Activating Safe Sport communities
Earlier this year, SIRC launched Community Activation Grants to help communities across Canada recover from COVID-19 through Safe Sport opportunities. Discover how sport organizations from coast to coast are using the grants to activate Safe Sport and concussion awareness initiatives in their communities in the SIRCuit.
Concussions in volleyball
Most concussions in youth volleyball are the result of ball-to-head contacts during practice or warm-ups. To improve athlete safety on the court, Volleyball Canada introduced a new rule in 2018 to prevent athletes from going under the net to retrieve the ball during warm-up drills, a high-risk situation for ball-to-head contact.
Why teens might not report a concussion
High-school students experience the highest rates of concussion among all children and youth, but many concussions go unreported. Common reasons why teens might not report a concussion include a lack of knowledge, thinking it won’t make a difference, believing their friends will treat them differently and a lack of self-efficacy.
Rowan’s Law Day
Today is Rowan’s Law Day! Commemorated annually on the last Wednesday of September, Rowan’s Law Day raises awareness about concussion safety. Take some time to explore and share what your sport is doing to improve concussion safety, for example, through concussion protocols and policies. Remember, everyone contributes to making sport safer!
Concussion recovery
Returning to play too soon following a concussion may increase the athlete’s risk of sustaining another concussion. Use Parachute Canada’s sport-specific return-to-sport strategy adaptation tool to plan activities that will help athletes safely return to play after a concussion.
How biological sex and gender affect concussion risk and management
Highlights Concussion recovery depends on many factors, including biological factors (for example, anatomy) and gender-based factors (for example, societal norms in sport). Research shows that female athletes have a higher risk of concussion than male athletes, male and female athletes experience concussions in different ways, and female athletes may take longer than male athletes to…
Activating Safe Sport communities
Highlights In summer 2021, the Sport Information Resource Centre launched the Community Activation Grants program to help sport organizations promote Safe Sport and concussion initiatives at the community level. This article spotlights 6 of the 25 successful grant recipients from across Canada. These recipients share why Safe Sport and concussion awareness initiatives are crucial for their community, and…
How Volleyball Canada is taking an evidence-based approach to concussion prevention
Highlights Along with current educational and technological initiatives, sport organizations have the opportunity to introduce specific strategies to protect against the risks of concussion within their respective sports. To develop effective prevention strategies, it’s necessary to understand the extent of the concussion problem and research the factors and mechanisms that contribute to concussion risk. Interventions, such as rule changes for reducing concussion risks, should be both…
You-CAN: Peers help youth athletes with concussions through education and social support
Highlights The number of concussions reported among Canadian youth has increased annually by 10.3% between 2004 and 2015. Many concussions go unreported by youth due to their lack of knowledge, thinking it won’t make a difference, believing their friends will treat them differently and a lack of self-efficacy. Improved concussion reporting and health outcomes may happen by understanding that social networks strongly influenced youth, exploring new ways of enabling youth to help each other learn about concussion and supporting recovery after…
Concussion in Para athletes: One size doesn’t fit all
Highlights In 2020, an international group of clinicians, researchers and athletes met virtually to explore how to best assess and manage concussion in an athlete with a disability. This group’s individuals had experience and expertise in the care of Para athletes, and in the assessment, management and prevention of concussion. They named themselves the Concussion…