The Endless Hockey Season: Is It A Good Thing?

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Fri, 02/24/2012 - 04:48. | comments

The off-season for hockey will start in a few weeks.

Or will it?

Apparently not. These days, it seems many hockey parents and players consider what used to be the traditional off-season, when kids played outdoors and changed sports until the next winter season, as the real season, because it is the time of year when AAA all-star teams are formed and tournaments are played, weekend after weekend. The off-season teams have cool jerseys, expensive jackets and warm-ups for players and parents. It's also a time for tournament organizers to rake in the big bucks.

How to make $100,000 in 4 days of youth hockey or "Whatever Happened to the Off Season?"

Extending Concussion Safety Laws To Cover All Youth Sports Programs Essential, Says Sharon van Kooten of Indiana

A concussion suffered by her 8-year-old son playing youth football, and the way it was managed - or, in his case, mismanaged - prompts a mother to write a lengthy letter urging her state legislators to extend her state's concussion safety laws to all sports programs using public facilities.

New Coaching Website

"Soft Red" Card in High School Soccer Eliminated for 2012-2013

In a continued emphasis on improving sportsmanship, the "soft red" card has been eliminated in high school soccer. Effective with the 2012-13 season, a second yellow card not only will disqualify a player, but the team will not be permitted to substitute for the disqualified player.

Heading in Soccer: Long-Term Effect Remains Unclear

While it is possible that intentional heading in soccer represents a form of repetitive subconcussive mild brain injury which, over time, could be a cause of chronic traumatic encephalpathy (CTE), the possible cause-and-effect relationship remains theoretical, says a 2012 study.

Female Soccer Players At Risk for Stress Fractures, Long-Term Health Problems: Study

Elite female soccer players are at risk for menstrual irregularities and stress fractures from the combination of intense training and insufficient nutrition, says a new study.

Football Safety: A Properly Fitted Helmet Is Critical

New guidelines have been issued for ensuring that a football helmet fits properly, which a 2012 unpublished research paper found was a simple but effective step in minimizing risk of concussion and catastrophic brain injury.

Hal Tearse

The Future of Ice Hockey: What Kind of Game Do We Want?

Submitted by Hal Tearse on Sat, 02/11/2012 - 05:04. | comments

What kind of game do we want ice hockey to be? Do we want a very physical game with lots of hitting from behind and head contact or do we want the game we once had, a game of skill and respect along with legal physical play?

The game of ice hockey has not always been played as it is now. Checking was not permitted by attacking players in the offensive zone until the mid 1970’s. The center red line created another point that slowed the game down a bit and there was no tag-up offsides, so defensemen actually had to learn some skills to survive in neutral ice until their linemates got back onside.

What is the future of youth ice hockey? Will it continue to be a game of illegal hits to the hitting, interfering, intimidation, and trash-talking opponents, or one rewarding speed, skill, and physical play within the rules? Only time will tell.

Coach Bobby Hosea's GTS-Science: Advancing the Science of Tackling Safety & Performance

Submitted by Bobby Hosea on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 15:25. | comments

CROWN first impact while in the act of making a tackle is the PRIMARY cause of all catastrophic injuries on every level of football competition. Remove the CROWN from the collision and eliminate avoidable injuries.

In 1997, my 12-year-old son Steven (my only son) told me that he was ready to play tackle football. In that moment, I experienced several emotions. The first was one of pride: my little man finally wanted to be like his Dad and play football. I had shown him and his older sister, Ranae, my old tapes on the VCR since they were babies.

The other emotion was one of fear. A fear of seeing my little man not getting off of the ground due to a catastrophic injury to his head, neck or spine.

New Rule for 2012: High School Football Players Must Sit Out One Play When Helmet Comes Off

High school football players will be required to sit out one play if their helmet comes off during play unless the reason is directly attributable to a foul by an opposing player under a new rule for 2012.

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