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Sport Yukon will host a Concussion Awareness huddle as part of inaugural Concussion Awareness Week

This inaugural week prompts educational events and increases the focus on concussion awareness
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Sport Yukon will host a virtual Concussion Awareness Week Huddle on Sept. 29. (John Tonin/Yukon News)

Concussion Awareness Week is running nationally from Sept. 27 to Oct. 2. This inaugural week prompts educational events and increases the focus on concussion awareness across the county.

It also encourages everyone to get involved in preventing, recognizing and managing concussions in sports.

“Concussions are a public health issue that affects everyone, and Canada continues to make concussion awareness and safety in sport a priority,” said a Sport Information Resource Centre press release.

Concussion Awareness Week was endorsed on Jan. 13, 2021, by federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for sport and recreation.

Here in the territory, Sport Yukon has organized a Concussion Awareness Virtual Huddle on Sept. 29. Those who wish to attend can find the link to register on the organization’s Facebook page.

Giving talks during the huddle is Dr. Victor Lun from the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre, Yukon Olympic weightlifter Jeane Lassen and Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle instructor/coach Eric Porter.

Sport Yukon special projects coordinator, Lisa Vowk, said it’s an inaugural program for Sport Yukon, and other organizations across the country but raising the awareness of concussions is important.

“The thing about them is that they are so varied,” said Vowk. “It doesn’t even have to be sport specific like in gameplay. It could be in practice, it could be on the playground at school and it could just get worse at practice.”

Vowk said it’s important for all involved in sport and recreation activities, coaches, athletes, parents and even teachers and team staff to be aware of symptoms, management and assessment practises.

Sept. 29 will also be the debut of a new Yukon-made short film featuring Lassen and Porter in getting the word out that concussions can occur anywhere to anyone.

It will also be the launch of Sport Yukon’s Safe Sport webpage and Concussion Awareness resources for athletes, coaches, parents and teachers.

Vowk said the resources, are aligned with the messaging that Sport Yukon’s counterparts are using.

“There are question and answer sheets for concussions and some frequently asked questions about concussions,” said Vowk. “There’s also a medical clearance letter that can be used for schools and medical practitioners.”

Vowk said the available material is consistent across Canada. In the territory, it will be delivered with the Yukon community in mind.

The Sport Information Resource Centre said concussion safety in Canada has “advanced significantly in recent years.”

“Evolving research, evidence and knowledge have helped inform better protocols, tools and practices for managing concussions at all levels of sport in Canada.”

Contact John Tonin at john.tonin@yukon-news.com