Playing Safer Hockey

I have long been a supporter of education when it comes to children and teens. I think that education is an invaluable asset, and that more education results in smarter people. Call me "Captain Obvious", but there should be no price tag on education, and I'm glad to see a few major players in the hockey world trying to bring more education to its younger players. ScotiaBank, ThinkFirst, and Reebok-CCM Hockey presented a fabulous series of videos on playing safer hockey, and have produced a DVD called SMART Hockey for all young players. This endeavor sounds very encouraging if you're a coach, player, or parent, and this is exactly the kind of initiative that I want to support.

Spearheading the campaign is an organization called ThinkFirst. ThinkFirst's beginnings were started in 1992, and their start was explained on their website:

ThinkFirst is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of brain and spinal cord injuries. Celebrating over seventeen years in operation, ThinkFirst has been heightening public awareness through education since its inception in 1992, when it was founded by renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Tator. Headquartered in Toronto, our endorsements include a number of prominent organizations including the Canadian Neurosurgical Society, the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses, the Canadian Congress of Neurological Sciences, and the Canadian Spine Society.

As you can see, they have some pretty strong organizations backing them in their efforts to get the message out about brain and spinal cord injuries. With the recent exposure that concussions and hitting from behind in hockey have received, there is no better time to start teaching players about these types of injuries and how to prevent them.

Combining these efforts with those of the Scotiabank Hockey Club and Reebok-CCM will give ThinkFirst two very good partners in bringing their message to thousands of young hockey players who, for the most part, try to emulate their heroes on the ice. Especially when their heroes do something bad.

Let's take a look at some of these videos. The first trailer has Boston's Patrice Brisebois, New York Islander John Tavares, and Canadian women's team member and CWHL superstar Tessa Bonhomme!.

Ok, a decent start to these videos with some big names. The second video is just over two minutes of information on concussions, and it really should be seen by everyone. I recommend watching this with your children or younger players.

Having seen these video, we need to remember something very important: the video provides parents, coaches, and players with information to support safer hockey. The information should only be used to support, not replace, the advice of a doctor or other health professional. Always listen to your doctor or health professional when it comes to matters of your health. They know what's best for you in every health situation!

I commend the collective efforts of ThinkFirst, Scotiabank, and Reebok-CCM in tackling this sensitive subject. By having players learn some basics about protecting themselves at a younger age, I'm hoping that this will help in the battle against brain and spinal cord injuries. There are lots of ways that a player can be hurt, but none have such lasting effects as those injuries seen with the brain and spinal cord.

I'm hoping to have a DVD copy of SMART Hockey available in the HBIC Playoff Pool, but we'll see what happens. I may offer it up to a young hockey fan in a contest, so stay tuned! I'm proud to help get this message out, and I want to thank Scotiabank, ThinkFirst, and Reebok-CCM for giving me an opportunity to distribute this DVD!

If you want to see 27 minutes of information on how to prevent injuries, please click here for the video. I watched it, and it's incredibly good! Take some time, and get the knowledge you need to protect your brain and spinal cord! For additional information, head over the Scotiabank Facebook page, and see all the videos there!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!