As concussions continue to gain attention across the country, a national survey has been launched to educate and spread a cohesive message about brain injuries for those involved in high-impact team sports such as hockey and football.
Five sports organization, including Hockey Canada and ThinkFirst Canada, have teamed up to create resources and spread information to help reduce the rate and severity of concussions and other brain-related injuries. The groups will target youth team sports with an 11-question survey to learn what the Canadian sports community is doing to tackle the issue.
I think thats outstanding, said Pat Waslen, executive director of Football B.C. One of the problems from our perspective here is there needs to be more [concussion protocols] put in place. Years ago there were no rules saying you had to have seatbelts in your car, right? So its the same thing with concussions.
Waslen said Canada has lagged far behind the U.S. in concussion research and the surveyspearheaded by the non-profit Sports Information Resource Centrecould help not only spread awareness but put in place a list of rules that could be enforced at a provincial or federal level.
Football B.C. has gone out of its way to tackle concussions by being the first sports organization to team up with ThinkFirst Canada to gather information and create concussion policies.
Waslen said so far the partnership has been a success as they have been able to distribute 100,000 concussion cards to the organizations coaches and athletes and in doctors offices across the province to be shared with the public. Getting resources was a hard thing to do because there isnt a lot out there.
Waslen said by April 15, all Football B.C. coaches will be able to go online to take a hands-on training coursesimilar to a survey recently started by ThinkFirstthat theyll be tested on and if they pass will receive a certificate in concussion training.
There will be the same standard training province-wide, he said. Whether youre in Vancouver or up in Castlegar or Kamloops, the coaches will be able to take it and all be on the same page with the same information and policies.
Waslen said the province is heading in the right direction with the introduction of Bill 206, a concussion in youth sports safety act that will help regulate and educate the sometimes deadly injuries.
For B.C. Hockey, the issue has reached a point where its considering taking bodychecking out of the game at the peewee level and some of the other divisions.
Its definitely a hot topic in Hockey Canada, its a hot topic at our level and all the way down throughout the system, said Len Cuthbert, district director for B.C. Hockey.
There are lots of discussions going on with regards to head contact and potential equipment changes in the future with softening up shoulder and elbow pads, he said.
Twitter: @JaredGnam
