It was a beautiful winter eve for the Pittsburgh Penguins to play against the Washington Capitals in the 2011 Winter Classic. The Capitals were taking the lead by an extra point during second period. Suddenly, Sidney Crosby was blind-sided by David Steckel. He smashed head first into the ice and had to be pulled out. A couple of weeks later, the team and medical doctors reported he had a concussion.

This was the first time many hockey and non-hockey fans heard of this mysterious medical condition. They asked, “What is a concussion? Is it serious?” According to the Mayo Clinic, “A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain works. Effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination”. Crosby’s case is just one of the thousands hockey players of all levels deal with. Hockey organizations need to do more to curb concussions because it can adversely affect players, awareness must be increased, and prevention programs need improvement.

Concussions can be harmful. There are three hundred thousand sports-related concussions in the United States per year. It is estimated that only fifty-one percent of athletes report concussions. This means that the unlisted forty-nine percent are silently suffering. According to researchers Toy, Bogdasarian, and Etienne; the most common type of wound collegiate hockey players sustain is concussion.

Yes, the opposing side is correct about few cases being grave. However, the writers of this scientific paper reported that some have long-lasting symptoms and may be at risk for critical conditions like Post-Concussion Syndrome. It is crucial to learn more about these long-term effects in order to help them. Not only are older players endangered, but young players are also becoming more at risk. A University of Pittsburgh researcher testified that there is a sharp increase in the number of youth hockey concussions in his survey. With these factors in mind, concussion advocates rest their case.

Sure, the issue of concussion awareness may be overexaggerated, but it is better to have more awareness than less. Each concussion case has a different story and outcome to it, so people must be informed of the warning signs. Educating players, coaches, referees, and fans can help to identify potential risk factors, prevent risk of injury, and identify possible concussions.

If left untreated, concussed individuals may have severe consequences down the road such as: headaches, vertigo, Epilepsy, and more. The rarest yet scariest complication is CTE, which researchers Toy, Bogdasarian, and Etienne say is, “A progressive neurodegenerative disorder presumed to occur due to mild repetitive head trauma”. Fortunately, concussion awareness is not all gloom and doom. Top UPMC Sports Concussion Program director and research, Anthony P. Kontos, attests, “Be aware of concussions but do not be scared of them. Concussions are treatable.

All forms of athletics have some risk. But safe physical activity has tons of health benefits, and that should outweigh the fears”. In the minds of concussion advocates, increased awareness is better than none.

Although the plethora of concussion preventative measures have significantly developed, it is still not enough. For example, there is a need for safer helmets. Current helmets can be accounted for a bump in the ratio of concussions. Even though there are spotters and mandatory evaluations in the NHL, their effectiveness has yet to be determined.

In order to enhance successful protection programs, research needs to be funded. These studies include: helmets, how to manage concussions, and how to ease hockey players back onto the ice. Concussion advocates affirm that improved concussion protection results in fewer occurrences.

Concussions have been at the center of attention, mystery, and controversy. There are various, different, conflicting solutions to solve this issue. Despite the fact that diverse concussion groups clash with one another, they do not want to see a hockey players horribly concussed and fall under the cracks.

Remember when this article opened up with Sidney Crosby and his bouts with concussion? Not only has he fully recovered and is the world’s best hockey player, but brain awareness has also increased thanks to him. This newfound phenomenon is known as, “The Crosby Effect”. In response to concussion protocols, Crosby said, “Concussions are still kind of a mysterious thing. We do know a lot more now, but there are still things that we can learn and hopefully ways and methods we can learn to either heal or to find out more about the actual extent of the injuries”.

Please join the fight against concussions with Sid the Kid. If everyone is united in this cause, hockey players will be safer and concussion rates will decrease. Who wouldn't want that?