KSTP TV Report on Girls Hockey & Concussions 2/15 10 PM

[joehockey]

Caught just a bit of a report on the KSTP afternoon report about a story to air tonight on concussions in girls hockey - they fellow who is doing the report said the number one injury in D1 sports is - Concussions in Womens hockey. Not sure when in the 10 PM newscast that it will air.

[girlshockeyrocks]

I had heard this before. I think it invites some discussion with respect to bringing contact into the womens game.

I.e might it be better to have some form of body checking introduced at a younger age? The argument might be that the girls are not getting knocked around as much at a younger (and safer) age and are thus less prepared for how to fall and how to sense danger.

I see this all the time. Boys, from a young age, starting on the school playgroung, etc. are always knockign each other around and tackling each other and I believe all this roughhousing teaches them the instincts required to fall. Then they survive PeeWee hockey and get to the point where they have the instincts to protect themselves.

So my question is, because girls go mostly untouched in hockey, you could say they don't learn the same self preservation habits the boys do...So does it follow that by having them play a more physical game, they would learn more self preservation habits/instincts at a younger age that might protect them at the highest levels?

I'm not arguing for or against because I don't know the answer...I'm just throwing it out.

It wouldn't need to be exactly the same rules as boys and in fact, probably shouldn't be. I've seen some people who have put forward some ideas for changing the checking rules for boys to be safer and some of these ideas might be a great way to bring body checking into the girls game in a safer manner.

I wish I could remember some of the details that I remember thinking were a good idea. Here's a start anyway:

Checking should be called like 'roughing the passer' in football...I.e. if the player gets rid of the puck, there is NO concept of 'finishing the check' by taking an extra stride or two into the player. You simply must pull up/out of the check if they have passed the puck.

You could say that you are not allowed to take more than one stride into the check. Bascially change the charging rule from three strides to one.

I'm sure there are other good ideas out there.

[hardwaterfan]

It's interesting on all of the studies that have shown that by simply wearing a proper fitting mouthguard, it will vastly improve your chances of reducing a concussion injury. Two, within a close proximity of each other, gives a measurable risk of death, or becoming a drooler when your in adulthood. Boil and bites are a joke, because they don't fit right and restrict breathing, resulting in the athlete chewing on it or hanging it on their cage. To prove my point, go to the USA hockey national championship site for the 12U's and look at the pictures. Not one of the kids are wearing theirs. A true custom guard is around $50, and will last a year, even with braces. They are hand cut to a mold, and will be formed to make room for emerging teeth and braces being adjusted. The kid has to literally pull it off their teeth to remove it, and it helps breathing and their ability to talk. Gladiator has a great guard, and it's not real expensive. As parents we'll spend a c-note on a composite stick or $300 on skates, but we won't spend more than $15 on a mouthguard- something that can really help performance while preventing concussions. This years Super Bowl winners credits their mouthguards with giving them the edge that gave them a trip to Disney. I am requiring all of my C1 soccer players to wear them as well- a very simple solution to a potentially lethal problem...

[MinnGirlsHockey]

Gladiator has a great guard, and it's not real expensive.

Can you get a Gladiator guard with a strap? I was looking on their website and it doesn't look like you can, unless I missed it. I had thought mouthguards must be attached (tethered) to the helmet, according to MN Hockey...or maybe it's a district-by-district thing?

[hardwaterfan]

You don't need a strap, and you don't want one either. It quickly becomes second nature for the girls, and they have to be reminded to take them out. It isn't required anymore, as the rule was made prior to custom guards being available. Before our team got them we checked into it with MN Hockey and USA Hockey. Also, as a measure of security, we keep her old boil and bite in her bag.

PS- I'm not a spokesman for them- we just did a lot of research before deciding on a company. If you call Gladiator and speak with Bobbie, their owner, you'll soon agree that for the money, their isn't anything even close, plus the girls can personalize them, which they love.

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Can you get a Gladiator guard with a strap?...