Concussion Newsletter – October 2019

Putting athlete safety first, Skate Canada has introduced a new rule that allows referees to stop competition if they suspect an athlete has sustained a head injury, without any score deductions. A three minute pause allows athletes to be assessed by a qualified individual, reducing the risk of continuing competition with an injury. Learn more…

1900 Paris Olympics

The 1900 Paris Olympic Games closed on October 28 – the second games of the modern era. The Games, held over five months as part of the World’s Fair, included 19 sports and a total of 95 events, and included women for the first time.

NBA sleep deprivation

Sleep loss reduces physical performance, eye-hand coordination, and attention span. Chronic sleep loss contributes to higher risk for cancer, heart disease, dementia and depression. A recent article from ESPN examines the impacts of competition and travel schedules on the sleep patterns, and ultimately the health, of NBA athletes.

Changing the Sport Culture by Changing the Rules

High-level athletes compete to win. Sometimes, however, they make rash decisions in the heat of the moment that can have serious, long-term consequences. Take figure skating, for example. There have been instances in the past where athletes and coaches were suspected of downplaying concerns about head injury because interrupting a skater’s program would have resulted…

Ultimate Frisbee Observers

Most ultimate frisbee games are played without officials, relying on the “Spirit of the Game” which places responsibility for fair play on the athletes. At the highest levels of the sport, an “observer” provides a neutral perspective for dispute resolution or objective rules.

Human Performance and the Gut

As extreme endurance races become more popular, athletes are confronting a new limit on human performance – their gut. New research shows your digestive track can only absorb 2.5 times your basal metabolic rate (BMR) worth of calories per day. With some athletes depleting their glycogen and fat stores at 4 or 5 times their…

Bianca Andreescu & Mental Toughness

Bianca Andreescu made history on Saturday as the first Canadian tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles championship. Her success is attributed, in part, to her mental toughness. Learn how athletes manage stress and stay focused through goal setting, self-talk, imagery and arousal control in this article from The Conversation.

Parapan American Games Wrap-up

Congratulations Team Canada! The Parapan American Games closed on Sunday, with Team Canada capturing a total of 60 medals (17 gold, 21 silver, and 22 bronze), and qualifications for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games for the men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams. Congratulations to all 151 members of the Canadian Parapan American Team – click…

Wheelchair Rugby

Wheelchair Rugby, originally known as murderball, is a fast and furious full contact sport. A combination of elements from basketball, handball and ice hockey, the sport was invented in Winnipeg in 1976. Today, it is played in 40 countries and is under development in several more. Congratulations to the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Team for their…

CPC Health and Wellness Video Series

In a series of videos developed by the Canadian Paralympic Committee in partnership with Pfizer, Para sport athletes share the value of sport in their lives, and talk about the mental component of training and competition. Featured athletes include Tess Routliffe (Para swimming) Keely Shaw (Para cycling), Rob Shaw (wheelchair tennis), and Nathan Riech (Para…