Number 1 Injury in Girl's Hockey

There is an injury epidemic happening right now in girls' hockey and one injury in particular is having the most devastating effects of all.

The rate of concussions in the female game is alarmingly high. According to a recent study done in the NCAA, the varsity sport with the highest concussion rate by far is not men's hockey or men's football. It's women's ice hockey.
In fact, female hockey players are two times more likely to suffer a concussion than male hockey players and almost three times more likely than football players.
At the university level, female hockey players are suffering 1 concussion for every 1000 "exposures" to the game - with each practice and game counting as one exposure. On a team of 20 players, that means 1 concussion for every 50 exposures.
Although statistics on younger players are harder to come by, I would guess that their concussion rate would be just as high (and maybe even higher) than with the women. Girls are having more exposures than ever to the sport - they compete on school teams, club teams, travel teams, Olympic development teams and weekend tournament teams. Most girls rep teams are on the ice at least 100 times a season - so that averages out to 2 concussions per season per team.
Pretty amazing for a sport that doesn't allow full body-checking, isn't it?
It's true that these particular stats came from one study and don't necessarily represent a trend across the entire female hockey world.    But the concussion stories I hear from girls' hockey parents, players and coaches on a daily basis tell me that these numbers are accurate.
I've heard heart-wrenching stories from parents who have had to help their 13 year-olds cope with the lingering effects of a head injury for over 6 months. I've heard from 16 year-olds who have had to quit hockey after suffering from multiple concussions. One university coach even told me that her team had 12 concussions in just one season!
There is a huge debate going on right now in the world of female hockey about WHY these injuries are happening and IF the research numbers are accurate.
We can debate the statistics and the causes until we are blue in the face. But I'm not personally willing to wait for more girls to suffer serious head injuries to support the numbers before I start taking action. And you shouldn't wait either. Something needs to be done to protect girls from the devastating effects of these injuries.
The concussion problem in girls' hockey needs a solution NOW.
Here are two suggestions on how we can help to prevent concussions in girls hockey players.
1) Girls need to be taught how to take a hit.
In every girls' or women's game I have ever watched or played, there is always at least one instance where I think, "Good thing we don't have full body-checking because that player would have been run-over". There is no doubt that we need to teach girls how to play heads-up hockey, but we also need to teach them how to take a hit properly. If more coaches, teams and associations start showing girls how to protect themselves along the boards and in front of the net, it will go a long way towards preventing concussions, as well as a whole slew of other injuries.
2) Girls have to be better prepared physically.
A lack of proper strength and conditioning is another big reason for the alarmingly high rate of concussions in girls' hockey.
Most girls hockey players stand up "too tall" on the ice, which leaves them in an unbalanced and vulnerable position. They lack the strength and stability in their legs to stay in a low athletic position. Developing great single-leg strength and balance allows players to stay low and protect themselves from both intentional and accidental contact.
By keeping their knees bent, hips back and chest up, players will be in a much better position to protect themselves out on the ice. Once girls can hold a low balanced position on one leg for over 30 seconds, they can challenge themselves by having a partner try to push them off balance in that single-leg position. Developing this ability to fight for their balance will help players to hold their own out on the ice when facing similar physical demands.
The female game is only going to get faster and more physical in the next few years and girls have to be ready to face those demands. Building single-leg strength and balance, as well as teaching girls how to take a hit properly, are two simple and effective ways for girls hockey players to decrease their chances of sustaining concussions and other serious injuries.
It is our responsibility as coaches and parents to ensure that our girls are physically prepared each and every time they step out on the ice. Instead of debating whether or not head injuries are a problem in women's hockey, we all need to be part of the concussion solution.