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.