How young is too young for body checking?
Posted Jun 20, 2011 3:49 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It seems teaching kids to body check at a younger age doesn’t do much to prevent injuries when they get older.
The author of a study into hitting in minor hockey says Pee Wee kids are too young for contact.
It’s been debated for years: Should kids be taught to body check when they’re younger so they’re better prepared for hitting when they are 13, or is that too big of an injury risk for 11 and 12-year-olds?
Caroline Emery with the University of Calgary said research shows hitting at a young age doesn’t cut down on injuries when kids get younger with one exception.
“There was a 33 per cent reduced risk of injuries that result in more than seven days time lost in Alberta where body checking is introduced in Pee Wee,” said Emery.
The study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
