Analyzing the Causes and Risk Factors for Head Contact Events in Youth Competitive Bodychecking Hockey: A Descriptive Observational Video Analysis

Abstract

Across minor hockey contexts, concussions and head injuries have become a growing concern as stories of professional athletes sustaining debilitating injuries are frequent across all media platforms. These stories have prompted stakeholders (parents, coaches, policy makers) to take action, in an attempt to ensure safe participation for youth hockey players. Although decades of research across minor hockey have clearly noted the frequency and risk for youth to sustain concussion injuries across varying levels and age groups, few studies have actually explained how and why these injuries happen in gameplay. The research conducted in this thesis seeks to address these research gaps by alternatively employing descriptive observational video analysis to explain how and why injuries occur. Further, although concussive injuries are a serious matter, issues relating to diagnostics do not yield a simple interpretation of results, and moreover concussions do not reflect the entire scope of brain injury. For this reason, among others, our research group and partners from the Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory (NISL) at the University of Ottawa have been examining all head impacts that occur in gameplay, which identifies frequency of head contact and how they occur in gameplay. The research in this thesis takes advantage of implementing a descriptive video analysis design of verified head impacts; with unique objectives respective to the two articles presented (Chapters IV & V), significant insight into how and why head contact occurs in gameplay. This study focuses on bodychecking hockey at the AA and AAA under-15 and under-18 levels because of the known increased risk of head trauma in bodychecking hockey in comparison to non-bodychecking hockey. In sum, this research seeks to address contextual gameplay factors that precipitate head contact occurring at these levels of play. Specifically, questions surrounding aggression, rule violations, player vulnerability and preparedness, technique, and prevention will be addressed in this thesis in hopes of contributing stakeholder efforts that may address player safety in Canada’s game.