Stories

Heads up!

“Brain Smart: Let’s Play Safely,” is a research project that is tackling youth concussions head on.

Concussion can have lasting impact on all areas of a young person’s life: cognitive, social, physical and emotional. The project’s objectives are to reduce the risk of concussion in organized youth sports and increase knowledge of concussion management by coaches, athletes and parents. The initial focus is on the sports with the highest concussion rates: hockey and football.

The 16-month project is funded by a Community Health and Education Research grant, led by McMaster’s CanChild Centre for Disability Research. Numerous partners include the City of Hamilton, minor sports associations, Brain Injury Services, Lifemark Physiotherapy and the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board,

The project’s five phases include a baseline survey about concussion incidence, knowledge and attitudes and existing protocols, ; helping teams to develop or refine their concussion management protocols; outreach and education sessions for teams and players; a follow-up survey; and sharing results. The plan is to eventually expand the research to all minor sports in Hamilton.

 

Excerpt from 2017 Fall Legacy newsletter