Academy for Educational Development

Every year, more than 300,000 people in the United States sustain head injuries from sports and recreational activities. The only cure for traumatic brain injury is prevention.

AED recently produced a set of tools coaches could use to educate athletes, parents, and school officials about how to prevent concussions, and the appropriate actions to take when such an injury occurs. The set includes a DVD, fact sheets, locker-room posters, an informative guide, a wallet card, a CD-ROM of resources, and clipboard stickers.

“It made my life easier” says Neil Skolnik, an instructor with USA Hockey’s coaching-education program. “The kit was put together very well.”

The materials AED developed “are at the leading edge of the information curve on head injury and concussion recognition and treatment,” says Dave Temkin, N.Y. district coach-in-chief for USA Hockey.

Both Temkin and Skolnick lead training sessions for hockey coaches in the southeast portion of New York. Some of the more expert coaches are aware of the dangers associated with head injuries, but those just starting out need more instruction, they say.

Getting the information across effectively “is all in how it is presented,” says Temkin. “I could bring a neurosurgeon up there, but they talk for an hour is anyone going to understand what they say? Maybe the doctor at the back of the room, but everyone in between will be saying ‘huh?’”

After the trainings, coaches know the proper procedures for responding to a head injury. For example, many times a player will want to return to the rink too soon after having sustained a head injury. 

“Now, they can notice certain changes or certain things have taken place, things a casual observer is not going to notice” says Temkin.

In fact, he says, the trainings are going so well in their branch of the USA Hockey organization, “it seems like a no-brainer to spread it out to the entire country.”

For more information, visit the AED Center for Health Communications.