September 10, 2007

Hockey patch checks kids' injuries: Kevin Stubbington can enjoy a special sense of pride when he watches his grandson step on the ice for his first ever hockey gamethis year wearing the familiar STOP patch on the back of his jersey.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 08:11 AM - 8 comments

Interesting story. Any sense on whether this makes kids less likely to check from behind? I would hope that even prior to the advent of this patch (and I never played youth hockey, although grew up in a state, Michigan, where it was quite popular), coaches were teaching their kids not to check from behind.

posted by holden at 11:03 AM on September 10, 2007

Makes sense. I think it will remind coaches to teach it. I could see a coach just not telling his kids before. Now he's reminded everytime the kids skate off.

posted by Slaptastic at 11:23 AM on September 10, 2007

Along with other preventive efforts, most notably by Dr. Charles Tator, the STOP campaign is credited with helping reduce spinal cord injuries from about a dozen a year in the 1980s (one-quarter of those players suffered paralysis) to no paralyzed players last season.

posted by garfield at 12:20 PM on September 10, 2007

Along with other preventive efforts, most notably by Dr. Charles Tator, the STOP campaign is credited with helping reduce spinal cord injuries from about a dozen a year in the 1980s (one-quarter of those players suffered paralysis) to no paralyzed players last season. Don't know how I missed that paragraph, although it sounds like there are probably a number of factors that have led to reduction in these injuries. I guess it would be unlikely that you could really isolate for these factors to determine how much impact the STOP campaign had, but it certainly sounds like a worthwhile program.

posted by holden at 01:06 PM on September 10, 2007

this does work. Kids tend to pull out of thier check when they can see the "STOP" sign (patch) Long over due in youth hockey. Great post, with the start of youth hockey season here. My youngets skated with his new team a couple of days ago.

posted by directpressure at 02:13 PM on September 10, 2007

I hope it works, but I don't know. I've refereed ice hockey for a while now,and sometimes something just seems to snap in certain kids (and pros for that matter) when they get on the ice. Kids are taught from an early age, if you can see your opponents back number straight on, or if you can't see his eyes don't him him, but that doesn't always seem to work. I hope the patch doesn't give them a false sense of security when they go into the corners.

posted by MGDADDYO at 03:55 PM on September 10, 2007

hmmmm, I am a goalie. If I put this on the FRONT of my jersey, maybe they will stop shooting?

posted by deafoh at 11:37 PM on September 11, 2007

Deafoh, You're a frickin genius!

posted by MGDADDYO at 08:22 AM on September 12, 2007

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