Fall SIRCuitThe week of September 26 to October 2, is Canada’s inaugural Concussion Awareness Week. Concussion Awareness Week was established in January 2021 to increase concussion awareness by providing information and encouraging action across Canada. Concussion Awareness Week is for everyone with a role in healthy active living—sport and recreation participants, parents, coaches, organizers, educators and more! In honour of Concussion Awareness Week, the Fall 2021 SIRCuit dives into topics and issues at the forefront of concussion research and education in sport. |
 |
SIRCuit Summaries
How Volleyball Canada is taking an evidence-based approach to concussion prevention
A heightened focus on sport-related concussion and brain trauma in recent years has led to increasing efforts by sport organizations to develop and implement preventative strategies that protect their athletes. In the SIRCuit, learn about Volleyball Canada’s approach to concussion prevention research, how they’ve used data to inform their concussion prevention strategy, and what they’ve learned along the way.
How biological sex and gender affect concussion risk and management
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 recover from a concussion. Discover what we know (and don’t know) about concussion risk and management for women, girls and female athletes.
Concussion in Para athletes: One size doesn’t fit all
Despite increasing research in sport-related concussion in general, a gap exists in knowledge about concussion in Para athletes. Existing concussion assessment tools and resources, like the SCAT5, may need to be modified for use with Para athletes. In the SIRCuit, experts weigh in on what we know (and don’t know) about concussion in Para sport.
Activating Safe Sport communities
One issue that’s been at the forefront for sport organizations during the pandemic has been ensuring a Safe Sport environment as participants return to play. Earlier this year, SIRC launched Community Activation Grants to help communities across Canada recover from COVID-19 through Safe Sport opportunities. For Canada’s inaugural Concussion Awareness Week, we spoke with 6 grant recipients about the importance of Safe Sport and concussion awareness for their organizations, and about the initiatives their grants helped them build.
You-CAN: Peers help youth athletes with concussions through education and social support
High-school students experience the highest rates of concussion among all children and youth. Additionally, their concussions are often under-reported. Read about the Youth Concussion Awareness Network, a novel, peer-led program focused on concussion education and awareness for high-school students across Canada.
Last updated on July 26, 2023