To Play or Not to Play? Pennsylvania Hockey Mom Takes Matters into Her Own Hands

Fun, exercise and bonding with their kids was the original goal for Lisa Kelly, a hockey mom from Yardley, PA, who started a league for hockey moms last year.  However, it ultimately led to something else — the development of a concussion education program for hockey league coaches, parents and athletes.  Her motivation got its jumpstart at the ice rink after her son Jack experienced two concussions within a two-month period.

The first concussion happened during a game in March after a collision with another player. Jack came out of the game and sat on the bench for about five minutes.  At the time, it only looked like a minor bump to the head and it was a seemingly easy call for the coach to put one of his star players back on the ice.  But an examination after the game revealed Jack did have a concussion and should not have gone back in the game. Jack’s doctor advised Lisa to keep her son off the ice until his headaches subsided.  It took him about two weeks to recover.

Jack’s second concussion happened during a team practice in April.  He was hit three times—two collisions with other players and one fall on the ice.  The coach thought Jack seemed okay and allowed him to keep playing.  “I was out running errands when it happened, but I knew right away he had a concussion when he took off his helmet after practice that day.  He had that tell-tale glassy eyed stare,” said Lisa. "If I had been there, he would not have continued playing."

Luckily, Jack’s last concussion was not severe and he did not experience any post-concussive symptoms.  Still, Lisa was cautious and had Jack rest for one week. “The fact that his concussions were so dangerously close together – a month apart – really shook me.  It opened my eyes to the reality that there is so much that parents, coaches and athletes need to learn about concussions and how serious they can be.” 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), children who return to play too soon — while the brain is still healing — risk a greater chance of having a second concussion.  Second and future concussions can cause permanent brain damage, affecting a child for a lifetime.

Hockey has one of the highest rates of concussion-related visits to the emergency room, along with football and soccer, according to a recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Lisa had witnessed a lot of them while watching her son’s team play over the years, but says she had never been told by a coach or league administrator about the signs and symptoms to watch for that may indicate her son may have a concussion. 

There were also never any discussions on proper protocol if a concussion is suspected. Fortunately, since she’s a nurse, she already knew, and felt it was now time to share it with the league and other parents.

Soon after Jack’s second concussion, Lisa approached his coaches about starting a concussion education program.  They were immediately receptive to the idea and referred Lisa to the league hockey director.  As soon as Lisa started to explain her idea, she got an immediate “yes.” 

With two coaches for each team, 13 kids per team, and more than a dozen teams at the rink, Lisa had her work cut out.  But as a community health nurse who’s worked with Safe Kids on similar issues in the past, she was prepared for the challenge.  She took up the task by planning one training session at a time, starting with parents of the youngest group of players and working her way up.  Lisa’s colleague Kim Everett, who is also a Safe Kids Coordinator, helped her set up the first seminar, which took place this past summer, featuring Dr. Nirav Shah, a neurosurgeon and concussion expert from St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, PA. The clinic attracted a standing room only group of more than 40 parents and kids.

“I was amazed at the response.  Parents were coming up to me asking if we could get testing programs at the rink to help determine when an athlete with a head injury could safely return to play,” said Lisa.

It worked.  Lisa expects this baseline testing program, known as ImPACT, to be part of their preseason hockey routine this year.  The computerized neurocognitive assessment test helps determine when a concussed athlete can return to play. The original screening creates the baseline data of normal cognitive function in the athlete, and after a suspected concussion the test is re-administered to compare the results with the original baseline test results.  With additional help from Kim Everett, parents of the rink also get a special discounted rate for the testing program through Dr. Shah.