concussions

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4 key portions of the USAH Safety & Protective Equip 2019 report

Excerpts from this:
https://cdn4.sportngin.com/attachments/ ... 1546572056


INJURIES TO WOMEN ATHLETES

Injury risk and prevention for our female athletes requires more attention.
Female athletes appear to have a higher risk of concussions and some knee injuries comparted to male athletes.



CONCUSSIONS

Concussions continue to be front page news for contact-collision sports and a major concern for all USA Hockey players, coaches, and parents.
SPEC approved a motion at our January 2011 meeting that mandated that all coaches complete an education module in concussion recognition and management annually, and that parents, players, and officials also receive concussion education as part of a preseason meeting.

Concussion education modules are available through the USA Hockey Coaching Education Program, the National Federation of High Schools (www.nfhslearn.com), and the US Center for Disease Control (www.preventingconcussions.org).
In June 2014, at the Annual Congress, USA Hockey Board of Directors adopted a new policy (Policy F. Sports Concussion Management Program on page 33 of the USA Hockey Annual Guide 2014-2015) “A sports concussion management program must be incorporated within each affiliate: USA Hockey’s program is available at <usaahockey.com/safety- concussion>. This is the minimum concussion protocol to be followed by all USA Hockey Programs.”

Dr. Stuart presented an updated concussion management program to the executive committee in November. The updated document was cleaned up to keep language consistent throughout and also now requires a written clearance form from a medical provider before a player can be returned to training, practice or games.

This medical clearance must be the USA Hockey form. The return to player form and new program were passed by the executive committee. We are awaiting guidance on when this will be officially released. Please review the attached Concussion Management Document

Playing rules emphasize penalties for any hits to the head of an opponent (both intentional and unintentional) to help decrease the incidence of concussions.
(from 2017-2021 Official Rules of Ice Hockey page x-xi)
“HEAD CONTACT – A player cannot contact an opponent in the head, face, or neck, including with the stick or part of the player’s body or equipment. The onus is on the player delivering the check, regardless as to size differential, to not make contact in the head/neck area of the opponent. Examples include:

• - A body check delivered with any part of the body that makes direct contact with the head or neck area.

• - The use of the forearm or hands to deliver a check to the head or neck of the opponent.” -

“Locker boxing” is to be stopped by the presence of a coach or another adult in the locker room.

All fifty states plus the District of Columbia now have non-uniform legislation regarding concussion management, reporting of concussions, and mandatory concussion education. The legislation may apply to athletes below the age of 18, interscholastic athletes only or all athletes.

In all states, legislation requires coaches to have concussion education, usually annually. In some states, annual concussion education is also mandated for parents and players.



AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS - NO BODY CHECKING BEFORE AGE 15

The American Academy of Pediatrics published an article in June 2014 recommending starting body checking in boys’ ice hockey no earlier than age 15. Reducing Injury Risk From Body Checking in Boys’ Youth Ice Hockey Pediatrics 2014;133:1151 http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/c ... .full.html http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cont ... l.pdf+html

This article comes from the AAP Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness with lead authors Allison Brooks, MD, MPH and Keith J. Loud, MDCM, MSc.


From the abstract: “Ice hockey is an increasingly popular sport that allows intentional collision in the form of body checking for males but not for females. There is a two- to threefold increased risk of all injury, severe injury, and concussion related to body checking at all levels of boys’ youth ice hockey. The American Academy of Pediatrics reinforces the importance of stringent enforcement of rules to protect player safety as well as educational interventions to decrease unsafe tactics. To promote ice hockey as a lifelong recreational pursuit for boys, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the expansion of non-checking programs and the restriction of body checking to elite levels of boys’ youth ice hockey, starting no earlier than 15 years of age.”

This AAP guideline has been discussed at SPEC meeting. One proposal has been to emphasize a two track system for boys’ ice hockey; one to have body checking starting at age 13 (Bantams), and the other is to have no body checking for Bantams, Midgets, and Juniors.
The non-body checking teams would only differ in that there would be no body checking rule in games or practices. The requirements for coaches would be the same. Non-body checking would differ from the soon-to-be proposed Youth Council FLEX program, which is a recreational hockey program, with decreased coaching education requirements.

USA Hockey’s Youth Council has been discussing the topic of body checking and when it should be incorporated. Currently, USA Hockey rules allow body checking in games at the 14U level and up. Coaches are encourage to teach age appropriate body contact/checking skills from 8U to 12U level with an emphasis of practicing body checking on and off ice at the 12U level to prepare for the 14U level.

These conversations are evolving and have included the officiating, coaching and safety sections of USA Hockey with many options on the board at this time. We will continue to monitor these discussions to keep informed on where things stand as well as provide the latest medical research in this area to make an informed decision.

Please see the attached document for the latest break out group discussions that are taking place with our Youth Council.



CATASTROPHIC INJURY REGISTRY

USA Hockey Catastrophic Injury Registry has been established at the Mayo Clinic under the leadership of Dr. Michael Stuart.
A catastrophic injury is defined as any ailment occurring during participation in the sport of ice hockey (youth, high school, junior, college, adult amateur, and professional) that results in death, cranial fracture, spine fracture or dislocation with spinal cord involvement, complex concussion with permanent cognitive deficit, an eye injury with permanent visual impairment or blindness, or a permanent disability resulting in a substantial reduction of physical ability.
A potentially catastrophic injury includes spine fractures/dislocations without spinal cord involvement, lacerations with involvement of arteries, veins or nerves, neck lacerations, internal organ rupture/laceration (spleen, liver, etc.), and eye injury with transient visual impairment. This determination shall be based on the circumstances of the injury and the assessment of the qualified medical professional in that instance.

The purpose of this USA Hockey registry is to collect information on the prevalence of catastrophic injuries in youth, high school, junior, college, adult amateur, and professional ice hockey in the United States. The goal is to design and maintain a comprehensive registry of injuries in ice hockey that will be a prominent source of catastrophic ice hockey injury data. This registry has been partially funded by the USA Hockey Foundation.

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Recommend creation of a concussion database to track injuries across all levels of the sport

Recommendations from the Ice Hockey Summit III:

Recommendations include:
• Establishing a national and international database for sport-related concussion at all levels
• Eliminating body checking in Bantam youth hockey games
• Expanding the Fair Play behavioral modification program to all youth hockey levels
• Enforcing ejection penalties for fighting in Junior A and professional hockey leagues
• Establishing objective tests to diagnose concussion at the point of care
• Mandating baseline testing to improve concussion diagnosis

Ice hockey experts prioritize ways to reduce concussion risk
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/disc ... sion-risk/

Proceedings from the Ice Hockey Summit III
Action on Concussion
https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/Full ... ion.8.aspx


Local coverage of these recommendations:

Experts recommend major changes to make hockey safer
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/exp ... fdebd3ac96

Mayo Clinic recommends banning checking for Bantam-aged hockey players
http://www.fox9.com/news/mayo-clinic-re ... ey-players

Mayo Clinic urges ban of body-checking in hockey until age 15, ejections for NHL fights
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-sp ... nhl-fights

Mayo Clinic Suggests Eliminating Bantam-level Body Checks
http://www.keyc.com/story/39788426/mayo ... ody-checks

Hockey Concussion Recommendations Released by Mayo Clinic
https://www.kimt.com/content/video/504185602.html

Play Hockey Safely
https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/p ... /943179777

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Sharing concussion battles in the name of helping others

Women’s Hockey Player Meg Milne

The flash of a camera. Ambient noise in a public lobby. The rattle, hum and motion of a faculty elevator.

These everyday sights and sounds, imperceptible background buzz to most of us, can trigger a range of issues to those suffering chronic post-concussion symptoms.

In the name of greater awareness and funding to promote better and faster treatment for a growing problem, four courageous, accomplished women came forward to share their personal stories of dealing with chronic symptoms related to injuries suffered five to eight years ago. Each continues to confront multiple complications, including nausea, dizziness, headaches and noise and light sensitivities.

We spoke in a board room darkened by drawn blinds inside the University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute at Roger Guindon Hall. First we navigated the lobby noise and an elevator ride — one of the concussion survivors donned large headphones in defense.

There will be a price to be paid later for all this effort, getting to The Ottawa Hospital campus, giving interviews, posing for photos, practicing prepared speeches to be read prior to a concussion march next Saturday. They all carefully avoided cognitive work the previous day, to reserve strength and energy for our meeting.

This is called “pacing”, a trick concussion survivors know well.

Meet four members of the Concussion Injury Group, a band of advocates so determined they risk taxing their personal health, short-term, for the end game of better care for others.

Three of the four lost top career positions due to sudden, and freak brain injury. A fourth had her career path altered but is about to graduate, thanks to home-schooling and the online courses of Carleton University.

...Meg Milne, 58, loved teaching English at Canterbury High School. She also coached sports teams. While an active sport participant, she had suffered four concussions. The fifth one was otherworldly. On Dec. 29, 2012, while experiencing a vivid nightmare, Milne bolted from bed, sleepwalking, and lunged at what she thought was a bedroom intruder. She slammed headfirst into a dresser.

Today, Milne walks with a cane and speaks with an occasional impairment though it can’t diminish her powerful articulation. She cherishes life’s precious little achievements, shared in the comfort of fellow sufferers who “get it.”

“Those are your Stanley Cups — when you can go to the grocery store with your list of five items, find all five, and get them all without a brain freeze,” Milne says. “And you pay and get out the door. That’s a victory.”

Sharing concussion battles in the name of helping others
Meg Milne, Jane Clark, Natalia Rybczynski, and Frances Casey
Read more: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new ... ing-others

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Goaltender Katherine Purchase's concussion

Veteran Concordia women’s hockey goaltender Katherine Purchase has been a stalwart force for the Stingers over the past five years.

At the U SPORTS national championships last spring, the Stingers co-captain shone with a stunning .977 save percentage over three games.

In the bronze-medal match against the Saskatchewan Huskies, she blocked 37 shots, leading the Stingers to a 4-0 victory.

This season is Purchase’s last at Concordia — her last chance to lead the Stingers to glory. It didn't get off to a promising start.

The impact
At the Team Canada Fall Festival camp in September, Purchase was guarding the net during an exhibition game against a Junior B men’s team. As she was sliding across the ice, an opponent cut to the net to reach the puck and tried to jump over her.

“His shin ended up hitting me in the side of the head,” Purchase recalls. “I knew pretty much right away that I had a concussion.”

Within seconds, she felt pressure and pain in her head, and stayed down on the ice until the medical trainer could get to her. The following day Purchase felt fine and thought she’d be back on the ice within the next week. Instead, her symptoms worsened and lingered.

The recovery process kept her out of class — and off the ice — for months.

Road to recovery
The 22-year-old accounting student is a high achiever outside of hockey. She’s received academic scholarships four years in a row, made the Dean’s List for the last three years and was named Concordia’s 2014-15 Top Academic Athlete.

Purchase is also a four-time U Sports Academic All-Canadian, an honour given to varsity student-athletes who achieve an academic standing of 80 per cent or better.

In short, she’s not someone used to skipping classes or sitting on the bench.

It was a long road back, but after getting rehab exercises from an osteopath who specialized in concussions her condition started to improve.

“By mid-November I was able to go back to my schoolwork and start to resume a normal life again,” Purchase says.

Later that month, she was well enough to attend the Beta Gamma Sigma Global Leadership Summit, an annual event for the best-performing students from the top five per cent of the world’s business schools. Anne-Marie Croteau, dean of the John Molson School of Business, (JMSB) suggested that Purchase attend as a representative of Concordia.

“It was a really cool experience,” Purchase said. “People from all over the world were there, and I made a couple of connections that I want to hang onto.”

A supportive presence
When she got back from the conference, Purchase had to cram hard to pass her classes, joking that she “had a heavy term at the end.”

As for hockey, Purchase was eventually cleared to return to the rink in December. Yet even during her recovery, Purchase made a point to be there for the Stingers, advising her teammates between games and offering support throughout the fall.

“We have a lot of rookies this season, so I wanted to help as much as I could in making sure they felt comfortable, understood the team culture coming in and were able to assimilate with the group easily.”

It’s something that Purchase’s friends say is typical of her personality.

“She’s a very team-first player; she wants the best for us,” says Melinda Prévost, Purchase’s friend of four years and a forward on the Stingers. “When she was injured she was always still so supportive, even though I’m sure she struggled with not being able to play.”

Purchase attended practices in December and played an exhibition game over the break. While the Stingers lost, for Purchase it was a relief to get back in the saddle.

“It’s good to get all the rust off,” she says. “Now that I’ve been to practice for two weeks I feel like my old self again.”

Prévost says that even after four months away, Purchase is “challenging us as if she didn’t miss anything. She sets the standard high and is a really hard worker.”

Back in action
The regular season resumed January 12, with Concordia losing to McGill University 5-1. Purchase jumped on for the last 10 minutes.

The next day against Carleton, she was in the starting line-up. The Stingers bounced back with a convincing 6-0 victory.

“We had a tough loss on Saturday, so as a team we knew we had to have a great game against Carleton. That’s all I was focused on,” she said.

“I had a good week of practice and that gave me confidence for the game, and the girls played great. I was just happy to be back in action and I’m super happy with the outcome of the game.”

‘The whole team depends on you’
Born and raised in the Maritimes, Purchase began playing hockey when she was nine and started goaltending when she was 12.

“It was mostly just the gear. It looked like a fun position,” she says with a laugh. “People say goalies are weird, but I don’t believe that stereotype.”

Relaxed in life but competitive on the ice, Purchase says that today she’s drawn to the position due to the pressure involved. “The whole team depends on how you play, and I think it’s challenging because you’re always going up against someone in particular.”

As a teenager, Purchase played for Metro Boston Pizza, a midget AAA team, as well as for her high school. In her final year, she was recruited by then-coach of the Concordia women’s team, Les Lawton, and she applied to the JMSB accounting program.

Currently in her final year at Concordia, Purchase is the vice-president, Academic, of the Commerce and Administration Students’ Association (CASA), where she works to improve the resources students have to fulfil their academic goals.

After graduation, she has a job lined up at EY in Toronto, and plans to start working towards becoming a chartered professional accountant.

“It does get pretty busy sometimes,” Purchase admits. “But I’m a pretty laid-back person so I think that helps me. And I have a supportive coach and teammates.”

'She's brought the team to another level'
For the last two years, Purchase’s teammates elected her co-captain.

“She’s a good leader on the ice,” says Stingers forward Claudia Dubois, Purchase’s roommate and friend of four years. “She’s brought the team to another level by talking to us in the locker room and pushing us to be better on the ice. She’s there for everyone and she leads by example.”

Head coach, Julie Chu, agrees.

“I can’t say enough about what an all-around great person Katherine is and what she brings to our team,” she says.

Chu also notes that goalies are not often voted team captain because they’re removed from the bench during the game. “It says a lot about Katherine and her voice in the locker room. She gives us a lot of confidence.”

For Purchase, being named co-captain was quite significant.

“It’s just a huge compliment to know my teammates believe in me, support me and look to me,” she says. “Not a lot of teams do a player vote, and it meant a lot to me that my teammates think of me like that.”

Concordia women's hockey goaltender Katherine Purchase is a high achiever — on and off the ice
The Stingers co-captain and four-time Academic All-Canadian is back in action this month after sustaining a pre-season injury
Read more: https://www.concordia.ca/news/stories/2 ... e-ice.html

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Mackenzie O’Neil concussion

“Liddy kept us in it with that huge save at the end,” Wellesley junior Mackenzie O’Neil said. “It was a little disappointing to be up two goals and allowing them to tie things up, but we’re going to learn from this and come back from it stronger.”

After a scoreless first period, the Raiders (5-2-1) struck twice within 30 seconds of each other in the beginning of the second frame.

Off a nice pass from junior forward Emily Rourke, O’Neil buried a goal from the slot, giving the Raiders a 1-0 lead.

In the young season, O’Neil has registered two goals and four assists on the year. After winning a Division 2 state championship a year ago, the Raiders seem to be moving on from things and forming a new identity.

O’Neil, who missed a game early on this season due to a concussion, was in her element on Wednesday night.

“This season, we’re trying to take it one game at a time,” she said. “We’re very excited and really looking forward to what we can do throughout the rest of the season.”

Defending Division 2 state champion Wellesley girls hockey ties rival Needham
Read more: https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/spor ... al-needham

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Benilde-St. Margaret Goalie Carly Greene

BSM Girls Hockey: Starting goalie tonight is Carly Greene( #30)!! Making the comeback from her concussion!
https://mobile.twitter.com/BSMGirlsHock ... 8833826817

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What would you do if 3 or 4 doctors said you're one hit away from permanent brain damage?

Maddie Rolfes

Rolfes is in her fifth season with the Badgers because her sophomore campaign in 2015-16 was cut short after 10 games because of a concussion, qualifying her for a medical redshirt.

But an extra year — or even a continued playing career — was no given at that point as Rolfes faced the effects of the head injury by spending time away from the team in her darkened apartment.

The prognosis wasn’t favorable until Madison native and Minnesota and USA Hockey star Amanda Kessel referred Rolfes to a Pittsburgh specialist. Kessel also had her career sidetracked by concussions.

“That was our last resort because I think I saw three or four doctors who were like, ‘You can’t play anymore. One more hit and you’re (risking) permanent brain damage,’” Rolfes said. “It was really scary stuff.”

Assuaged by the specialist’s optimism, however, Rolfes got herself back in playing shape over the summer of 2016 with coaxing by UW strength and conditioning coach Jim Snider.

Even when she was physically ready for her junior year, being ready to mentally commit to doing what was asked of her as a defenseman wasn’t there.

“In the back of my head, ... I could hear all those doctors being like, ‘One more hit and you’re done,’” Rolfes said. “Which kind of scared me a little bit, so it took a while for the confidence to get back up to go into corners and go into battles 100 percent.”

In five-year career with Wisconsin Badgers, Maddie Rolfes elevates her composure level
Read more: https://madison.com/wsj/sports/college/ ... 05af8.html

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Women’s hockey looks to “Lift the Mask” on mental health

January 24, 2019
Filed under Sports, Sports Showcase, Top Stories, Women's Hockey

PITTSBURGH — This upcoming week, Robert Morris University women’s hockey will once again give back to the community. The team has partnered up with Never Give Up Radio (NGU) and the Goalie Guild to try and raise awareness for mental health issues. Their goal, aside from raising awareness, is to collect $5,000 which they plan on donating to three different mental health awareness programs; The Lift the Mask initiative, Anxiety and Depression Association of America and Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression.

Mental health is a psychological disease that is common in many athletes, especially those who have dealt with head injuries, but it often goes unnoticed. Many NHL players have suffered from this including Paul Ranger, who retired early due to the disease.

“I think that mental health is something that affects almost everybody so it’s definitely special that we can do something like this,” stated alternate captain for RMU, Jaycee Gebhard.

“I think often times it’s something that might not be acknowledged as much as a physical injury. The situation here is that it’s there, but sometimes you can’t see it. Removing the stigma of it becomes a huge factor,” head coach Paul Colontino added.

The entire event will start at 7:00 p.m. Thursday night at Yorktown Hall where NGU will give a special panel discussion. This event will have guest speakers who have dealt with mental health issues before such as Justin Goldman – the founder of the Lift the Mash initiative and Tyler Kennedy – a former NHL player and Stanley Cup Champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. There are also special guests that haven’t been announced that will be at the event. All of the guests are committed to sharing their own stories about mental health while at the same time, showing their love for the game of hockey.

Friday night, the festivities will continue at 7:05 p.m., as RIT comes to town to face off with the Colonials at the RMU Island Sports Complex followed by a skate with the Colonials. The final event will be the second game of the series against RIT at 3:05 p.m. on Saturday. The Colonials will be wearing their all-red jerseys with special stigma patches and both games will allow you to donate and do whatever you can to help this cause.

“It’s definitely special. Part of being a hockey player is being a role model for the other people in the community so being able to do this and the teddy bear toss for the autism society is humbling for us, knowing that we can do more than just play hockey and that it is more than just a game,” Gebhard noted.

“The way our team gathers around and are very proactive and being able to jump in with two feet, for me being a part of that seeing how active our players are in terms of just getting on board with the community, I’m just proud to be apart of it,” Colontino added.

You can help all those involved with the cause as well as all of those who have suffered from mental health awareness by coming to the events and donating with the link below.

https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/liftthemask

Women’s hockey looks to “Lift the Mask” on mental health

https://www.rmusentrymedia.com/sports/w ... al-health/

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PC Player’s Retirement Sheds Light on a Larger Issue
posted on: Thursday January 17, 2019

Is Lack of Research the Culprit Behind Female Athlete Concussions?
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor

On October 1, 2018, Jessica “Jessie” Spontak ’20, publicly announced her decision to retire from volleyball. Her reason for walking away from the sport that brought her to Providence College? Too many concussions.

Concussions have been a hot topic in the sports world over the past decade and while most conversations about them is in conjunction with men’s football, hockey, and soccer, female athlete concussions of all sports have been spiking higher numbers than male athletes. Recent research has shown that female athletes are 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a concussion than male athletes.

Yet, despite this statistic, concussion research has primarily been contained to male athletes. As Marjorie Snyder of the Washington Post writes, there is “painfully little research” conducted on concussions in female athletes. With the majority of existing research consisting of studying male athletes and how to prevent concussions in men’s sports, female athletes are being put at a greater risk as little is being done to make them less susceptible to concussions. Synder’s research for her article, “Girls suffer sports concussions at a higher rate than boys. Why is that overlooked?” makes the claim that the lack of knowledge (stemming from the lack of research being done) makes it difficult to know the best way to prevent concussions in female athletes.

Concussions in female athletes have been written off as nothing more than the result of sex differences, in particular, the differing structures of the neck. Almost all research has concluded that the structure of the female body makes them more predisposed to concussions and that is the farthest most research goes.

However, it is proving to not be enough as women are suffering symptoms that take extended amounts of time to recover from and their quality of life is being altered due to excess concussions.

Spontak, when asked about what ultimately led her to calling it quits on her volleyball career after she sustained her fourth concussion from a seemingly contact-free sport, admitted that the main factor was her “quality of life post volleyball.” To her, completing four years on the team was “not worth it” to her when all of the health problems she could face as a result of four severe concussions were laid out in front of her.

Shannon Bauman, a sports physician who began to study brain injuries after she suffered her own concussion and received insufficient care, noted in her study that 35 percent of female athletes will still show concussion symptoms up to more than six months after their initial diagnosis. Spontak, when discussing her concussion history, said that with her first concussion, she missed four months of school and with her least severe concussion, she missed just over a month.

Prolonged short-term symptoms faced not only by Spontak during all of her concussions, but by both male and female athletes, include sensitivity to sound, light, pressure headaches, and trouble focusing. However, research is beginning to come out with what long-term, life-altering symptoms can result from multiple concussions.

“There is a lot of research that shows that I could be at high risks for depression and anxiety…and mood disorders,” said Spontak. Doctors informed her that, as a result of sustaining four severe concussions, she would “have a really hard time focusing and moving on with school.”

With a majority of research now taking a look at how female athletes will be affected by concussions, the fact still remains that there is little to no research on how to prevent them in the first place.

David Milzman, MD, stated at the Georgetown University Medical Center Summit on Concussions in Females, “There is very little solid data now about sex in concussion presentation or outcomes. It is not clear…and that is why we need to investigate it.”

In men’s sports, a majority of the concussions sustained are contact-based. However, because women’s sports are not supposed to have as much contact, it becomes assumed that they are not at risk for concussions. However, in the case of women’s hockey, for example, the players will be diagnosed with concussions at nearly three times the rate of college football players. Similarly, in sports such as baseball and softball, softball players experience concussions at double the rate of baseball players.

As Spontak points out, the games themselves cannot be changed: player-to-player contact, falling to the ground, and being hit in the head are all risks that are a part of any sport. Therefore, research needs to be altered to fit these unpreventable factors. In terms of female athletes, rather than focusing on how life will be impacted post-concussion, there needs to be a switch to how to prevent them in the first place, like the research with men’s sports-related concussions is.

There is a problem with studies in preventing concussions altogether though. Spontak acknowledges the problem as being the fact that how games are played is personal. Players contort and push their bodies to the max and reach limits that others may not be able to make. PC assistant athletic trainer Jessie Fong reinforces this statement, describing concussions to be a “unique injury.”

“Concussions can fall under such a wide spectrum,” Fong states. “They can present differently between two individuals, they could present differently between two separate episodes within one individual.”

So what should the research focus on?

Spontak believes researching improvements on equipment worn is the key to battling the concussion epidemic. At the moment, only a handful of women’s sports require headgear to be worn at all times. With more protective equipment, there could be a reduction in concussions sustained by female athletes.

And while some take more extreme measures in calling for the federal government to step in and make a change, the simple solution is to just dedicate as much research time received by men’s sports to female sports.

Concussions are not just a problem male athletes face, and prevention techniques must be researched and learned by all to make not just sports, but the quality of life beyond the game better for all athletes, men and women alike.

PC Player’s Retirement Sheds Light on a Larger Issue
https://www.thecowl.com/sports/pc-playe ... rger-issue

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The Mind That Matters
Colgate Alum Now Devotes Time to Concussion Awareness

by Jashvina Shah/Staff Writer (@icehockeystick)


Colgate alumnus Zac Hamilton has always been curious about the mind.

“I always wanted to know the nittiest, grittiest way, and the brain is the ultimate black box of what's going on in there,” Hamilton said. “And you know, being a goalie, we're all a little weird.”

Hamilton loved his Intro to Neuroscience class and left Colgate with dual degrees — one in economics and one in cellular neuroscience. But while Hamilton was studying the brain in Hamilton, New York, he was also diagnosed with a concussion his sophomore season.

Now, less than a year removed from college and on track for medical school, Hamilton hasn’t forgotten his concussion. He works in healthcare and volunteers with the Headway Foundation.

The Headway Foundation was started by Danny Otto, Josephine Pucci and Paige Decker, three former college hockey players who had concussions. The organization’s mission is to make sports safer by raising concussion awareness and providing tools for coaches, players and parents. The Headway Foundation also started a “New Tough” campaign, which emphasizes toughness in the form of athletes reporting concussions, prioritizing brain safety and avoiding illegal hits.

The organization will hold its third Concussion Awareness Week from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, partnering with all teams in the ECAC, WCHA and NCHC.

* * *

When Hamilton chose his major, he knew how difficult understanding the brain is. Concussions illustrate the problem perfectly — recovery timelines aren’t as straightforward as physical injuries and progress is more difficult to track. And although the danger of concussions is more widely known, there’s still a gap in understanding how those with concussions suffer.

Hamilton learned this his sophomore year when he was diagnosed with a concussion in late January of 2016. He missed the rest of the season, which included Colgate’s farewell weekend to Starr Rink.

“It was a big deal and everyone's family was there and we swept that weekend,” Hamilton said.

After the game, everyone went out and celebrated. Hamilton went too.

“It was a huge weekend for us and so that night I went out with my teammates and I had one beer and I went to bed early,” Hamilton said.

It may have looked like Hamilton, who had been following recovery protocol of sleeping early and staying in dark rooms closely, was being irresponsible. But most didn’t know the truth behind Hamilton’s appearance that night.

“I was having a really hard time,” Hamilton said. “I was in a really dark place and I felt really alone. I felt I really had to be there to be around my friends and my family. I'd been sitting in a room basically alone with my thoughts and it was some pretty dark thoughts, so I felt I needed to be there. Obviously the optics of that weren’t great.”

Some of his teammates reported the incident to the Colgate coaching staff, which discussed it with Hamilton during spring meetings.

“It was like, 'Well, maybe you weren't taking care of yourself. Why were you there?' So it was a really hard conversation to have. I still was not as comfortable as I am now talking about it and I had a really hard time explaining to my coach that I felt I needed to be there. I knew that it was going to look bad, but it didn't matter to me at that point,” Hamilton said.

“I don't think the other players on the team who dropped it to my coach were aware of that. To my coach's credit, he handled it incredibly well and was incredibly understanding after I explained it to him. He acknowledged for some people that might not cross their minds.”

Afterward, Hamilton explained to some of his teammates the reasons behind his actions.

“I was the most on my game in terms of my outward appearance. I was chipper, I was going to the locker room for practice, before practice and just being in the locker room, being chipper and being really positive and really optimistic about my recovery. But deep down it was ripping me apart. I was having a really hard time with it,” Hamilton said.

“I had really bad post-concussion syndrome. I was pretty depressed. I had some bad mood swings. It's one thing to learn about it and it's another thing to live it. It was definitely a really hard time in my life.”

While Hamilton’s teammates asked if he was fine, they never pressed to ask him how he was really doing.

“Those guys are super supportive when I talked about it, but everyone's wrapped up in their own business and not everyone, no fault to anyone at all, reaches out and just asks how things are really gong,” Hamilton said. “I got the best at being like, 'Oh I'm fine,’ when people were asking me how things are. But if anyone would've asked me am I really doing, like really stopped and prodded, I don't think I would’ve been able to handle that question at my worst. “

* * *

Hamilton missed the rest of his sophomore campaign and began skating again in April. His vision eventually cleared up in December, meaning his post-concussion period lasted just under a year.

Once he returned, he was vocal about concussions and its effects. So when the Headway Foundation held its inaugural Concussion Awareness Week, Colgate asked Hamilton if he would be the team representative. He agreed.

“I really enjoyed that experience, really enjoyed that work in concussion awareness and changing that stigma and conversation around concussions,” Hamilton said. “It’s something that's personally really important to me.”

He repeated senior year, so Headway Foundation asked Hamilton last year if he would be a representative again. He said he graduated and instead began volunteering with the organization. While Hamilton is still new, he said he is excited for the peer-to-peer network where those with concussions can sign up and speak to members of the foundation.

“I'll be available to people who played in college, or who play currently in college or have had similar experiences to me, where I’m someone outside of their network that they can talk to,” Hamilton said.

“I did counseling in Colgate every three weeks for the rest of my college career after I had my concussion of sophomore year. It was so useful and so helpful to speak to someone outside of your world that you know, that knows, that you can trust and that has no bearing on your playing time, your friendships or your relationships.”

Hamilton wants to help others with concussions more. He received that help from his teammate, Andrew Black, when they were still at Colgate. Black’s concussion symptoms lasted longer than Hamilton’s and understood what Hamilton was going through.

"I'm just really looking forward to bringing this conversation back to the forefront of people’s minds, even if it's just two guys in a team that talk about it and open up more than they would have otherwise,” Hamilton said.

That’s the stigma Hamilton wants to end — the stigma around what players with concussions and post-concussion syndrome feel. It stems partly from the off-ice occurrence at Colgate his sophomore season where there was an understanding and communication gap between him and his teammates.

“It’s to give people pause to think about concussions and how toughness and a stigma might play out in hockey, might have affected them and their teammates in the past and how they can be better teammates or better to themselves if they ever do get a concussion,” Hamilton said. “It would be a huge win that people are having these conversations and people are educating themselves because overall that just makes you help your teammates better. That's what we're all trying to do at the end of the day is be better teammates so we can be better teams."

The Mind That Matters
Colgate Alum Now Devotes Time to Concussion Awareness
https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/ ... atters.php

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Bell Let's Talk Day: Stories from women around the rink


Every year we come together on #BellLetsTalk Day to share stories of struggle, darkness, inspiration, encouragement, and hope. We all stand together to let each other know that struggling in silence isn’t your only option—speaking up about mental illness is okay.

While we need to be talking about mental health every day of the year and letting others know that we are all allies in the fight against the stigma on mental illness, we’re especially honoured to be able to share stories from the people around the hockey world today. We hope that you’ll find inspiration and hope in these stories, that you’ll share your own story, but above all else, we hope that you’ll realize that you are not alone in struggling with mental illness and it’s okay to speak up about it.


Liz Knox | Goalie | Markham Thunder | CWHL

“I genuinely think you would be hard pressed to find an elite athlete who hasn't struggled in some capacity with their mental health. Whether in sport or in life, we are bred to put pressure on ourselves and to an extent believe that we are not good enough. It's so important to ask for help in those times in whatever way possible and as teammates, check in on those around us when we feel something is "off". You will not regret having the conversation.”


Anonymous | Goalie | 14 Years Old

“I started playing hockey when I was five and started playing goalie when I was nine. At the age of five I was diagnosed with high function autism. When I say “high function” it means I can function like a regular kid, not that the autism is high function, affecting me more—it affects me less.


When I was younger I didn’t know what it meant or what it was but as I grew older I gained more knowledge and I kind of outgrew it. If you saw me and then got to know me you would think I was a regular kid.


Hockey played a big role in that and it still does. Whenever I went to hockey I felt like a ‘regular’ kid. My hockey life has always been separate from my other lives, which helped because if I something happened at school or at home I could go to hockey and feel like a regular person not dealing with mental health issues and escape the struggles of the day.


Now I’m in grade eight, soon to be in high school, I have so much stress from school and my home life so when I go to hockey it is my escape from reality. I can forget all my stress and that I have autism. I also have became so self conscious because I’m bigger and stronger than lots of other girls, but when I go to hockey I fit in more because lots of us are bigger and stronger than lots of other people. I love how I can go to hockey and leave reality. Hockey has become therapy for me this year, because I feel accepted and loved and cared about because my team is so close.”


Jaclyn Hawkins | Founder & President of Women’s Hockey Life | Former NCAA D1 Player & Coach | Former SWHL & CWHL Player


“Yes, I had severe postpartum depression after giving birth to our twins. Yes, it was THE hardest thing I had ever gone through (silently) in my entire life. I never wanted to leave the house. I lost interest in the things I loved most. Self-doubt CRUSHED me. I literally couldn’t figure out how to survive any given day, let alone keep two tiny humans alive. I didn’t recognize who I had become. I wasn’t me.

This was the first time in my life where I wasn’t playing or coaching hockey. Hockey had always been my drug. The game always made me happy—even on the days we got bag skated. Hockey was my cure to anything life ever threw at me... and it was gone.

It took me 11 long months before I could “see the light”. That’s when I began to beat PPD. The game saved me when I chose to dive in head first with WHL. I was “back in the game”.

I can sit back and reflect on this now from a place of gratitude because that experience taught me that I am so much stronger than I ever knew. It reminded me of how important it is to carve out time every day to do the things you love. It changed my mentality and how I now run our company.

We don’t work 9-5, Monday to Friday or in an office together. Our team works remotely all over the world on their own time. Yes, we have scheduled meetings and events, but beyond that, we work after we’ve first taken care of ourselves. I believe that time spent on mental and physical health should be carved in to your workday. If we don’t first take care of ourselves, how can we then help others?”

Quinn Phillips | Sports Reporter/Anchor | Global Edmonton


“In the most recent years I’ve really had to fight anxiety because it did impact my job. I would lack confidence around the Oilers dressing room and even more so when I was about to go on air. I never thought that I would get something wrong, but I’d be nervous doing highlights and feeling short of breath. When you feel like you can’t breathe on live television let me tell you, it’s a pretty awful feeling.

Working out and looking after myself are obviously huge–sometimes you have to cancel your plans to look after yourself if you’re running off your feet with commitments. I’ve learned that it is very important that when I start to feel run down and stretched too thin it’s time to take a step back.

But the big thing for me has also been meditation. I use an app that guides me through all different types of meditation. Right now I’m on an 82 day streak but I want to stretch that to a year and beyond. It teaches you to slow your mind down and focus, I can’t talk more about the value of something that’s free and can take anywhere from one to 60 minutes in a day. No excuses, get meditating folks.”
Kyla Lane | Current Beer League Goalie | Editor-in-Chief & Director of Social Media for Women’s Hockey Life

“When I was four years old, my dad laced up my skates and taught me to love the game. A year later, he took his own life. Hockey has always been my way of connecting with him despite his absence, and now it’s a way for me to speak up so no other little girls have to grow up without a dad.


Mental illness took my dad from me when it won and I refuse to stay silent about it and let it keep winning. We need to speak up, today and every other day of the year, because silence lets mental illness win.


I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember. It’s affected every aspect of my life, but the one place I truly feel free from it is in the crease. When I’m playing the game I love (and the game that helps me stay close to my dad), surrounded by teammates that feel like family, I know I’m winning—even when the scoreboard says differently.


I couldn’t help my dad, but I can help myself and others who need it. I will always be an ally to those suffering from mental illness and I will never stay silent. The hockey community is a powerful force, and this especially rings true when we use it for good. Even when it feels like you have no one else, you’ll always have your hockey family—even the ones you don’t even know.


Be a fighter and/or an ally today, and every day. Speak up. Be brave. Ask for help. Don’t let mental illness win.”


Anonymous | Hockey Player | 13 Years Old


“I am currently 13 years old and I have been playing hockey in the boy’s league since I started playing hockey at five years old. Almost every single year I have struggled with anxiety and stress because I would be told I don’t belong there. I would be targeted by the sexist “jokes” and I would be told that I should go to the girl’s leagues, not only by the other teams but sometimes by my own teammates.



I know that I am good enough to play where I play, but it sometimes makes me sad that boys will never understand. I have realized that it helps to speak up, especially to the coaches and my parents and that I know that I am not alone.”


Maddy Millar | Former ACHA Player | Graphic Designer for Women’s Hockey Life
“Every year this day hits home for me. I'm incredibly thankful that mental health is becoming an important and legitimate conversation. Whether it be myself, a family member, or a dear friend, this day will always affect me and those close to me, and it helps tremendously to have support from more and more people every year. For those who have read my

article about being a retired hockey player, I'm writing this article today to talk about the toll my mental health has taken since my career ended 10 months ago.

The first few months were very tough. I was doing everything I could to stay involved with the game, denying the fact that my time as a collegiate athlete was over. Mentally, I straight up just felt like a loser. I hadn't ended my career the way I wanted to, and it was absolutely eating away at me. All of my friends were still on playing at my University, living the dream, and not having a single clue what it felt like to just not have the game anymore. There were days when all I wanted to do was be at the rink, and days that it hurt me too much to surround myself with hockey. Something that I loved SO much all of a sudden became a trigger of sadness for me. One of the worst parts of it all, and I'm sure a lot of other retired athletes can relate, is that I felt like I was finally starting to play my very best hockey after I graduated.

Now, almost a year after my last game, I've slowly started to accept that my career has ended. I still have really bad days sometimes and can't be around the arena, and some days I'm filled with joy to go skate with my old team and reminisce on the good old days. To deal with the ups and downs, I've been volunteering my time to help promote the game in every way I can. Currently, I'm doing an internship with my college team, helping out with social media, graphic design, and basic game day tasks. It's incredible to be on the other side of the game and it's also taught me a lot about the effort, time, and passion that goes into the game of hockey.
Just because I can't play like I used to, doesn't mean I can't love the game as much. I'm just in the works of teaching myself how to love it in a different way. I also have the amazing opportunity to write this today because of Women's Hockey Life. I've been incredibly happy and humbled to volunteer my time for this organization not only with graphic design, but also reaching out and talking about this experience with all of the wonderful female hockey players, ex-players, coaches, families, and supporters of the game.
I'm sure you're all wondering, does it get easier? The answer lies in YOU. If you stay involved with the game in any way you see fit, I can promise you it will be the best decision you make. In the meantime, it's completely okay to not be okay. At the end of the day, this isn't just about the game of hockey. It's about mental health, taking care of yourself, and talking about what's on your mind. Don't be afraid to ask for help, voice your feelings, use the ones you love, and put your heart out there. Us as women are so hard on ourselves, and sometimes we just need a mental break. For those of you who know me or don't know me, just know if you ever need anyone to talk to about anything at all, I'm always here. You are never alone and you never will be.
Thank you all for taking the time to read my story. I hope whoever needed to read this feels stronger today!”

Nahreman Issa | Anchor & Reporter

“Being in media is not for the thin-skinned.

You will be attacked for how you report a story, for how you sound and for how you look.
You can’t please everyone.

If you are a woman who covers sports, you will be judged harder than your male counterparts.

That used to be my beat for several years. I loved doing it, and was mostly respected by players, coaches, and strangers online.

But what I had to put up with by a small percentage is “Do you even know anything about sports?”.

The stigma being if there is a woman doing it, she’s just there to flirt with the players, or the station just threw a pretty face on camera just because.

Your mental health takes a beating in this job. You deal with crazy deadlines, you don’t eat properly, you’re rushing from one shoot to another, you’re constantly trying to think creatively while making sure all your information is correct.

If you’re in news, some of those topics could be absolutely horrific to cover.

What’s most important is that you have a support system, both at home and at work.

I find that talking with other media folks helps so much. We go through the same things and we understand the nature of the business.

Communication is key… and also having the confidence knowing you know more about sports than certain insecure idiots. *flips hair*”

Bell Let's Talk Day: Stories from women around the rink
https://womenshockeylife.com/blogs_view ... 7&CatId=10

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If I Should Die

Sometimes around the holidays, I think about the times my father had to drug me just to get me home for Christmas.

This is embarrassing to admit, but that was our arrangement. With my mind the way it was, it was the only way to get me into the car.

You see, when I was 20 years old the thought of leaving my apartment in Toronto to drive three hours to my family’s house in Kincardine, Ontario, was terrifying to me. So terrifying that thinking about it would cause my heart to race. The room would start spinning and my arms would go numb. It was hard to breathe. Anytime I had a panic attack it felt like I was dying. It was like my body was screaming, Leaving is not safe!

So every Christmas for three years, my father would drive to my place when I was “ready” to leave. I would swallow an antinausea drug called Gravol, which would make me drowsy. When I got so drowsy that I was about to pass out, Dad would lead me outside to the back of his van, where he’d already removed the seats and put down a mattress with a set of blankets. I’d go to sleep and wake up in Kincardine, where I’d open presents with my family and otherwise stay cooped up in my old bedroom for a few days watching movies.

I had to find some way to distract myself from the chaotic thoughts in my brain.

The fear.

The sadness.

The constant hopelessness.

I was exhausted. And yet many nights I was too anxious to sleep. I felt pathetic.

Some people who don’t understand my story like to make assumptions about how I became this way — how I lost my Olympic dreams and nearly everything else I used to live for.

They’d say things like, Well, you were a goalie playing at an elite level — with all the stress and the pressure. That must be it.

Sure, I was one of the best goalies in Canada. By this time, I had won multiple national championships with Team Ontario and the Toronto Aeros. I’d been selected for the talent pool for the national team. I had scholarships to several different universities in both the U.S. and Canada. There were a lot of people who expected me to put on that Team Canada jersey and bring home an Olympic gold medal. I was one of them.

So there was a lot of pressure. And I just cracked, right?

But something was off — and had been off for a long time.

When I was four years old there was a part of me that was a carefree, strong, outgoing little girl who was completely immersed in sports. I wanted to try every sport I could find: baseball, basketball, soccer, you name it.

Then one day after figure skating practice, I was sitting in the bleachers watching my older brother play hockey and, with all of my four-year-old wisdom, said:

“When I grow up to be a boy, I want to be a hockey player!”

And so I did—become a hockey player, I mean.

When I started playing, I quickly became a goalie. I discovered that the goaltender spends the most time on the ice. (Who doesn’t want to play more?) I was tall for my age and I could cover the crease when I lay across the ice. I wanted to be my team’s hero. I Iiked pressure. I still like it.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t that strong, outgoing little girl when it came to bedtime.

Throughout my childhood my parents had this routine for my brother and I. My mother and father would stand in the hallway between my bedroom and my brother’s and say a prayer.

“Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.”

If I should die…

I was scared that if I died in my sleep, or if my parents died in theirs, then we wouldn’t know we loved each other.

Just tell me you love me, I would think every night.

Tell me you’ll see me in the morning.

I’d prod my parents to say the words I needed to hear.

“So you’ll wake me up before school?”

They’d say yes. And then they’d give me a hug and I could finally rest.

My fear of death was obsessive, and as I got older, it grew into something much worse.

In high school, my days were full of sports and I loved it. I had all the seasons covered. I was on the baseball team, the tennis team and, of course, the hockey team. While most teenagers were hanging out or going to parties, I was either at a game or a practice. People knew me as a confident athlete. I didn’t have the guts to tell them what was really happening in my body.

But I’ll tell you.

Picture your worst fear — let’s say it’s bees. There’s one crawling on your arm and you’re starting to sweat, praying it won’t sting you.

And you know that feeling of when you lean back in your chair too far and you know you’re going to fall? Your heart starts pounding out of your chest.

Or picture yourself running on a treadmill with a straw in your mouth and your nose plugged. You can’t get enough oxygen and a rush of adrenaline courses through your veins. You feel as if you’re about to faint.

That’s how I lived 90% of the time.

As a teenager, I would have those sorts of episodes every single day. And the worst part of it was, I didn’t understand why. There was no trauma to speak of. No tangible trigger.

Some days I would wake up in a panic. I’d be afraid to go to bed because I was so scared of being scared the next morning. My bouts of panic were then met with days of exhaustion, and a deep, inexplicable sadness.

It was a constant battle, but I hid it from the world with sports, school and everyday life. Nobody knew. I mean nobody. Not even my parents.

I mean, how could I explain something that I didn’t even understand?


“I’D HAVE A COUPLE OF DRINKS AND START TO REALIZE THAT I WASN’T FEELING THOSE THINGS AS MUCH”
Kendra Fisher discusses using alcohol as a coping mechanism. (1:07)


Hockey was my safe space and it gave me that sense of accomplishment. When I was having a good game, it was 60 minutes of, That’s my crease, that’s my space. And nothing else existed in that space, not even my problems. Hockey was something I could succeed at even if I was at my worst.

But I needed something more, and I was seeking it in all the wrong places.

Like at a funeral.

I found that I was strangely drawn to tragedy. Kincardine is a small town, so if somebody died, you probably knew them in some loose way, if not closely. It wasn’t weird to show up at their wake — even if you hadn’t known them well.

I remember when one kid from my high school — who I had barely known — was killed in a car and I ended up going to his funeral. Only now do I understand that I had wanted to be around people who were in as much pain as I was. I wanted an excuse for people to hug me. To tell them that I was there for them, and for them to tell me that they were there for me, too.

Just tell me you love me.

When I was 17, I was hanging out with one of my teammates when she said something that I’ll never forget.

“You know I just… I often wish that something horrible would happen to my parents so that everybody would want to take care of me and be there for me.”

And you know what? I got it …

I hated that it made sense to me.

In 1999, right before my 20th birthday, I received an invite to a Team Canada camp in Calgary. This one was special. The players they picked at the end of those two weeks would travel to play in the Four Nations Cup.

I was on the brink of realizing my dreams, and yet I was terrified. Things had gotten so much worse.

I need help.

Just weeks before the camp, I called my parents.

“Mom, Dad …” I told them everything.

At the time, I had moved to a private school in Toronto for my senior year, and I was also playing in what used to be Canada’s National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). I graduated. Found an apartment. Was living a very independent life.

But, hockey was becoming less and less of a safe space for me, and I developed this deep fear of being alone. When my teammates skated away from me to follow the play, my heart would beat louder.

Faster.

I was convinced that when the play made it back to me, I would be dead.

I had to have someone with me 24/7. If a friend was over and had to use the washroom, I’d follow them down the hallway because I was just too scared to be by myself and my thoughts.

Was I dying?

My stomach was in knots.

Some days it felt like I was having a heart attack. One day I took myself to the E.R. The doctors said things were fine, but they sent me to see specialists just in case.

The cardiologist told me my heart was fine.

The neurologist told me my head was fine.

The gastrointestinal specialist told me my digestive tract was fine.

Everybody was telling me I was fine.

Suck it up.

And that’s what I did as I flew off to Calgary. But I needed my parents to be at the airport in case I couldn’t convince myself to get on a plane.

When I called them, they were nothing but supportive. They wanted to do whatever they could to support my dream. Together we devised a plan.

Dad left for Calgary a day before I did, to be there to meet me when I arrived. Mom would come later after getting me safely on the plane. They stayed in their own hotel room during camp. I couldn’t risk one of my coaches or teammates seeing them because no one brings chaperones to camp. I was afraid/terrified that if anyone saw them they would know that something was wrong.

After I faked my way through the first two-hour practice, I found a stairwell and broke down. Then I washed my face and went to off-ice training. And then I found a bathroom stall and broke down again.

By that night I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. My roommate would probably see me freaking out in our dorm room. I couldn’t hide anymore.

I went into the coach’s office in the arena and told her that my grandma, who lived in Calgary, had been rushed to the hospital and I wanted to make sure my family was O.K. I lied through my teeth:

“I’ll be back in the morning,” I said.

I spent that night in my dad’s hotel room in pieces. I couldn’t breathe.

What’s wrong with me?

I didn’t sleep a wink.

The next morning, I did go back to the arena. But this time I told my coaches the truth. I told them why I had to go home.

They asked me if it would make any difference if they told me that I had already made Team Canada.

It was one of the most memorable moments of my life … but not because it’s one that I want to remember.

“No,” I said.

It didn’t help at all.

What the hell have I just done?

I just gave up on the only thing I had ever wanted.

I found out five days after I left camp that the national team coaches wanted to try to help me. They had booked me an appointment with a sports psychologist. I have to admit, I was kind of insulted.

I don’t need a shrink. I’m not crazy.

I remember my first appointment with the psychologist. It was the most awkward staring contest of my life. I didn’t know what to say. But I knew that the doctor reported to Team Canada, and I had to convince her that I was O.K.

So I told her about the car accident that had injured my back when I was in high school. We did some serious therapy after that, and after two weeks, I was cured. She gave me a pass and I was free to go.

Then I realized how sick I really was.

I couldn’t eat. My stomach was so upset it couldn’t process food. I dropped from 160 pounds to 120. The insomnia ensued and I couldn’t leave the apartment without my body revolting.

On January 3, 2000, I called my parents in Kincardine. My mother answered the phone and I could barely get out the words.

“I’m not going to be here tomorrow.”

It wasn’t even so much that I wanted to die. It was just that I actually couldn’t imagine making it through one more night. You know how you think about tomorrow and you have this playlist of the things that are going to happen? Like, I’ve got a doctor’s appointment, or I’m meeting so-and-so for coffee tomorrow.

I just couldn’t see it. “Tomorrow” didn’t exist. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t picture waking up the next day.

My mother rushed to Toronto and somehow forced me to see my old psychologist. That day, I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety, severe panic disorder, agoraphobia (a fear of leaving safe spaces), obsessive-compulsive disorder and clinical depression.

My mother sat in my doctor’s office as I lay on the couch. She wanted to know how she could help.

“You pretty much need to forget everything you know about your daughter,” my therapist said. ”It’s like you need to go back to when she was a three-year-old who relied on her parents to get through each day.”

This can’t be me. I just made Team Canada.

Along with promising to take my meds, I had to commit myself to something — anything — that would get me out of my apartment. I chose hockey.

The next five years of my life felt so empty. I took my pills. I saw my shrink three times a week. I went to hockey and tried not to cry. A close friend or family member had to stay with me 24/7.

Some days I would sit in my apartment staring out my window watching the sun rise and fall. I measured the time by the moments I didn’t have a panic attack.

After five years, I was so disgusted with the meaninglessness of my life that I knew that something had to change.

In 2005, I finally decided to accept the fact that I had a mental illness.

I told my doctors that I wanted to make every effort to get better. I wanted to learn more about the human brain. I found the right medicines to eliminate the extreme episodes of my depression and anxiety. My therapist taught me the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy and controlling the nature of my thoughts. I learned coping tools to help curb anxiety, including deep-breathing techniques and meditation. And even though I objected at first, my therapist also convinced me to do yoga. Now I do it frequently. It helps to keep me grounded.

I also found a naturopath and started taking vitamins and supplements. I started eating clean because I learned that excess sugar and fat are terrible for mood disorders. And I started to appreciate cardio again. I learned that exercise helps to improve one’s mental health by increasing energy and positive mood.

These habits that ultimately saved my life didn’t become a lifestyle overnight. And even today, I can’t say I “cured” myself. There are no cures for something like this. But I was getting to a place where I could actually understand my problems and function with them.

And one day this switch flipped.

The switch wasn’t this moment of rainbows and unicorns and butterflies and, “Oh my gosh, life is wonderful.”

Actually, it was more like warm cherries.

In the summer of 2010 I received a phone call from former Team Canada teammates who had asked me to play with them and the national in-line hockey team at the world championships in Prague. Their goalie had just blown her knee a few weeks before the tournament.

Even though I was scared out of my mind, I said yes … but under one condition.

I needed to know that at least one person knew what I was going through just in case something happened when I was overseas. I was finally brave enough to be honest with a friend of mine who was on the team. When she heard my story, she gave me her full support.

It felt good to be so open, even if it remained our little secret.

Of course, traveling to Prague wasn’t easy — I packed Gravol so I could pass out on the plane — but playing at the highest level in a new sport was exhilarating. And the best part of it was that winning that silver medal wasn’t the highlight of the whole trip.

During one of our days off, we walked around the city to do the whole tourist thing. While the rest of the women broke off into groups or went their own way, I wandered the brick streets by myself, looking at all the stalls of a food market.

A fruit vendor caught my eye, and she handed me a bag of cherries that had been sitting in the sun. They were so warm. I sat on a bench to enjoy them and watch the people go by.

I turned around and behind me was a white brick wall graffitied in blue.

It read, Love.

A glowing feeling washed over me. A deep sense of knowing.

In that moment, I knew my life was going to be okay.

I am telling you my story because of a girl who committed suicide seven years ago.

Before that, I had been happy with the fact that only a few people knew of my condition. For years, secrecy was crucial to my happiness.

Until I realized I was a part of a much bigger problem.

On November 13, 2010, Daron Richardson, a member of the U16 Team Ontario Program and the youngest daughter of Ottawa Senators assistant coach Luke Richardson, committed suicide.

I was sitting in the head office at the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association when I heard the news. I didn’t know Daron, but thinking about her mother finding her daughter’s body shattered my heart.

I realized I was part of the reason why kids like Daron didn’t know that there’s hope.

I was part of the reason people didn’t know they could live through the pain they were feeling.

That day, I promised I would never be a part of the problem again.

Today, as a public speaker, I tell my story to thousands of people around the world, which might seem pretty ironic for a person who lives with severe anxiety.

But to me, nothing could be as painful as the 10 years I spent in darkness and suffering. By telling my story, I want to build support for people with mental illness in North America.

We are in the middle of a crisis in Canada and the U.S. The suicide rates are unbelievable. The BBC reported earlier this year that the suicide rate for teen girls in Canada has increased 38% in the past decade. A similar trend is taking place in the States.

Mental illness is still stigmatized. Many of those who are suffering would rather stay isolated than risk reaching out for help — or they simply don’t know how to begin to look for it.

People don’t know how to find the resources they need — or how to tread water until they can get to those resources. Most of all, people need to know that they don’t have to suffer alone.

We need to learn how to reach out and give someone a hug, or hold somebody’s hand, or just let others know that they know that mental illness is real, and that we’re not going to let them be alone with whatever thoughts are troubling them.

Everyone just needs that one person to be there for them….

To show them the writing on the wall.

For more information about supporting people with mental illness check out my website mentallyfit.com

If I Should Die | By Kendra Fisher

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us ... should-die

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Two letters to Star Tribune

Concussion risks necessitate a federal law.

As Americans settle in to watch the Super Bowl next month, let’s not forget the future of this sport: young athletes. However, there’s a crisis in youth sports due to the increasing number of concussions. According to data collected from the National Federation of State High School Associations, an estimated 140,000 students playing high school sports suffer concussions every year, though many go unreported. The consequences of youth concussions can be devastating — missed school, high medical costs, headaches that last for months, possible long-term health problems and even death.

Minnesota, along with the entire country, has tried to make youth sports safer by introducing state “return to play” laws. These laws include three key ideas: educating coaches, players and parents on the signs of concussion, removing an athlete from practice or a game who might have a concussion, and not allowing the athlete to return without written clearance from a medical professional. However, there is no governing body to enforce “return to play” laws, and no consequences for failure to comply. Since 2010, there have been attempts to create a federal Youth Sports Concussion law, but all have failed. As recently as 2018, the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act (HR 3580) was introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier of California but did not pass. If the issue of concussions in youth sports is going to be taken seriously, our young athletes need a comprehensive federal law that includes education, enforcement and accountability.

IAN HANLIN, MAPLE GROVE

The writer is a student at Wayzata High School.
http://www.startribune.com/readers-writ ... 504569332/



The excellent Jan. 21 letter regarding youth sports and concussion (“Risks necessitate a federal law”) should be read by every parent, coach, athletic director and legislator in the country, if not the world. As a researcher, teacher and practitioner in the area of neuroscience, I can attest to the massive amount of published data regarding the devastating effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI), even those associated with supposedly “minor” events. The typical practice of contact sports, particularly football and hockey, exposes young athletes to repetitive injuries to the most important system humans have — the brain and central nervous system (CNS). The CNS effects of repeated impact, acceleration/deceleration and other such injuries are cumulative and, at a certain point, quite irreversible.

A quick search of PubMed or NIH websites for scholarly references about this issue will provide a wealth of evidence, so I won’t include that here. However, I have studied this issue and can say with certainty that the effects of even relatively minor injuries last for several months, not just a few weeks. Repeated injuries during the healing/recovery phase following such injuries make the effects worse and more permanent.

The answer, in my opinion, would be to eliminate intentional contact in sports. This has been done to some extent in hockey and I applaud those efforts to reduce or eliminate violent checking. Football, on the other hand, would have to switch to “flag” football approaches, and even then, blocking would likely result in repetitive injury anyway. I know this won’t happen soon and that many will respond to this letter and the one noted above with derision and scorn. Unfortunately, as neuroscience catches up to reality, we will see more and more evidence of lives permanently ruined by these sports.

By the way, a helmet protects the skull. It does very little to protect the brain.

JOHN ANDERSON, ST LOUIS PARK

http://www.startribune.com/readers-writ ... 504722272/

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One in 5 experience mental health issues in the 6 months after mild traumatic brain injury

Mild traumatic brain injury tied to mental health symptoms in some patients
One in five people who suffer a mild traumatic brain injury might experience mental health issues in the six months after the injury, according to a new analysis. Researchers looked at data from more than 1,100 people who were treated in the emergency room for a mild TBI. Three months after the injury, 20 percent of patients reported mental health symptoms tied to depression and PTSD, compared to 9 percent of people who experienced a significant orthopedic injury. People whose injuries were caused by an assault were at a particularly high risk of experiencing symptoms of PTSD. The study's authors say there's a need for more research into the biological underpinnings of mild TBIs.

Risk of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression in Civilian Patients After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Review the study at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaps ... ct/2722564

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More concussions

Ana Lemus’s daughter
I get it but one thing is to get accidentally hit and another “maliciously hit”. My daughter plays hockey and the concussions are insane. Hate that part. Unnecessary.
https://twitter.com/anaban_anaban/statu ... 7229043713

Laura
I had dreams of playing pro hockey. Many women I played with went on to play pro hockey. Besides a bucket full of concussions I simply wasn't a strong enough player and it pisses me off that I make more AS AN ONLINE RUNNING COACH then pro hockey players who are women.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Laulaubird/s ... 3509186561

Jenny Wilson
When your not even supposed to be playing hockey anymore because you have had quite a few concussions and you decide your going to cook dinner and the oven door decides to break and falls on your head.
https://mobile.twitter.com/JennyWilson1 ... 6452755456

Dr Kathleen Bachynski
Agreed: "So remember that no matter how far along hockey helmets come, and they have lagged needlessly behind, there will still be work to be done if the aim is actually to make the sport safer. Because helmets don't stop concussions.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/bachyns/stat ... 0629459970

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"It wasn't the start or the ending I wanted"

Brynäs IF forward Jennifer Wakefield’s hockey season is over, the club announced Feb. 3. She left Sweden the same day, returning home to Canada to recuperate.

Wakefield, 29, got only two games into the season before a devastating concussion kept her out for the next 18. She returned in January, only to be hit again seven games later and suffer a resurgence.

“It’s clear we’ll miss Jennifer. She is a fantastic hockey player who lifts all the teams she is in. It has been awesome to have her here in Brynäs,” said head coach Magnus Carlsson.

For her part, Wakefield expressed disappointment that the season hadn’t followed the script: “I wanted to play much more this season than I have done, of course,” she told the club’s website.

She continued, “I’m grateful for the opportunity that Brynäs has given me and I wish the girls good luck in the playoffs. Now my main focus is to go home to get better.”

In total, Wakefield played only nine games with Brynäs and scored 18 points, 13 goals and five assists. The team finished seventh in the standings with 40 points.

Brynäs takes on MODO in the first round of the SDHL playoffs, starting Feb. 13.

Jennifer Wakefield’s SDHL season is over
https://www.theicegarden.com/2019/2/3/1 ... nas-canada


"It wasn't the start or the ending I wanted, but there are some things that you just have no control over. Thank you Brynäs!”
Jennifer Wakefield’s Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/Btbdd24gp2L/

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Hope for athletes in the face of head trauma

“I think every athlete or potential athlete needs to understand, especially with contact sports, the more significant contact sports, like hockey or football or boxing, that there is absolutely a risk for CTE,” Keene said.

Hope for athletes in the face of head trauma
http://www.dailyuw.com/news/article_c57 ... #pq=K4VHrL

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Most common injury associated with position: defense? concussion; forward? concussion; goalkeeper? concussion

New study in the Journal of Athletic Training finds concussion/brain injury is now the No. 1 injury diagnosis in practices and games in U.S. high school hockey and demonstrates need for research into girls high school hockey.

One of key points highlighted by the authors: "Of all women’s ice hockey competition injuries, 38% resulted from contact with another person, even though body checking was illegal."

The First Decade of Web-Based Sports Injury Surveillance: Descriptive Epidemiology of US High School Boys’Ice Hockey (2008/9-2013/14) National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey (2004/5-2013/4)
Read the study at: https://natajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.408 ... 050-176-17

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The importance of follow-up care

A new study reveals that approximately 1 in 5 individuals may experience mental health symptoms up to six months after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), suggesting the importance of follow-up care for these patients.

Mental health disorders common following mild head injury
Risk factors for neuropsychiatric conditions after concussion
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 112717.htm

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Eric Lindros urges government to develop sports-related concussion protocol

Former NHLer appears at House of Commons committee on Parliament Hill
The Canadian Press · February 6

Former NHLer Eric Lindros appeared at the House of Commons' health committee on sports-related concussions in Ottawa on Wednesday where he urged members of parliament to develop a single national protocol for prevention and treatment. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Former hockey great Eric Lindros brought his star power to Parliament Hill on Wednesday, urging MPs to develop a single national protocol for preventing and treating sports-related concussions.

Among other things, Lindros suggested youngsters, whose brains are still developing, should have to take at least a few months off each year from rough-and-tumble sports to give their shaken brains a chance to heal.
NHL, retired players reach tentative settlement in concussion lawsuit
They should also be prevented from making hits on opponents until they're in their mid-teens, Lindros said, and any player who delivers a hit to the head should face a severe penalty.

Lindros, whose own NHL career was cut short after he suffered repeated debilitating concussions, was testifying at a special House of Commons committee that is exploring what, if anything, the federal government should be doing about sports-related head injuries.

However, the 45-year-old steered clear of commenting on the NHL or other professional sports. Indeed, he warned MPs they'd be wasting their time trying to persuade pro leagues to improve their protocols for concussion prevention and treatment.

"Quite honestly, any time you mix athletics and money, the lines blur," Lindros told the committee. "I don't think you focus there. That's the top end."

Focus should be on youth leagues
Rather, Lindros said the focus should be on peewee and junior sports, where kids can be taught a different culture about concussions that will eventually trickle up to the pros.

On his way into the committee, Lindros said there are "a lot of good efforts" happening in different sports across the country to develop concussion protocols, but they vary from sport to sport and region to region.

"In my opinion, I'd like to see them consolidated," he said.

"Whether you're riding horses or playing soccer or hockey ... a concussion is a concussion."

When he was a kid, Lindros said he used to take a break from playing hockey from May to September each year. But with kids now increasingly playing contact sports 12 months a year, Lindros likened their brains to a pick-up truck being driven repeatedly over bumpy roads.

"[If] you don't every once in a while pull it in for servicing, something's going to fall apart. Sooner or later, it's inevitable."

Pro wrestler weighs in
The committee also heard from former professional wrestler and college football player Chris Nowinski, founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

Nowinski said in the past, athletes were essentially shamed into continuing to play after suffering a concussion. Over the past dozen years, he said, there's been some progress in persuading young athletes that they "don't need to be a hero."

The danger comes not just from outright concussions, but from receiving repeated hits to the head over time, which can lead to memory loss, cognitive decline, behavioural changes and mood disorders in later life, Nowinski said. And the earlier an athlete is exposed to head hits, the worse off he or she is likely to be in later life.

Noting that government sets age limits for other dangerous activities, such as driving, drinking alcohol or smoking, Nowinski said: "Maybe we should regulate how often you're allowed to let your child get hit in the head or how many concussions you're allowed to have."

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/er ... -1.5009039

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Concussions can increase the risk of stroke

Do Concussions Increase the Risk of Stroke or Brain Cancer?
http://snip.ly/hqr3dp/#https://www.keck ... in-cancer/

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See how Minnesota compares

Concussion laws: How does your state stack up?

https://www.revealnews.org/article/conc ... -stack-up/

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"so many players in the sport are affected by concussions"

“It’s a great cause to support as so many players in the sport are affected by concussions, and despite efforts by medical staff for players to report their symptoms, many still play through them without realizing the risks,” said Trinity junior captain Alex Sinson (Elm Grove, Wis.).

Women's Hockey Partners With Headway Foundation for Concussion Awareness Ahead of Weekend Series With Williams
https://www.bantamsports.com/sports/wic ... key_131819

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“It felt like I had to relearn how to play hockey, because I hadn’t been on in so long,”

Goalie Katherine Purchase kept positive during concussion recovery

Concordia Stingers women’s hockey goalie Katherine Purchase earned a shutout in her first start this regular season on Jan. 13 against the Carleton Ravens. Purchase missed the first half of the season due to a concussion, and felt relieved when she was able to play hockey again.

“It’s pretty frustrating [to recover from a concussion], especially when it’s your first one,” Purchase said. “There are a lot of ups and downs, and it’s not really a steady comeback […]. Some days, I would feel really good and the next, terrible, so it would be discouraging. I just had to keep believing I was going to get better.”

The fifth-year goalie suffered the concussion while at a training camp with the Canadian national team in Dawson Creek, B.C. in September. In an exhibition game against a men’s Junior B team, an opposing player collided with her, with his leg hitting her head.

While Purchase was recovering from the head injury, she was also diagnosed with mononucleosis, but ultimately the concussion was what kept her out of action for so long. “The toughest thing was to not be around the team at all, and I went a whole month without seeing them,” Purchase said. “Especially with all the rookies this year, I wanted to get to know those new girls.”

Purchase won her first RSEQ championship last season and is aiming for a second.

The accounting student also had to stay away from school for a while, but returned in November and passed her classes last semester. When she returned to the ice, Purchase said she couldn’t put the emotions she felt into words. “It felt like I had to relearn how to play hockey, because I hadn’t been on in so long,” she said.

Purchase hadn’t played for the Stingers since winning bronze at nationals last March, and returned to action at the Theresa Humes Tournament in December. After allowing six goals in a losing effort to the Syracuse Orange on Dec. 30, Purchase said it helped shake the dust off and get back to her usual skill level.

In the team’s first regular-season game of 2019 against the McGill Martlets, Purchase replaced Alice Philbert, who allowed five goals in the third period, and she’s played every game since. With Purchase as the starter, the Stingers have a 5-0-1 record, while she has a 1.28 goals-against average and .948 save percentage. She’s helped the Stingers climb into second place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), and the fifth-year just wants to keep winning.

“Knowing that I’ve missed a lot of time and that our team is trying to get some momentum going into the playoffs, I don’t think there’s time to think about anything else,” Purchase said. “Everytime you step onto the ice, you’re trying to go for a win and nothing else matters. [Playing] has kind of helped block out all the noise that creeps into your head.”

Purchase and the Stingers are focused on one thing, and that’s to defend their RSEQ championship and have success at nationals. “We still have a very talented team and we have the ability to win a national championship, so that’s always the expectation in this program,” she said, adding that she’s well-rested after missing the first few months of the season.

For a second consecutive year, Purchase was voted co-captain, along with Devon Thompson, by her teammates. Goalies can’t wear the ‘C’ on their jersey but, despite this, head coach Julie Chu praises Purchase for her vocal leadership on and off the ice.

“We’re always emphasizing communication as much as we can, and it’s not just our forwards with the forwards, the defencemen with the other defencemen, but everyone involved, including the goalies,” Chu told The Concordian in an interview in October. “Katherine is really understanding that role.”

Thompson, the only one to have played alongside Purchase for five seasons, also told The Concordian in November that her goalie is a big leader. “People think that because she’s a goalie, she sticks to herself, but she’s always had a really big voice in the locker room,” Thompson said.

This is Purchase’s last season with the Stingers, and she said it feels surreal that her journey at Concordia is coming to an end. She will be moving to Toronto in May to complete her Chartered Professional Accountant courses, and has a job lined up for September. Toronto has two teams in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, the Markham Thunder and Toronto Furies. At the moment, Purchase isn’t sure if she will be able to play professionally while working a full-time job.

The goalie said she’s enjoyed the family culture the Stingers have developed, and how she’s gotten along well with her teammates throughout the years.

“I’m going to miss Julie and Mike [McGrath, an assistant coach] so, so, so much, and just that feeling of coming to practice in an environment where everyone supports you and wants the best for you,” Purchase said.

“I really can’t complain about my time here,” she added. “If someone gave me the chance to redo everything over again, I wouldn’t take it because I would be scared to mess up. I wouldn’t want to be at any other school in Canada or the U.S., I can’t believe how lucky I am that I ended up here.”

Recovered and ready for a title
Read more: http://theconcordian.com/2019/02/recove ... r-a-title/

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If your daughter was having mental health issues, would she talk to you?

Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Linked To Mental Health Issues, A New Study Shows, & Here’s Why It Matters
https://www.bustle.com/p/traumatic-brai ... s-15925473