Safety is important for kids, whether they are on or off the ice.
This hockey season, one thing to keep in mind is the age and fit of your child's hockey gear.
Helmet fittings are essential in terms of how effective they are, and protect a player's head from severe damages, whether they are being checked into the boards, tripping, or falling.
“It's primarily to prevent injury. Essentially, good quality gear will protect a child when there is impact. If someone falls down and the helmet is not in good condition, it won't do what it's supposed to do, which is to prevent that trauma from happening,” explained Dr. Maynak Signal, medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services (AHS).
Parents should replace a child's helmet every three to five years, regardless of it's condition. If the helmet looks damaged, or the player outgrows the size, it should be replaced right away with a Canadian Standards Association approved helmet, and parents should keep in mind a few tips when it comes to fitting.
“Essentially when you put on a helmet you should have no more than two finger spaces between the neck and the chin strap,” Signal said.
A helmet should be tight enough that it will not shake loose, and should sit just above the brow line, feeling snug to the crown, temples and the beginning of the neck and forehead.
When it comes to gear, hand-me-downs are not always the best choice as they often don't fit properly, and could have years of use.
“A lot of times, parents will just try and make helmets work, and they don't fit properly,” president of the Bonnyville Minor Hockey Association Darcy Skarsen said.
Mitch Sylvestre of Sylvestre Source for Sports said helmets do not play as big of a role in the prevention of concussions as some may believe.
“Concussions are your brain bouncing around inside your head, causing brain bruising, and yes it is important to have your helmet fit… but a lot of concussions are a result of your head snapping back and forth.”
A piece of equipment more likely to help prevent this common hockey injury is a mouth guard, which can help protect more than a player's pearly whites. A mouth guard helps absorb some of the impact of a player's head snapping backward and then forward, and can help prevent injuries such as concussions.
Common signs of a concussion are headaches, dizziness, memory problems, inability to focus, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, delayed response, and fatigue, and are something Skarsen believes parents should familiarize themselves with.
In terms of skates, they too should be properly fitted, explained Sylvestre, who added if skates are too large, the player's balance is shifted which could affect a player's foot control and reaction time.
“Fit of skates is critical, I think it is one of the most important things… You want to be able to get out of the road, you want to be able to stand up, you want to be able to turn on time, and you don't want to be falling or sliding anywhere.”
On a youth, skates should have one finger space between the inside of the boot and the heel of the foot in order to allow some room for growth, and the big toe should barely brush the toe of the skate.
Another important piece of equipment is elbow pads, which should fit snuggly around the player's elbows.
“If they slide down, they are not protecting you,” said Sylvestre, adding when falling backwards, a human's first instinct is to fall on their elbows to protect themselves.
He continued, “The thing with that is, if you fall down hard, and your elbow pad is not in the right place, then it could hurt.”
Neck guards, although not required at some levels of hockey, are essential in the protection of the neck from skates, sticks and pucks, and should be considered a key piece of equipment.
“When you sharpen those skates, they are like razor blades,” explained Sylvestre.
If a player should fall and get stepped on, a Kevlar neck guard could protect them from a serious injury.
Kevlar also comes in long johns and socks, and are also used to protect a players legs and shins from skate blades.
Coaches play a role in player safety, by teaching proper checking methods through checking clinics, which are often mandatory for players in contact leagues.
The clinics emphasize on checking skill acquisition, safety, roles and responsibilities and the four phases of checking – positioning and angling, stick checks, contact confidence and body checking.
Players are also in charge of their own safety and can learn how to properly take and give a hit, and the best way to fall. Getting enough sleep, eating properly, and doing well in school also play a role, Skarsen said, adding preparation helps keep a player's head in the game.
