UNITE ON CONCUSSION ISSUE, LINDROS TELLS HOCKEY WORLD
Wickenheiser also shares her experience at symposium, Jennifer Bieman writes.
On the ice, fourtime Olympic hockey gold medallist Hayley Wickenheiser and NHL great Eric Lindros were team players — their sport required it.
Even though they’ve hung up their skates, it was clear from their message at Western University’s See the Line concussion symposium that their teambuilding spirit has lingered, even in their new roles as concussion advocates.
“To get anywhere, everyone’s got to collaborate. Everyone’s got to learn from each other’s mistakes and learn from each other’s successes,” said Lindros, whose professional career was cut short by brain injuries. “I wasn’t the player that I once was after going through concussions a number of times. It takes a toll on you.”
Like he has been for years, Lindros is out to make sure concussions get the attention — and research dollars — they deserve.
“I think I can help,” he said. “I’ve got a wonderful group of friends that I can rely on to come through for me and make this a fun event.”
One of those friends, CBC Hockey Night in Canada host
Ron MacLean, along with concussion experts and researchers, spoke at the sold-out conference Wednesday. The event, hosted by Western University, its medical school and the Robarts Research Institute, is meant to promote research, reduce concussions and boost awareness of brain injuries among doctors, coaches, players and parents.
While studying concussions and treatment options is important, Wickenheiser said the attitude held by players, coaches and parents about the invisible injury needs to change, too.
Addressing the culture surrounding concussions is one goal of the Team Up, Speak Up education campaign, the project of the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada, a partner of the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western.
The non-profit encourages coaches and players across the country to take the pledge to report concussions when they see them.
“You have the team leadership up there setting new social norms. Frame looking out for concussions as being a good teammate,” said Chris Nowinski, co-founder and chief executive of the Boston-based Concussion Legacy Foundation.
“It’s that simple.”
Nowinski said concussed players often don’t have the ability to take themselves out of the game.
They need people around who take the condition seriously that can watch for symptoms.
Players of all ages are asked to take the simple pledge, snap a team photo and spread the word online.
Wickenheiser said she wishes she knew it was OK to stop playing or speak up about her struggle after she took a hard hit on the ice while playing professional men’s hockey in Finland.
“I didn’t feel at the time that I had the choice to take time off ... I think that that’s the scenario that a lot of athletes find themselves in,” she said, adding she felt dizzy, nauseous and sensitive to light for days, all while continuing to play.
“I sucked it up and I soldiered through, but for days and weeks I suffered … I think back now at how dumb that was.”