Number One Injury in Girls' Hockey Could Be Easily Avoided

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 08, 2008 -
Girls’ hockey is one of the fastest growing sports in North America and also has one of the highest injury rates.  There is one injury in particular that is plaguing the entire female hockey world and the long-term effects on both the players, and the community in general, are potentially devastating.

Concussions have become a serious problem in the female game, says Total Female Hockey director and player development specialist Kim McCullough, and the entire female hockey community, from administrators to coaches to players, must do everything they can to prevent this incredibly high incidence of head injuries from becoming epidemic.

“Studies have shown that the concussion rate in women’s university hockey is twice that of the men’s game and we are seeing similar injury rates among younger players” says Coach Kim McCullough.  “This is a particularly alarming statistic since there is no body checking allowed in the female game.”

In fact, Coach McCullough believes that the absence of body checking has actually played a large part in the increased concussion rate.

“Anyone who has ever watched a female hockey game knows that just because there is no full body-checking allowed, that doesn’t mean that there is no body contact.  The women’s game is very physical and yet we are not preparing our girls adequately to be able to handle this high level of contact.”  

Coach McCullough suggests two critical changes to the way that coaches prepare their players for the physicality of the female game:

1)  Girls’ hockey players need to be taught how to take a hit properly.  We are doing players a great disservice by not showing them how to protect themselves if (and when) they do get hit.  Teaching girls how to protect themselves will go a long way towards preventing concussions, as well as a whole host of other potentially devastating injuries.

2)  Girls’ hockey players have to be better prepared physically.  The stronger a player is, the better she will be able to hold her ground when she is hit unexpectedly - which is how many concussions happen in girls’ hockey.  By building their core stability, balance and overall strength, players are better able to control their bodies in space and withstand the force of impact.  This can be accomplished through simple body-weight strength training and doesn’t require girls to lift weights or hit the gym.

For more information about how coaches and parents can help their young players avoid injury and take their game to the next level safely and effectively, contact Total Female Hockey director and founder Coach Kim McCullough via the company’s website at http://www.totalfemalehockeyclub.com.