HEADCHECK Health

09/08/2026

Switching playing surfaces might raise injury risk more than the surface itself.

A new study (Robertson et al., 2026) tracking nine seasons of elite rugby found that athletes who played on a different surface than the week before saw injury rates and severity jump ~24% compared to weeks with no change. The risk was highest when switching onto artificial turf, especially for teams less used to it — suggesting the body needs time to adapt to a new surface, not just to the surface type itself.

Takeaway for any sport: if you're moving between grass, turf, court, or track, don't underestimate the adjustment period. Give your body time to acclimatize before pushing hard on a new surface.

Full study:

This study examined the association between playing surface changes and match injury risk in professional men’s rugby in England. Nine seasons of injury data (2013/14–2021/22) were collected from 1...

09/03/2026

Welcome to HEADCHECK, Make Waves Therapy & Fitness!

"I've decided to use HEADCHECK in my practice to help simplify communication and treatment/return-to-play decisions around concussions in my community," says Owner/Operator and Athletic Therapist Ocean Massey.

"As the only Athletic Therapist within a 100-200km radius, I rely heavily on other professional healthcare resources. I'm hoping HEADCHECK will keep everyone on the same page, including athletes, coaches, parents, and healthcare professionals. I also hope it helps raise awareness in my community and surrounding areas about concussions, and about how vital it is to have baseline testing done and an educated, experienced healthcare professional involved in these injuries."

Make Waves Therapy & Fitness, based in Kindersley, SK, combines athletic therapy with fitness and community programming. The clinic offers injury treatment and medical coverage for local athletes, alongside Ballet Beats classes and periodic pop-up classes, retreats, and workshops for the community.

09/01/2026

New research: How should we teach teen soccer players about concussions? ⚽️

A UK study (Hussain & Malcolm, 2026) asked 20 grassroots soccer players aged 14-18 how they actually want to learn about Sports-Related Concussion, and the answers challenge how most SRC education is delivered.

What players said:
- They learn from TikTok and Instagram Reels, not the news or Facebook
- Keep lessons short (10-30 min), spaced out over the season
- Hands-on demos beat PowerPoint every time ("practical dummy of how a brain moves in a skull, like jelly in a box")
- Quizzes are engaging, not boring
- Messages land best from relatable sources: pro athletes, teammates, or peers who've had a concussion themselves

Bottom line: effective SRC education for young athletes may need to look less like a lecture and more like short, visual, peer-driven content, co-designed with the players themselves.

Read the full study:

Sports‐Related Concussion (SRC) presents potentially significant risks, particularly for teenage grassroots soccer players. Education is frequently proposed as a solution to address these risks; however, the effectiveness of educational ...

08/28/2026

Welcome to HEADCHECK, Steylen Athletic Wellness!

"At Steylen Athletic Wellness, we recognize that there are so many amazing youth athletes here on Cape Breton Island, and in Nova Scotia," says co-founder Alicia Steylen.

"We also recognize a gap in concussion education and awareness, screening tools and access to return to play protocols. That's why we chose HEADCHECK: it gives us the tools to close that gap and give these athletes the care they deserve."

Based on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Steylen Athletic Wellness offers a youth injury education & prevention program designed for athletes 10+. To learn more, visit https://na3.hubs.ly/y0By_50

08/26/2026

⚽ Heading is part of soccer, but head injuries do not have to be.

Because heading is built into the game, protecting players cannot mean changing how soccer is played. Several head guards exist on the market, but independent research found none of them meaningfully reduce the impact of routine plays like heading a ball.

The bigger issue is how often these injuries actually happen. A McGill University study found more than 60% of college-level soccer players reported concussion symptoms in a single season, far more frequent than most people assume.

And most of these injuries do not come from the ball at all:
🏃 40% player-to-head contact
🥅 10.3% head to ground, goalpost, or wall
⚽ 12.6% head to ball, including accidental contact
❓ 37% unspecified

Equipment is not the answer. Recognizing the signs and following through on protocol, every time, on every bench, is what actually protects players.

Source: https://na3.hubs.ly/y0Bq860

08/20/2026

Welcome to HEADCHECK, Port Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association!

"Port Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association has partnered with HEADCHECK to enhance player safety by providing a consistent, secure way to track concussions and injuries," says 1st Vice President & Risk Manager Shawn Murracas.

"The platform helps ensure suspected injuries are properly documented, supports Hockey Canada and BC Hockey concussion protocols, improves communication between families, team staff, and healthcare providers, and helps athletes return to school and sport safely. It also strengthens the association’s overall risk management by maintaining accurate injury records and promoting consistent care for every player."

Established in 1974, the Port Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association is a community non-profit dedicated to giving young players a safe, fun environment to learn and grow in hockey. Beyond league play, PCMHA offers coaching clinics, safety courses, goalie and skill development, and referee training. The association is a member of the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association. To learn more, visit https://na3.hubs.ly/y0B0mk0

08/14/2026

Thrilled to be partnering with the Ontario Hockey League to support their commitment to player safety!

A league-wide commitment to player safety!

All 20 member teams will utilize HEADCHECK Health to execute the league’s concussion protocol for the 2026-27 season, establishing a consistent standard of concussion care across every rink.

DETAILS 🗞️: https://vist.ly/5epsb

08/11/2026

Welcome to HEADCHECK, Red River Reapers MB!

"The Red River Reapers' motto is Raise the Standard, Train Relentless, Play Ruthless," says General Manager and Medical Trainer Kristen Single.

"Part of raising the standard is to make sure we are providing a top notch development program with player safety and standards at the forefront. HEADCHECK allows us to provide the best medical monitoring and documentation for all players and staff, all in one convenient application."

The Red River Reapers are an elite competitive youth AAA travel hockey club based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Competing within the Premier Hockey League (PHL), the organization fields competitive teams with showcase tournaments held throughout Western Canada.

08/07/2026

What does elite sport still needs to learn about mental health?

Since the IOC's 2019 consensus statement on mental health in elite athletes, research on the topic has more than tripled, but big gaps remain.

A new companion paper (Kroshus-Havril et al., 2026) in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, developed with 24 experts and athlete representatives at the 2025 IOC consensus meeting, lays out priorities across 11 key areas, including:

📊 Epidemiology: better data on prevalence and risk factors
📱 Social media abuse: understanding harm and building protections
🩹 Injury and mental health: the psychological toll of getting hurt
👦 Young athletes: protecting mental health early in careers
🌍 Underrepresented populations: including Para athletes and those from low/middle-income countries
🔁 Retirement transitions: supporting athletes after their careers end
🗣️ Athlete voice: putting athletes at the center of the research itself

The takeaway: mental health in sport isn't a side issue. It's central to athlete wellbeing and performance, and the science needs to catch up.

📄 Read the full paper:

08/05/2026

New research (Baker et al., 2026) comparing sport-related concussions in hockey and lacrosse found that how an athlete is injured may matter more than which sport they play.

Athletes who sustained concussions from stick impacts reported the highest initial symptom burden, while those injured by a ball or puck also showed a trend toward longer return-to-learn timelines. However, overall recovery timelines, including return to play, were similar between hockey and lacrosse athletes.

The findings suggest that athletes with equipment-related concussions may benefit from closer early monitoring and additional school accommodations, even though their overall prognosis is similar.

Read the fully study:

Concussions are common in stick-handling sports, including lacrosse or hockey, where high-speed play combines player contact with equipment- and projectile-related impacts. In a cohort of lacrosse and hockey athletes who sustained a sport-related ...