatives

My daughter plays travel volleyball. It is about as expensive as travel hockey. They have 2 2-hour practices a week and the coaches are paid. It is a long season like hockey. The coaches may have college experience, olympic experience, both or more.  They don't play local weekly games. They only play travel tournaments. Included in the cost are 8 tournaments. The focus is development. It got me to think about alternative or additional youth ice hockey events during the off-season.

One of the differences I noticed was the intensity and detail of the evaluations to place the players throughout three or four levels of play. The focus is on volleyball skill developement with expectations. There is a high expectation that the player is there, out of a desire to improve and compete at tournament levels.

Would this work for youth ice hockey? More practices and squad scrimmages and less weekly games? Paid coaches and high expectations for the players to excel through practice? Less travel and more intense focus on regimented skills development? Now the tournaments wouldn't have to be all over the US. Sure standard travel tournaments but also local league tournaments. Any variation really. What if a new Spring/Summer league looked at intense training and held monthly round robin tournaments for the teams in the league? Maybe monthly, every 6 weeks or a variation? Maybe it is only a 6 week league that culminates with a tournament. Intense practices and scrimmages are used to prepare the players. One goal, one mission to win the Leauge Cup. Something like that. Not just a weekly clinic but a team with purpose.

Would this work during the March - August lack of hockey in our area? Not only would this addition to the regular Fall/Winter league be about skill, it could be about safety. It would include total preparation for game play. How to check, how to protect yourself, how to make decisions, how to execute, and so on. Intense, intense training for players that value practice and hard coaching. It would be a match between player attitude and desire to learn and higher levels of coaching. Between season alternatives or options might be the answer for both teaching safety skills and helping players develop before the start of the next season.

Change is not always about removing old ways. It can include new additions that  help tackle old problems.

I Talk About Changing the Youth Ice Hockey Culture...

Cultures are always changing. Change is difficult but the best qualities of the culture tend to remain and get assimilated into the new culture. Do you like to eat? As cultures change, one thing that is commonly passed on, is food and food preparation as well as traditions. The good things stay.

Youth ice hockey culture isn't bad, it just needs a jolt to address safety and adopt best methods to reduce the risk of injury to our children, the players. With minimal effort, a new culture can be formed that has the best of the past and the future. We just need individuals to step forward and make it happen. The hardest part of change is saying... here are the changes, implement them. Once it is done, everything falls in line again and in this case, we just reduced the risk of injuries to kids.

The blindside hurdles are debate, delay, and slow transition. In the case of youth ice hockey, waiting to implement changes keeps our kids at higher risk. We want to reduce risk. The debate is over. We know about concussions. The delay of committees and discussion is over. USA Hockey is in a rule change year and designated 2012 (I believe) as the year checking starts in Bantam instead of Peewee. The hurdle that is in the way is SLOW TRANSITION. We can't stop with the 2012 change and say okay change will happen. It is good but a blindside hurdle still exists. We need to turn our heads and look at it.

There is still the 2010 season and the 2011 season and their is still the huge matter of implementing a teaching program to fully teach the youth players how to check and protect themselves. Teaching should start in the lowest ages and continue through all of youth ice hockey. We can now focus on taking ideas such as the Heads Up Hockey suggestions for teaching safety and get them quickly implemented. Parents need to start talking with their clubs and leagues and be very away of these blindside hurdles: Debate, Delay and Slow Transition. You are not asking for a debate, you can not settle for a committee to look into it and delay, and waiting to next year is not necessary. Now is the time to bring safety changes to your child's team, club, and league.

As a parent, I found no one resists this idea and everyone is interested in safety, it is getting a plan in place to do it that is hard. The reason... Most of the people involved with youth ice hockey are volunteers. Put the idea out their and find other parents that want to help. The barriers aren't people or clubs. The barrier is just getting it organized and implemented. We have to do more then say we want this implemented. We have to be willing to volunteer our time and help the clubs and leagues out. We don't need finger pointers and directors. We need heavy lifting.

What is Heads Up Hockey?: The Program Guide for Safer Play

Here is the link to the PDF guide Heads Up Hockey Guide and Manual

Heads Up Hockey was designed to protect the players. Bottom line - it is a whole manual that instructs coaches how to teach skills to better protect your child when on the ice. It is already done. It is detailed and smart. So the question is - Why isn't it fully, thoroughly, repeatatively, consistently, and etc. TAUGHT?

This is where parents can get involved and tell the clubs and leagues to teach it or to help develop a way for it to be taught. Either method will work, the latter is better.

The HUH (which is what we should be saying to ourselves for not getting more invovled) program states on the front: Safer Hockey, Smarter Hockey, Better Hockey. That is what we want for our kids, the youth players.

Section One is called: Head Injuries Are Preventable.
Is not called Head Injuries are Part of the Game. They do occur but we can reduce the frequency.

Section Two is called: Playing Heads Up Hockey.
It has 6 sections. The first five have to do with "Heads Up", "Angling In", "Hitting the Boards", "Taking A Check", and "Giving A Check". The sixth section talks about reckless hockey.

Im am not saying coaches and clubs don't teach aspects of the above. I am saying they are just under-taught. My opinion is they are essential to every child that plays youth ice hockey and should be taught yearly in a very structured program. We have a great coach, some clubs don't. Some clubs might have great coaches if the coaches had more support and resources. I don't think it should be left up to the coach to teach the Heads Up Hockey. It should be mandated by the clubs and leagues. The club is responsible for supporting the volunteer coaches and educating them and for providing them the tools to best teach and manage a team. As parents, we can influence clubs and leagues to improve safety (period). Check out the link and get involved. The ground works is already laid out to reduce injuries. Why not help create an adjunct program to your local youth ice hockey programs?

Heads Up Hockey Training: Great Skills that are Under Taught

My son's hockey club offers additional practice sessions that equate to about 2-3 a year. These are practice times, in addition to his standard 2 weekly team practices.  From what I understand the practices are flexible and I know our manager has been interested in getting the Heads Up trainings as standard trainings for the kids.

This Monday the additional practice was 100% Heads Up. What is that? It teaches the players how to check and protect themselves in the game. It is designed to make them better checkers, so they don't injure a player and it teaches them how to protect themselves on the ice.

The one hour session included 22 boys and Ty Newberry from USA Hockey. He introduced them to skills I would consider essential and even go as far as to say... must be mastered by a player before they can advance into a checking league. I have discovered, with help, that the course-work to teach our children how to best protect themselves is already written under USA Hockey. Getting clubs, leagues, and parents involved in developing a mechanism to train the players, our children, is needed. I mean really institute a plan to teach Heads Up skills. In two words - thoroughly trained.

This isn't about what hasn't been done with regard to safety but what we can do in the future. The boys learned how to take a fall and prevent the boards from impacting their skull and neck. You know what? They struggled. They didn't know how to do it. Basically, they were taught (SAFELY) how to slide full speed into the boards and turn their body. Did you know there is a set way to contact the boards? It is stick, hands, and knees. Done in that order, to absorb the impact and prevent injury to their neck and head. They learned better how to do it but could easily use another 1/2 dozen practices to perfect it. It isn't as simple or easy as it sounds.

Why are these types of hockey skills so under-taught? I have an idea but that is for another blog entry.  These are behaviors and skills they must  practice and learn before they could ever do them in a game. You absolutely can't just learn these skill in a game. Practice! x 100. They probably have to do it 500 times in practice, to save themselves 1 time in a game. It is just under-taught. The leagues, clubs, and parents have to do more to bring this type of skills training to the fore-front. It can't just be a soft... it is there for the coaches to use.

They were also taught how to check a player along the boards. It was NOT about just impacting them shoulder to shoulder and into the boards. That really isn't a good hockey play if you ended up falling down and take yourself out of the play or don't end up with the puck. They were taught how to stop a player by gaining position and checking the player's hands, arms, and stick into the boards. It effectively shut down the player and play, and allowed them to move the puck out. It was a better check and they were taught how to do it so there was no impact to the opposing player's back. Or at least less risk to checking a player in the back. And that is the goal... reduce risk.

They learned a critical skill that I bet you don't even know exists. Still, after 20 minutes of practicing this technique, some boys continued to go straight for the puck and never looked over their shoulders. They definitely need to practice this technique at every practice, in some form. Essentially, a player should approach a puck, in the corners or along the boards, by sweeping in from an angle. They must look for players over both shoulder as they pick up the puck. The sweep or angle motion to the puck puts them shoulder to shoulder with boards and allows them to look around as they approach the puck.

What do most kids do instead of coming in from an angle? Straight line to the puck, almost a perpendicular line to the boards, and they don't look to see who is behind them. What this does, when doing it the wrong way, is positions the player, your child, with their head to the boards and their back to on coming players. A recipe for impact and harm. Youth players must learn the sweeping angling technique first and demonstrate they can do it, IMO, before they even step into a checking league. Teach it early, practice it often, use it before entering a checking league, and risk is reduced.

I want to thank the Huskies for making this time available and our managers for developing the lesson plan so to speak. It helped my child learn something new that might save him harm.  Every parent must get involved and push skills training for safety. We don't have to invent it. We just have to get what is available implemented in a structured and sufficient manner. Two classes is good. I think the skills in Heads UP Hockey is easily twelve 1 hour sessions.  And that 12 hours is just for an INTRODUCTION to youth players. There are concepts found in the Heads UP trainings that must be drilled into our kids heads. Pun intended. It beats the alternative of them drilling their heads into the boards.

Yeah My Kid Got A Concussion Too

Sometimes you have to step back and think... Why do we do things this way? Youth ice hockey is great sport. It is also a sport that puts our children at risk. I have encountered this "funny" story, not once, not twice, not even three times, but four times when exploring safety changes to the game.

I noticed, along with other parents, that reckless hits occur during our sons' games. When I tried to address how to make the game safer and reduce risk to our kids, I was told an odd story, perhaps meant to be comforting in some strange manner. I really do think the stories were shared to help me out in some way but I will let you be the judge of their purpose.

I have brought up reckless hitting, hitting to the head and neck, concussions, weak penalties, and lack of skills training to the players as areas that could be addressed for safety improvements. No one gets angry. They all listen but often in some round-about-way say that's hockey. Well, that's not good enough for me. It isn't the NHL and the youth leagues aren't played by adults. When I asked about improving safety because of concussions to our kids... I get the same themed story, followed by that is the nature of the game or something like that.

The stories go something like this... "Yeah I am with you. Did I tell you my son had 2 concussions. One kid on his team, I think 2 years ago, was out for 2 months because of a concussion. That was scary but he is okay now. My son got his concussion when he was coming up the boards and a player elbowed his head into the boards. That was his introduction to Peewee hockey. His second concussion came as a Midget when he was drilled sideways into the boards. I think it was a hit to the back. It was serious but he got through it. The referee missed both calls. Or I should say called penalties but not like they should have been called. The first concussion was 2 minutes for elbowing. The second concussion was for interference. It was also boarding if you ask me. It is part of the game."

It is this sense or cultural-like-phenomena , that joining with the injured by making the concussion a rite of passage, actually makes no sense. This belief  (of passage) becomes a way of delaying looking into safety improvements and that puts our kids at risks. I don't care if you share in my son's concussion by having a son that had a concussion. I hope they both don't get future concussions. Let address this old hockey culture that injury is part of the game and nothing can be done. Injuries do happen but lets have less of them happen.

Without realizing it, many people involved with youth ice hockey have become numb to that fact the players, our children, are getting hurt at alarming rates. They aren't insensitive. They absolutely don't want children to get hurt but at the same time they have become comfortable with the status quo. Unfortunately in youth ice hockey the status quo is harm. I think it is time that a good hard look at the way things are currently done, occurs. Sometimes you don't "see" as well when you are "immersed in it" year after year after year. This goes for any business, culture, environment, or activity. Youth ice hockey needs to look at the new information about concussions and make changes to the game in several areas to reduce the risk of injury to our kids.

Huskies Split the Weekend

The Huskies continue to play competitively. They split the weekend. We wish Lizzy a fast recovery from her leg injury. Her skills and presence will be missed. Lizzy held a shutout until the closing minutes of the third period. Montgomery was awarded a penalty shot. She appeared to make the save but the referee called it a goal. A collision occurred and she sprained her leg. Recover quickly!

Congrats to Nick. He has been a defensive anchor and scored last week by taking a shot just as the coaches ordered. He was awarded his first goal - completing the goal of a goal for every player this year.

Mental Aspects of Ice Hockey: 2nd Level Learning & Mid Season Hurdles

In the perfect world of La-La, talking to your child calmly fixes everything. That doesn’t always work on Earth for parents or coaches. If it did, I would be out of work. We are dealing with 10-12 year olds. Although their capacity to understand increases and their ability to manage themselves improves, they are still kids and problems still arise. In youth ice hockey the problems, if they are big, small, or indifferent annoyances, influence and affect both the individual player and the team. They have to be addressed if they surface or if they get in the way. The problem can be looked at as a hurdle and should be related to skills. I was asked on two levels (child & team) how do you deal with…

There are two kinds of problems, to simplify let’s say there are only pattern problems and single events. Single events are easily handled. A player messes up, the coach or parent or both talks with the child, the behaviors go away for a long time. Maybe the player also gets a time-out of sorts. Then there is the pattern problem. This is when a player exhibits the same behavior over and over and over again. Talking doesn’t really work. Short time-outs don’t really work. Yelling doesn’t work. The problem repeats. The latter, is the issue I will tackle under the mental aspects of ice hockey. You have to discern between behavior problems and difficulty with executing skills.

Now let me complicate it a bit more. There are two types of pattern problems. One being what the team isn’t doing as a team. That may be for example, as with most youth teams, not using the pass effectively or bunching up. The other being what a player(s) is doing individually, that is, their behavior and not a hockey related skill issue. I will take the easy way out and option out of talking about problematic players. I will focus on the team as being one player. The team is an entity. The team example does work for a single child that is having trouble with specific hockey goals too, not to be confused with the child having non-hockey behavior issues. You can follow the example below as for a team or a child with hockey goal issues.

First, as a coach, you teach and preach the purpose, the method, and you have the team practice and develop the skill. This is fairly standard. If you take time to make sure you covered this piece fairly well, not perfectly, but fairly well then the team as whole should be on the same page. All coaches have skill plans. All players are introduced to the plan in stages and as one group. So far so good… standard teaching.

The mental aspect of team patterns begin to take hold around mid-season. The entity or the team now has three heads, come mid-season. You have heads that get it, that mostly get it and those that partially get it. They all get it. They just vary in degrees of putting it into game play action. At this point the skills have been effectively taught and practiced. Frustration begins to surface among coaches, players, and parents. Frustration isn’t good or bad, it is just there. In four years of youth hockey, I see it every year. Now granted winning, (winning has value in this case only) makes all the difference on how well people manage their frustration. That is a topic for another blog entry. For the single child, at this point, the three heads are various skills. They get a skill,  they mostly get a skill, and they partially get a skill. What is the hurdle they or the team needs to overcome? Sometimes identifying the hurdle or breakdown is more important the reviewing the skill.

A losing season leads to chaos. A mostly winning seasons leads to rumblings here and there. In either case the volunteer, I said volunteer, coaches begin to feel and catch the frustration. This is where 10-12 years old have the opportunity to make and individually change for the team (this helps the child and team clear hurdles). They need help to change. The child knows the frustration is there. They need help because they have gone through one level of learning. Now they are stuck at taking what they have learned and regularly putting it into their weekly team game play. And this is where everyone takes a breath and remembers this is a game and the players are being taught to play. Most players just need help.

So, how do you get the players through the second level of learning? You use rewards and consequence based on clearly defined goals determined by the coaching staff. Not determined by the parents or the players but by the coaches. All pieces have to be clearly thought out and fully explained to the players. And they must view and take the plan, rewards, and consequences seriously. Get them all on the next page. It is page turning time. This is what is done for the team to get to that 2nd level or learning. For the child individually working at home, you don't create punishment or consequences. You use rewards and excitement when they do something they have been working on. Help them set the goals and celebrate when they execute the skill they have been having difficulty using in a game.

The young player needs structure, predictability, and a sense of fair accountability. This allows them to focus on a game plan and on themselves. Without this, a team can breakdown. This is most predominant in classrooms. The principles of teaching are however the same for any group of kids. Players 10-12 years old have a good sense of fair accountability (another future blog entry).  It goes something like this, “well why should I do it if they aren’t and they don’t get in trouble.” I suppose you could go and continually punish a team or players but I think that isn’t quite rewarding.

Peewee players also recognize fairness through being rewarded for doing something right versus seeing someone punished that does it wrong. Let’s keep the issues of passing and position spacing upfront and in mind as goals. Rewards or consequences work well or better yet, a combination of both works best. The consequence should be mild but evident. The reward should be clear and predominate. They will see this as fair accountability.

Parents can help their child improve as a team player by teaching them to focus on themselves and not on the actions of others and by supporting the coaches’ plan. They can have their own goals at home but have to support and focus on the team during practices and games. They can understand the difference with help.

Coaches can meet with the team and ask the players to work together to achieve the very specific goals  of A and B. Goals A and B are typically what has been taught for the 1st half of season but now it is time for everyone to be doing it fairly regularly, game in and game out. The players know the skills, they know how to physically do it, but they aren’t mentally able to pull it off consistently. This is a learning stage. This is a mental aspect of the game for the youth players. A plan needs to be designed to help them make it over the next hurdle.

You are pulling the players’ mental capacities into play and onto the ice by using an accountability plan with clear goals. You are reaching out to help them focus on improving their game by providing them with a plan, expectations, and rewards and consequences. At specific points of a season, it isn’t about teaching the actual skill, it is about pulling out their mental strength so the players can fully enact or use the skill in a game. It is about helping the player turn on the “ah-hah” switch. When done correctly, you see the three team heads go away and a lot of smiles from the players when the switch goes on. Methods to building a plan is yet another blog entry.

The mental aspects of the youth ice hockey go hand in hand with the development of physical skills. The best part of the mental game is, it has nothing to do with a player’s ice abilities and everything to do with hockey thinking. My belief is that the player that learns to think will become a player that begins to dominate when his or her skill level improves and their physical body develops. Children develop physically and mentally at different rates. At times, you have to know what part they need the most help with to improve their enjoyment of the game.

Mental Aspects of Ice Hockey: Mid-Season Assessment, Fun, and Goals

It is mid-season so to speak. Our players have played in 27 games. What does that mean for 10-12 year olds? I spoke before about their ability to begin to understand what they do and don’t do well. Mid-season is a great time to have a discussion with your child about how they have progressed. Progression is the key.

I recommend using this conversation as a way to assess how they are enjoying themselves. First, ask them what their team is doing well. Ask them what their team can improve on. This does 2 things. One, it focuses them on the team. Hockey is about team play. At this age and point in the season, they should understand the pass and teammate next to them is mightier than trying to beat 3 players on their own, only to lose the puck or get off a lame shot. See what they notice and understand about the past games. By having them identify the teams strengths and weakness, they are also identifying things they are doing. Two, it is away to ease them into talking about themselves.

This is not an opportunity for you to lay down an agenda. You can always guide the development of one but your child knows if you are listening or just telling. Before you even start with their strengths/pros/good and weakness/cons/bad, ask them to recap their most enjoyable plays. You really want to find out if they are enjoying themselves. Their best plays probably have aspects of their strengths in them.

Just ask them what they think they can better develop or improve over the next half of the season. These aren’t so much weaknesses but improvements. I explain it to my son like this, “You are much faster than a year ago and handle the puck really well. What else would you like to add to those skills?” He identified 2 things. He wants to speed up when coming down the boards and when making a move on a player. He wants to improve his backward cross-overs. Hockey skills can always be improved. Teaching your child to understand getting better doesn’t mean that they are bad at something, is very important. It just means hockey is hard as heck and even NHL players continue to work on getting even better.

Reviewing the fun part of the season with your child is more important than pointing out what they need to work on. If they are having fun, they will continue to become better rounded players. That being said, this is the age and the mid-season is a good time to help them learn about and better understand what practice is used for. There are travel and recreational levels of play. Expectations of attitude and behavior are different between these levels. A big part of teaching your child the mental aspects of ice hockey is preparing them to practice with a high personal standard. Their own standard, not one they are told to follow so they don’t get yelled at by the coach. Having fun leads to improvement by building on success. Setting goals is fine. It is the road you take to identifiying goals that makes all the difference. Think about it.

Serious Hockey Injuries Among Young Children Skyrocketing, Study Finds

It states there were 7,713 youth hockey injuries in 2006. More then double that in 1990. More data to show safety has to be better addressed in youth ice hockey. The article can best be viewed from its source:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920111346.htm


Serious Hockey Injuries Among Young Children Skyrocketing, Study Finds


ScienceDaily (Sep. 20, 2010) — The incidence of hockey-related injuries among children aged 9 to 14 leading to emergency department visits more than doubled between 1990 and 2006, according to a new nationwide U.S. study.


There were 2,935 hockey injuries treated in emergency departments in that age group in 1990, increasing to 7,713 in 2006 -- an increase of 163 percent.



The injury incidence among teens aged 15 to 18 didn't increase as much as that of younger children, but still grew 85 percent during the same time period.



The startling increase in injuries calls for more attention to safety, according to researchers at Ohio State University and The Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus.



"The incidence of ice hockey injuries will likely continue to increase, given the sport's growing popularity, unless we make a concerted effort to make sure kids wear the proper protective equipment," said Jeff Deits, lead author of the study, who did the work as part of his master's degree project at Ohio State's School of Physical Activity and Educational Services.



This study is the first long-term assessment of hockey injuries in a broad, national sample, said Deits, who is now an assistant athletic trainer at Wichita State University. It appears in the September-October issue of the Journal of Athletic Training.



The study uses data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which collects injury reports from a sample of 100 U.S. hospitals. Deits examined all emergency department records from 1990 through 2006 that involved playing ice hockey, including both structured games and those in which people were playing on ponds or open rinks.



Overall, hockey injuries in all age groups combined increased during that time period, but not significantly. But there were significant increases in injury rates both among children and teens, and among females generally.



Among girls and women, the incidence of hockey injuries increased 347 percent from 1990 to 2006. Females also made up an increasingly larger proportion of total hockey injuries, increasing from 4.8 percent from 1990 through 1999 to 8.9 percent from 2000 through 2006.



"Women are about as likely to be injured playing hockey as men, and their participation has increased greatly, which explains why women's injuries have increased so much," Deits said.



Part of the large increase in children's injuries undoubtedly is the result of more children playing the sport, said Sarah Fields, co-author of the study and associate professor of physical activity and educational services at Ohio State.



For example, the number of high school students playing ice hockey in school-sanctioned leagues increased 88 percent from 1990 to 2006.



However, injury rates seem to be outpacing the growth in participation, Fields said.



"We can't tell for sure, but we believe that hockey is a much more serious sport now than it was in 1990, so kids are probably spending a lot more time on the ice. That results in more chances for injury," Fields said.



Deits and Fields said one of the more surprising findings was that nearly one in four ice hockey injuries was to the face or mouth.



"The only hockey players who should not be required to wear a face mask are NHL players," Deits said. "The majority of these facial injuries are preventable if players used face masks and shields."



The researchers suspect that players in youth hockey leagues, where face masks are required, may not be wearing this protection during non-contact drills.



"Players and coaches may think they don't need masks during skating drills, but we know from other research that when you fall on the ice, you usually injure your face because your hands slide out from under you," Fields said.



"We encourage parents and coaches to require kids to wear face masks and shields every time they are on the ice."



Another concerning finding from the study was the number of concussions among young players. Concussions were more common among those under age 18 (accounting for 9 percent of all injuries) than for those older than 18 years (3.7 percent of all injuries).



"The brains of children and adolescents are more likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury, even at a lesser force, than a mature brain," Deits said. "There's been more focus on traumatic brain injuries in recent years, especially among children, and that's very appropriate."



One way to protect children may be to limit body checking among younger players, Fields said. As of now, players are allowed to begin checking in pee-wee hockey, which starts at about age 11. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that body checking not be allowed in children under the age of 15.



"If we could eliminate checking in pee wee leagues, we think it would reduce the number of emergency department visits for kids in those leagues," she said.



Deits said parents need to understand the risks involved in hockey, while doing everything they can to reduce those risks.



"Hockey is a full-contact, high-speed sport, at least among older kids and adults. Parents need to make sure their children wear all the protective equipment that's required, but realize there will always be risks involved."



Other co-authors of the study were Ellen Yard and Dawn Comstock of The Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ohio State; and Christy Collins of Nationwide Children's Hospital.



Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Allowing Body Checking in Youth Hockey May Increase Risk of Injury, Including Severe Concussions

More news about checking and concussion. The article also mentions different ages for checking based on the country. It is best viewed at its source: Allowing Body Checking in Youth Hockey May Increase Risk of Injury, Including Severe Concussions


Allowing Body Checking in Youth Hockey May Increase Risk of Injury, Including Severe Concussions



ScienceDaily (June 10, 2010) — A comparison of hockey leagues in Canada for 11-12 year old players finds that compared with leagues that do not allow body checking, those that do have an associated 3-fold increased risk of game-related injuries, including severe injuries and severe concussions, according to a study in the June 9 issue of JAMA.

"Ice hockey is a popular North American winter sport, with more than 550,000 registered youth players in Hockey Canada and more than 340,000 registered players in the USA Hockey Association in 2008-2009. Despite the advantages of sport participation, there is increasing concern regarding the frequency of ice hockey injuries in youth," the authors write. They add that recent attention has been focused on the increased frequency of concussive head injuries in youth hockey. It is the most common type of specific injury, accounting for more than 15 percent of all injuries in 9- to 16-year-old players, according to background information in the article.



Internationally, there are different regulations regarding the age at which body checking is introduced in ice hockey. In the United States, body checking is introduced in all leagues for the age group 11-12 years, but leagues not permitting body checking exist through all ages, up to the leagues for 15-16 year-olds. In Canada, the youngest age group in which body checking is permitted is Pee Wee (ages 11-12 years). In the province of Quebec, however, Bantam (ages 13-14 years) is the youngest age group in which body checking is permitted.



Carolyn A. Emery, Ph.D., B.Sc.P.T., of the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and colleagues examined whether the risk of concussion and injury differed for youth ice hockey players in a league that permits body checking vs. a league that does not. The study was conducted in Alberta and Quebec during the 2007-2008 Pee Wee ice hockey season and included players (n = 2,154) from teams in the top 60 percent of divisions of play. Among the outcomes measured was the rate for game- and practice-related injuries and concussions.



Seventy-four Pee Wee teams from Alberta (n = 1,108 players) and 76 Pee Wee teams from Quebec (n = 1,046 players) completed the study. There were a total of 241 injuries (78 concussions) reported in Alberta and 91 injuries (23 concussions) reported in Quebec. For game-related injuries, the Alberta vs. Quebec incidence rate ratio (comparison of the risk of injury in the two leagues) was 3.26 (n = 209 and n = 70 for Alberta and Quebec, respectively]) for all injuries; 3.88 (n = 73 and n = 20) for concussion; 3.30 (n = 51 and n = 16) for severe injury (time loss, greater than 7 days); and 3.61 (n = 14 and n = 4) for severe concussion (time loss, greater than 10 days).



"The estimated absolute risk reduction (injuries per 1,000 player-hours) that would be achieved if body checking were not permitted in Alberta was 2.84 for all game-related injuries, 0.72 for severe injuries, 1.08 for concussion, and 0.20 for severe concussion. There was no difference between provinces for practice-related injuries," the authors write.



"Among 11- to 12-year-old ice hockey players, playing in a league in which body checking is permitted compared with a league in which body checking is not permitted was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of all game-related injuries, concussion, severe injury, and severe concussion. These findings may have important implications for policy decisions related to body checking in youth ice hockey. The public health implications associated with injury in Pee Wee hockey in which body checking is permitted are significant."



"Future research should compare the injury and concussion risk in the next age group of play (Bantam, ages 13-14 years), in which players in one cohort will have 2 years of body checking experience prior to Bantam participation. This research can inform the development and rigorous evaluation of prevention strategies to reduce the risk of injury in this population of youth ice hockey participants," the authors conclude.



Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Junior Ice Hockey Study Uncovers Alarming Concussion Rates

More information about concussion in youth ice hockey. It is best view at is source: Junior Ice Hockey Study Uncovers Alarming Concussion Rates


Junior Ice Hockey Study Uncovers Alarming Concussion Rates


ScienceDaily (Nov. 5, 2010) — A groundbreaking study on Canadian junior ice hockey published in the November 2010 Neurosurgical Focus uncovers alarming head injury/concussion data and trends that raise many questions about the safety and well being of teenagers and young adults who participate in this popular sport. Companion articles and editorial discuss return-to-play issues, the importance of increasing concussion awareness through education, and social/cultural behaviors. The case studies in the editorial provide compelling, firsthand accounts detailing the devastating impact concussions have on young athletes.


The cumulative and long-lasting effects of sports concussions have been the subject of recent heightened attention, including Congressional hearings in the U.S. In Canada, ice hockey is a major cause of sports-related concussion. "The aftermath of a concussion can impact memory, judgment, social conduct, reflexes, speech, balance and coordination. Epidemiological studies have suggested an association between sport concussions and both immediate and later-life cognitive impairment. As such, this is a public health issue that needs to be taken more seriously by players, parents, coaches, and medical professionals," said Dr. Echlin.



This is the first study to document the incidence of concussion in junior hockey players based on the 2009 Zurich consensus statement on concussions from the 3rd International Conference on Concussion in Sport. The Hockey Concussion Education Project (HCEP), a prospective cohort study was conducted during one junior hockey regular season (2009-2010) with 67 male ice-hockey players, ages 16-21 from two fourth-tier teams. Prior to the start of the season, players underwent baseline assessments using the Sideline Concussion Assessment Test (SCAT2) and the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT).



Concussion surveillance was done at each regular season game of the participating teams by one independent physician and one to three independent, non-physician observers. Among the key study findings:

Seventeen players suffered a total of 21 concussions during the 52 physician-observed games.

Twenty-nine percent (5/17) of the HCEP players suffered a second or recurrent concussion during the study period.

Eighty-eight percent (15/17) of the players with a diagnosed concussion admitted to having suffered at least one concussion in the past. Two of the seventeen players who suffered a concussion during the study admitted that they had concealed a concussion sustained during the current season in order to keep playing.

The forward position suffered 71 percent of the concussions; defensemen 29 percent; and no concussions were incurred by goalies.

Fifty-seven percent of diagnosed concussions occurred in the third period, 29 percent in the second period, and 14 percent in the first period.

Twenty-four percent (5/21) of the HCEP concussions occurred in players who were directly involved in a fight immediately prior to their diagnosis.

The mean clinical return-to-play duration in 15 players was 12.8 days.

Players in the education intervention groups demonstrated a positive trend toward concussion knowledge retention compared to the control group.

"This study showed a disturbing lack of compliance by the athletes to undergo requested neuropsychological evaluations and multiple physician visits, as well as a lack of understanding about the seriousness of concussion. Complaints from players, coaches, and parents about this testing gave further credence to the importance of raising awareness about the serious long-term implications of concussions through education, which does appear to be beneficial according to our findings," said Dr. Tator.



"The reluctance to report concussion symptoms may result from cultural factors, as expressed in several of the case studies -- athletes demonstrate perceived toughness to their parents, coaches, team mates and peers by playing through an injury; and the belief of the athlete that he or she is invincible, so winning overrides any consideration of the effect of the injury upon long-term health. It is imperative to bring about a cultural and philosophical change in this regard through stepped-up education efforts and enforcement of concussion protocols. At risk is something far more precious than winning a game, and that is the future health and well being of thousands of young athletes," concluded Dr. Echlin.



Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Taking 10-14 year olds Weight and Height Disparities Into the Safety Mix

There are always options. Innovation and creativity can make the difference when it comes to reducing injuries to youth hockey players, our children.


To debate whether or not checking should be removed or when to introduce it, does not fully address the current problem. Reckless hits to the head occur in hockey. That problem can be addressed more fully by taking all angles into account. When to introducing checking, is one angle.

By decreasing the number of hits to the neck, head, and back – you decrease concussions and other injuries. Mandatory and significant penalties are needed to deter these hits in any age game - period. You can still hit someone in the head in a non checking league… you just get a penalty. If you move checking to start in Bantam versus Peewee… you can still hit someone in the head a year early.

That being said, another angle to look from to reduce the risk of harm, is by clearly viewing the huge disparity in height and weight for both Peewees and Bantams. Why do these 2 levels with such extreme height and weight differences have to be defined only by age? Why not by age but with height and weight stipulations?

No matter what you do with checking: move it, modify it, or remove it. You still have weight differences (more so then height) that can cause great harm to children. Hitting in the back or boarding has been illegal in youth ice hockey since the beginning. But hits (yes hits) still happen. A 120 pound player boarding a 70 pound player is a recipe for major harm. Intentional or not, 50 pounds is not defendable by a 70 pound player. Raise one player up or keep one player down a level.

One suggestion is to use weight and height as a modifier for placing the players in leagues. The basic idea:


Squirt (1st year): Based on age.

Squirt (2nd year) or Peewee (1st year): Based on age, weight and height (a player moves up)

Squirt (3rd year): Based on weight and height (a player could stay down)

Peewee (1st year): Based on age, weight and height

Peewee (2nd year) or Bantam (1st year): Based on age, weight and height. (a player moves up)

Peewee (3rd year) or Bantam (1st year): Based age, weight, and height. ( a player could stay down)

Bantam (2nd year): Based on age.

It is not as confusing as it looks. Basically you take a players weight and height into account, along with age. If they are on the low end of weight and height, they can stay longer in the lower age league. If they are on the high end of weight and height, they have to move up to the higher age league. Second year squirt through second year bantam become more balanced between weight and height. Two factors that impact risk of harm on our youth players are now addressed with a better safety standard.

You can create percentages for number of older players or younger players on teams. That is easily balanced.

Youth Ice Hockey Safety Email Campaign

This is a rule change year for USA Hockey. Send them emails to help make the game safer.

There is a lot you can do in a minute. We need parents to send emails to their clubs, leagues, board members, USA Hockey, and anyone else involved in making decisions about youth ice hockey safety standards. More specifically we are asking parents to express their concern about the number of concussions and injuries occurring because of contact made to our children’s necks, heads, and backs. We understand hockey is physical sport but it is not a reckless sport. We want improved safety standards to reduce this type of contact. We don’t want explanations for why things are. We want action to change deficient safety standards as away to reduce injury in youth ice hockey. We can’t prevent injuries but we can reduce injuries.

Here are some things you might cut and paste into your emails:

Email One:
Youth ice hockey is a physical sport but it is not a reckless sport. I have noticed players getting hit in the neck, back, and head too often. The current penalties aren’t preventing this behavior. What changes are you planning to make to address this real concern?

Email Two:
There simply is not enough time being spent on teaching our children how to check and how to protect themselves when being checked. I want the club and coaches to dedicate more time toward teaching the players how to protect themselves on the ice.

Email Three:
Checking is a skill. Checking leagues are about introducing and using a new skill. I haven’t noticed skilled checking. I have noticed a lot of reckless hitting during games. What are you going to do to change this? You can’t allow children to learn to check by just sending them out on the ice to hit each other. We need more training for the players and better penalties to discourage hits to the head.

Email Four:
Everyone knows there are great discrepancies in height and weight for players between the ages of 10-16. Do you really expect a 70 pound child to get hit by a 120 pound child and not get hurt? What are you doing to address and manage this safety issue? Should a child that hasn’t hit their growth spurt be at a disadvantage? What about allowing players to stay down a level based on weight or advancing a player up a level based on weight. Age is a poor measure for defining levels of play.

Email Five:
Why do most penalties seem to be at the discretion of the referee? What about the mandatory penalties in the rules? Don’t you take hits to the head, neck, and back seriously? Don’t you think penalties should be harsh and mandatory as to significantly discourage players and prevent the hits from even happening? Assessing a penalty afterwards is not preventative. Giving a player 2 minutes, 2 and 10, 5, or 5 and 10 based on discretion and injury is not the best way to protect our children. Keep these penalties for the bench to serve and add a new penalty that removes the player that made the hit from the game. Teach them.

Email Six:
We have learned how damaging concussions can be and we have hundreds of professionals telling us to change checking. Some say remove it, some say delay it, some say modify it, and some want stronger penalties that really make a child think before they act. I have noticed very little training to teach our children how to check properly and how to protect themselves. What are you doing about this?

Email Seven:
My concern is you unknowingly tolerate hits to the head, neck, and back. I believe you have safety in mind but the culture of youth ice hockey is stale. The penalties are old and out dated. We now know how damaging concussions can be. We also know that direct head contact is the major cause of concussions and injury. The penalties are too weak. This is not the NHL, it is youth ice hockey. It is physical game but not a reckless game. Why don’t you ban hits to the neck, head, and back as a One and Done penalty? Make the penalties in youth hockey, for hits to the head, a mandatory game ejection. Save discretion for the NHL. Protect our children. Let the players that follow the rules play.

Email Eight:
I don’t care what the intention was or is. If a player hits my son in the head, I want that player out of the game to think about what he did. They can learn by not playing. We can’t tolerate any hits to the neck, head, or back. These are children. Punish them for what we know as adults to be harmful with a real penalty. NO HITS to the head - ever, or you sit the rest of the game.

Email Nine:
Checking is the most damaging aspect of youth hockey and it is the least taught. What aren’t you doing more to thoroughly teach my child how to check as not to injury a fellow player? Why aren’t you teaching my child how to protect themselves on the ice? Shouldn’t this skill be like a 6 hour serious training? Checking causes injury and I don’t see the players being adequately taught how to do it. Can you please improve the way you teach them?

Email Ten:
I paid for my child to play in a league based on specific rules I was provided via USA Hockey. The rules aren't being followed and enforced as written. There are mandatory penalty calls that aren't being made. This is not what I paid for. If you're not going to enforce the rules please create safer leagues. I would like an alternative league that is more about skills and technique then harm and hitting. I think checking has a place in hockey but I want an alterntative to a full checking league. What is wrong with only allowing shoulder to shoulder checks as a method to move the player off the puck? There must be alternative leagues that I can pay to have my child play in.  Would you be interested in forming a new type of league?

Concussions in Ice Hockey: What's the Buzz?

This is worth reading. Here is the link in PDF form. You will be able to view it in presentation format with pictures and diagrams, if you go to the above link.

Here bolded  below is the impetus to our Zero Tolerance stance. It does say 1/2 of concussions came from illegal hits to the head and back. If rule changes cuts down 50% of the above 1/2... isn't that worth it, in youth ice hockey?

The prevalence of concussions in youth hockey is surprisingly similar to concussion estimates in the NHL (23 per 1000 player game hours). (3) Concussions also frequently occur in high school and college hockey. In a recent Canadian study of 22,400 youth players, most concussions resulted from player to player contact. Half (11,200) were caused by illegal acts, such as checking from behind or hits to the head. Athletes who lost consciousness were sent for medical evaluation, but symptoms of amnesia, headache and dizziness were often ignored. According to trained observers, 71% of concussed athletes returned to play in the same game.

 BELOW is the copy of the PDF but it is best viewed in PDF form.

Concussion in Ice Hockey: What’s the Buzz?
A Medical and Psychosocial Perspective

Aynsley M. Smith, RN, PhD 1 , Michael J. Stuart, MD 2
and Dave Dodick, MD 3



1. Background of Concussions

Concussions in ice hockey have been reported since 1890, but were often viewed as minor events

described as “having your bell rung” (1) . Over time, our understanding of the mechanisms,

neurobiology and consequences of concussion has dramatically improved.

A concussion is defined as a transient neurologic dysfunction resulting from a forceful impact (2) .

The Center for Disease Control estimates between 1.6 and 3.8 million concussions occur in sport

annually, but the true incidence is likely much higher. Approximately 54% of concussed athletes

fail to report their symptoms due to a lack of recognition or fear of losing playing time. These

figures speak to the need to address the importance of recognizing and properly treating

concussions in athletes.

Forces transmitted to the head cause an electrical depolarization (the brain cells are stunned),

followed by a serious alteration in: (1) neurotransmitter function, (2) potassium and calcium

exchange, (3) glucose metabolism and (4) brain blood flow. The linear and rotational

acceleration of the brain causes the tail of neurons (axons) to stretch, tangle or die.

Diagram used with permission. "Image courtesy of Dr. Eric H. Chudler, Neuroscience

for Kids, http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html"

This diagram depicts a normal brain cell (neuron). After repeated concussions and rotational

acceleration the stretched, tangled, axons may lead to cognitive and behavioral changes.

1 Dr. Smith is a sport and exercise consultant and research director in the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center who

has worked with ice hockey in all levels of participation.

2 Dr. Stuart is an orthopedic surgeon, codirector

of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center, and team physician for

the 2010 USA Olympic men’s ice hockey team.

3 Dr. Dodick is a neurologist at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, AZ, a full professor of neurology, a world expert in

headache and related neurotrauma, and who has expertise in hockey and concussion.

Repetitive head trauma from participation in activities such as boxing, football and ice hockey

can lead to serious consequences such as memory loss or early Alzheimer’s disease. In recent

years, we have learned that concussion symptoms take longer to resolve in children.

2. Who Gets Concussed?

The prevalence of concussions in youth hockey is surprisingly similar to concussion estimates in

the NHL (23 per 1000 playergame

hours). (3) Concussions also frequently occur in high school

and college hockey. In a recent Canadian study of 22,400 youth players, most concussions

resulted from player to player contact. Half (11,200) were caused by illegal acts, such as

checking from behind or hits to the head. Athletes who lost consciousness were sent for medical

evaluation, but symptoms of amnesia, headache and dizziness were often ignored. According to

trained observers, 71% of concussed athletes returned to play in the same game.

Children and adolescent hockey players are more susceptible to concussion because of a larger

head size to body size ratio; weaker neck muscles and less stability on skates when checked or

pushed. Videotape analysis of Bantam players identified onice

skating characteristics that

helped explain why certain players sustain concussion. These players tended to skate with their

heads down watching the puck, positioning themselves in the “danger zone”, which is between

816

feet from the boards, and didn’t optimally position their body to receive a check. Thus,

when checked, these players were more often flung into the boards. Collisions too often occurred

when their heads were down.

3. What are the Symptoms and Signs of a Concussion?

Parents and coaches may witness a deliberate or accidental “impact” between players, a player

and the boards, ice, or a goal post. They should be alert to a players complaints or problems that

range in time of onset and severity.

· Symptoms: headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, feeling slow

· Physical signs: loss of consciousness, amnesia (loss of memory), vomiting, balance

problems, visual disturbances, light or noise disturbances

· Behavioral changes: irritability, nervousness, drowsiness, sadness

· Cognitive impairment: slowed reaction times, fogginess

We should all be particularly cognizant of the player with a concussion who sustains additional

minor head trauma and reports an escalation of symptoms. More information is available on the

CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncip3/tbi/getoolkit/coaches (6) .

4. What to do when a Concussion Occurs?

Should concussed players return to the game or practice? No! The following recommendations

emanated from a recent International Symposium on Concussion in Sport conference (or of

medical experts, neurosurgeons?) in Zurich in 2008. (2)

If a player shows ANY symptoms of a concussion:

· The player should be medically evaluated on site using standard emergency management

principles, excluding an associated neck (cervical spine) injury.

· The player should be safely removed from the practice or game, evaluated by a health

care provider on site and/or referred to a physician.

ü Assessment is made using a sideline protocol to evaluate factors such as cognition

and balance.

ü The player is monitored every 1530

minutes for the first several hours after injury.

Concussion symptoms may not appear for several hours after the injury and worsening of

symptoms requires an emergent medical consultation. A more detailed evaluation with

neuropsychological (ImPACT) (7) and balance testing (8) is also helpful, especially if preseason

baseline data is available for comparison.

Obtaining Baseline Data

In the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center, baseline data has been obtained for Rochester, MN

male varsity and junior varsity football and ice hockey players and female varsity ice hockey

players for the past four years. Baseline assessment includes neurocognitive

testing (ImPACT)

(7) and balance testing (8) that provides a reference point in the event players experience head

trauma during the season. In the absence of baseline data, obtaining input from the parents and/or

significant others as promptly as possible is helpful to obtain input on signs or symptoms that

differ from the player’s norm. Parents should consider establishing a baseline for their children

prior to starting any physical activity or contact sport as it may be helpful in diagnosing and

treating a concussion.

6. Educational Programs to Prevent Concussions

a. Hockey Education Program (HEP) (9)

Minnesota Hockey and the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center developed a program to

decrease violence in youth hockey while promoting sportsmanship and skill development. HEP

incorporates Fair Play, a program that rewards sportsmanlike behavior with a point in each game

for teams that do not exceed a specified number of penalty minutes. The teams’ Fair Play point is

forfeited if players, coaches or team parents behave in an unsportsmanlike manner. After the first

four years, statewide

analysis of HEP data revealed approximately a 30% reduction in

potentially dangerous infractions such as checking from behind and hits to the head.

Total Major PenaltiesPer

100 Games:

A Four year Comparison

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Fighting

Spearing

5" Roughing

High Sticking

Check/Behind

Head Contact

Kicking

D.Q.

0708

Data represents 2210

scoresheets. A 25% sample

from 8839

b. Heads Up Hockey

Heads Up Hockey has long been promoted by USA Hockey in an attempt to reduce the risk of

cervical spine injury (www.usahockey.com ). The Rochester Youth Hockey Association

(RYHA) produced a video in 2008, to instruct players to keep their head up when sliding into the

boards. (http://ryha.pucksystems2.com)

c. Larger Ice Surfaces

A recent study of ice hockey injuries, including concussions in World Junior Ice Hockey

Championships compared risk according to the size of the ice surface. Injuries were less frequent

on the larger ice surface when players of similar age, size and skill competed under otherwise

identical rules and regulations.

d. High School Hockey Concussion Task Force

Concussions in youth and high school hockey are frequent enough and the consequences so

grave that medical professionals felt obligated to take action. A task force of sports medicine

physicians and sport scientists organized by Dr.Aynsley Smith and Dr. Michael Stuart, recently

participated in a teleconference to discuss the necessary steps to reduce concussion occurrences.

Members of the task force included Drs. Joel Boyd, Rob LaPrade, Bill Roberts, Diane WeiseBjornstal

and Maureen Weiss. The Task Force’s initial efforts will be directed toward

accountability and enforcement of existing rules in high school hockey for the 20092010

season.

The prevalence of concussions will be tracked in specific areas and the results will be considered

following the hockey season.

7. Congratulations to MN Hockey and the MN Wild

The action being taken jointly by Minnesota Hockey, under the leadership of Executive Director

Mike Snee, and the Minnesota Wild in developing and implementing the Respect and Protect

Program is to be applauded. Hopefully, players will grow up playing a safer game, knowing that

their respectful behavior is supported by their youth hockey association, the Minnesota Wild and

all of us who love the great game of hockey.

The Tournament: Neck, Head, and Back Hits & High Sticking

What was most interesting about our three games was how the referees were able to set the tone. After hearing the families of NJ repeatedly say, "in Jersey the refs put their whistles away and let the boys play." I had to ask if they were from Jersey because I was from Jersey too. The hitting wasn't so bad. In fact there was more skilled checking. It was done fairly well.  It was mostly physical and not reckless. The real issue was interference. It wasn't called consistently. Although the checks were more check-like, they were just delivered late.

One referee set the tone, after the coach yelled at him about a penalty. The referee said something like, "boys get killed by hits like that. It won't be happening in my game."  And you know what... the coach never said another word and the reckless hits never came again. Referees can manage a game and referees can lose control of a game. I am not willing to risk injury to my son or players because of a stray NJ referee that might relocate from Jersey to Maryland. Although all NJ referees don't put their whistles away, the familes from Jersey told me they did. Why would they lie to me? I'm from Jersey too.

An interesting piece of information for the debate on reckless hitting... I saw one of our defensemen follow through on a clearing attempt and slightly touch the face mask of an opposing player with his blade. He was called for high sticking. I think it was a good call. Unintentional, but the rule book states you must be in control of your stick. He got two minutes for that. This call was simple. Stick to face - two minutes. There was no discretion there. This is what we need for hits to the neck, head, and back. No discretion. Mandatory calls which I believe should be suspension of immediate game play. Set the tone, like the referee above did. Hitting players in the neck, head, and back won't be tolerated because it puts players at the greatest risk for harm. One and done.

In the tournament, perhaps one player would have been suspended for a game. Maybe two, if you count my son's hit. Of course the referee called it interference versus hitting in the back.  It occurred in the center of the ice versus along the boards. But location shouldn't matter. You might argue, why do you need such a harsh penalty of an in-game suspension, if the players mostly played fairly and cleanly. The answer is easy... most kids respect the rules but the ones that don't harm players. The players that follow rules, will have little trouble adapting to the One and Done rule change. You must have mandatory strict penalties for the most harmful hits in the game. These hits to the neck, head, and back aren't checking. The players need to be taught how to check and punished when it is done wrong. Intent does not matter.

If you can write a rule that gives a two minutes non-discretionary penalty for a stick hitting the neck or head of a player then you can make a better mandatory rule for any contact to the head, neck, and back of a player. This isn't the NHL. Youth players are learning the skill of checking and how to have a physical aspect in their game. They players need to be thoroughly taught and penalized while they learn. Sitting the rest of the game for a potentially harmful hit, is the best way to teach them not to do it.