The Science of Injury in Sport: The Ice Hockey Perspective

Dr. William J. Montelpare, Ph.D.,Professor, School of Kinesiology

Two main areas of research

Development and evaluation of the

Play It Cool Program

A multidisciplinary approach to injury

prevention research

The Play it Cool program was designed to help generate awareness and prevention of spinal cord injuries and neurotrauma (e.g.concussion) in ice hockey

Play it Cool Delivered Online

The Play it Cool program is delivered to coaches in an “8” week facilitated online course, in which 7 modules are presented by experienced individuals using a web-based format.

COMPETENCY BASED MODULES INCLUDE:

1 Ethics and Sportsmanship

2 Skating Skills

3 Principles of play

4 Awareness of the playing area

5 Teaching techniques and building an optimum environment

6 Teaching checking as a skill

7 Controlling risk as a coach

Features of the programThe web based delivery includes: all forms of multimedia a discussion board for each

cohort of 10-12 coaches a blog page delivered by

the facilitator to generate discussion

web enabled surveys

The modules include:

Animation and video that demonstrates how to carry out a safe hockey drill

Specific information related to the intention of the drill

As well as the injury risks which can be avoided by using this type of drill

Steer, angle, and contain drill

Each coach is issued a games manual which was prepared as a resource and consists of some 56 low organizational games to assist in teaching safe hockey created by Malcolm Sutherland

“Introducing Gary The Goal Light”

A graphic comic style approach directing the safe hockey and injury prevention message to young playerscreated by Ryan Ryan

Participants include …Coaches from the

Ontario Hockey Federation,

Ottawa District Hockey Association,

Hockey Northwest Ontario,

Massachusetts Hockey League,

The Rochester Hockey Federation in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic

A multidisciplinary approach to studying injury prevention through neurotrauma related events in ice hockey

Evaluating the precursors that underlie neurotrauma Throughout this phase of

our research we investigated several aspects of ice hockey participants that underlie the likelihood for neurotrauma related event.

Head Impact Telemetric System

HITS computer screen

Measuring time on task

On submit the data are written to a data set for subsequent analysis

Online Injury Surveillance System

Faught Aerobic Skating Test (FAST)

Neck Strength Measurement Device

Examples of Neuro-cognitive tests

Connors Continuous Performance Test

Attention Network Test

Measures of Balance

Using game film analysis

PEAK field system for kinematic analysis

Future Directions The proposed program of research

planned for the next five years is intended to use a variety of innovative approaches to developing, delivering, and evaluating injury prevention education and research.

At the core of the proposed program

will be the on-going development of injury prevention research specifically related to neurotrauma as a function of pursuits in ice hockey.

The Research Team Biomechanics: Moira McPherson, Ph.D., Patrick Bishop, Ph.D. Biostatistics: Paul Corey, Ph.D. Exercise Physiology: Brent Faught, Ph.D. Injury Epidemiology: Alison MacPherson, Ph.D. Neuro-Cognition: M. Keightley, Ph.D., J. McAuliffe, Ph.D., T. Laroque, M.Sc. Sport Psychology: Joseph Baker, Ph.D. Measures of Balance: Eryk Przysucha, M.Sc., Jane Taylor, Ph.D. Neck Strength: Lucie Pelland, Ph.D. Joan Stevenson, Ph.D., Derek Kivi, Ph.D. Play It Cool: Malcolm Sutherland, Graduate Student Heart rate variability, Measuring Exposure, Blood Biomarkers, Electro-encephalography Project Management and Coordination: William Montelpare, Ph.D.