BECAUSE WE’RE PROACTIVE!
At stopconcussions.com we’re not sitting back just waiting for people to visit our website, we’re being proactive at the grassroots levels teaching parents, coaches, athletes, trainers, and referees of the importance in understanding the cause, effects and consequences of concussions.
Stopconcussions.com is now spreading national awareness through our partnership with Source For Sports; one of the largest sport retailers in Canada. Our concussion information is now available in the HEAD ZONE, an area in which athletes can have their helmets properly fitted to promote proper equipment safety.
Stopconcussions.com is working in connection with the GTHL the largest minor hockey association, disseminating our information to coaches, trainers and parents to help ensure that our message gets to the individuals responsible for child safety on and off the ice.
BECAUSE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS!
Stopconcussions.com works in tandem with the right medical organizations to help properly recognize a concussion, manage a concussion and determine whether or not an athlete is able to return to play. At stopconcussions.com we have every base covered when it comes to concussions from pre-concussion baseline testing to medical clinics dedicated to monitoring and helping athletes through the recovery process.
Stopconcussions.com has a relationship with King Devick; a test which is a removal from play baseline test. This cognitive tool can be used right on the bench to determine whether or not a player who has suffered a suspected or confirmed concussion should return to play or immediately seek the proper medical attention. We also have a relationship with ImPACT, a computer software baseline test which can be used as a tool to monitor an athlete through their healing process. This test is done before the season begins and if an individual suffers a concussion the test can be completed periodically to determine if the athlete has recovered.
Stopconcussions.com has ties to FitMind Inc. a private clinic that offers the “Complete Concussion Care” program. The clinic offers four key aspects that are crucial to concussion management; education, comprehensive pre-injury/baseline assessment, post-concussion rehabilitation, and research. Stopconcussions.com also works with the Sports Legacy Institute out of Boston University in spreading the awareness of CTE a degenerative brain disease which is caused by repeated blows to the head or concussions.

Stopconcussions.com was founded by Keith Primeau, former captain of the Philadelphia Flyers and myself to educate parents, players, coaches and officials on the cause, effects and consequences of concussions and neurotrauma injuries. Our programs have been developed to help reduce the incidence of catastrophic injuries in all sport. We have created a Coaches Program that allows you as a coach to teach skill development and at the same time give your players the principles to prevent injuries. “Concussions and head injuries do not differentiate between sport, age, gender or skill level. And most importantly, they don’t take the weekends off so we need to continue to work together to change our mindset not the game,” stresses Keith Primeau.
As adults we have a responsibility to our youth to be role models that can be emulated. It is our responsibility to be no less than perfect. There is no one coaching or leadership style that fits all. It is the role of the coach to capture and retain that passion and encourage and develop it throughout the season. Stopconcussions.com will supply you an exclusive TIPS Manual for being a part of the stopconcussion platform. We also offer hands-on group seminars or supply tips through on-line facilitated courses. These seminars include developing your training philosophy for your team, developing your daily training program, understanding game day situations, and developing your concussion protocol. Concussions are now a big part of our game and we need to be proactive in detecting and managing. The coaches program includes on-going access with Keith and myself, as questions and issues arise throughout the season.
Stopconcussions.com offers the following opportunities to you and your team: Coaches Clinic, individual or group seminars. Clinics include helping you develop your coaching philosophy as it relates to injury prevention, help to develop an innovative training program, and design a new checking philosophy. The coaches program includes on-going access to our help line for ideas, questions and concerns. Team Practice, let us run your training with your participation. A hands-on approach customized for your team. We come to you on your scheduled practice date and time. Game Evaluation, coaches will receive a written in-depth evaluation of your team’s technical and game awareness. This evaluation will give coaches additional insight to enhance team development and promote fair play and prevent injuries and concussions.

We are looking for a diverse group of writers who can contribute a variety of aspects, views, opinions and expertise from a coaching point of view. This is a non-profit venture with the intent to create a free dialog, resource or network for coaches to learn and/or share ideas. This is not a “soap box” for venting frustration, but a positive venue for learning and sharing ideas.

The intent is not to build a wall and charge our community a fee to access this information. As a volunteer in coaching and helping with minor league sport, I know first hand that it is often a thankless commitment, with a lot of cost associated with it. I do not regret a moment of it, but I do feel that as our lives become more complicated, due to economic pressures, a coach is becoming an increasingly complicated role to play.

Parents expectations are large, risk management issues are more prevalent, cost is higher, and so on. This is a topic I will begin to elaborate on and I hope we can engage some positive input and reflection from my fellow writers.

We are building our network and the content is just beginning to appear… stay tuned!

Stopconcussions.com and coachta.lk have joined forces to help spread awareness about concussions. Coaching is a key component in the battle of concussions. Stopconcussions.com will educate coaches throughout North America through coachta.lk and give valuable tips and drills to make hockey a safer game. Stopconcussions.com has been stressing the need for education throughout sport for over a year now. The GTHL has been the first organization to have a concussion protocol put in place to help educate coaches and trainers. Stopconcussions.com presented to all their coaches and trainers in a classroom environment. Next year there are plans to expand that to the parents.

In the United States, according to Dr. Mark Halstead (team physician for the St. Louis Rams and the concussion consultant for the St. Louis Blues), and many other top doctors believe that mandatory education combined with supplemental instruction is the biggest key to reducing the incidences of concussions. “The biggest things we can do with concussions are to better recognize the signs and symptoms, and discuss appropriate ways to deal with them after a concussion occurs,” said Halstead, Director of the Sports Concussion Program at Washington University. “As long as we can continue to educate people at all levels—parents, coaches, athletes, teachers, athletic directors, etc., we will be able to make a difference.”

This is so true, “Concussions and head injuries do not differentiate between sport, age, gender or skill level. There is no pill, there is no band-aid, nor equipment to date to solve this issue, it is only through education and that is why Keith and I developed the site. We help educate, inform and manage concussions and if we do not have an answer, we will get the answer. We are here 24-7 to help reduce the incidences of concussions and most important, to help manage them. Also very important to note, concussion research is ever changing so a short video at the beginning of the hockey career is not enough, we have to be diligent throughout the season!” Kerry Goulet, co-founder of stopconcussions.com.

“Although our mission is to stop concussions, unfortunately they will still occur. Education is an important part to the prevention and baseline testing is an essential ingredient in properly managing a concussion. Without a baseline, it is very challenging for medical experts to know when the concussed athlete is back to ‘normal’. You wouldn’t step on the ice without a helmet, and you shouldn’t play without a baseline concussion test either.” Keith Primeau, former captain of the Philadelphia Flyers.

For more information go to: stopconcussions.com

We are officially launching this new Blog to welcome advice, commentary, education and conversation on the topic of coaching. From professional levels to voluntary community based coaching, we want to share and discuss it all. We welcome the contribution of experts to novice level coaches and hope we can create a positive, expressive and education network which will serve as a valuable tool for all coaches alike!

This is my 1st post into this new system. Lets get the dialog started and move this system into high gear!