The lack of broad communication around high concussion rates in women’s ice hockey can be linked to several factors. Identity constructionism has contributed to these. It is generally accepted that male sports, publicized football, are considered to be more violent and dangerous with head injuries like concussions. Thus, male sports sustain high consumer attention and resources for their problems, followed by a disregard for women’s hockey. Reinforcing a gender bias can also be achieved by the media, which is often driven by sexism as portrayed by oversensationalizing injuries in male sports and slight skepticism or even ignorance towards similar events in women’s sports.
Moreover, in addition to the traditional gender roles and stereotypes for women, behaviors that can be considered risky, aggressive, and physical were not accepted. Thus, the issue of injuries in women’s hockey may be regarded as off-topic among the public or miscomprehension for the reason that its discussions disturb the public view about women’s roles in society. This fact calls for a thorough approach to athlete safety and wellbeing in mass media that considers women hockey players to erase the weather of sexism in the sports industry.
While it is indeed true that the hockey concussion rates among women are a commonplace phenomenon with many women suffering from this, this hasn’t been able to raise a lot of attention among the masses, possibly similar to the football concussion rates among men, where the numbers of men suffering from this experience very high. Concussion serious health problems are related to neurological long-term damage and developing diseases in the future, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Considering the similar rate of concussions in women’s hockey and football as the so-called traditionally recognized high-risk sport, the apathy demonstrated by (the) society towards this social problem is evidence of a general attention deficit regarding women’s health and safety in athletic settings. A further implication of the concussions that remain untreated is the effect it has on the team as a whole, and performance and participation in women’s hockey is directly a result of this. The dare-not-look-at-concussion-the-brain-mouth of contact sports, regardless of whether they happen to be male or female, embodies the urgency of having prevention measures and keeping up with the promotion of a culture of safety and accountability in our athletic communities. Society should recognize the gravity of concussions in women’s hockey to be able to bring forth scientifically proven measures for alleviating the long-term damages, as well as offer a solid support system that would enhance the health of all players involved in the game.
Year after year, many components create the lack of acknowledgments and reaction to the high concussion numbers among women’s ice hockey. For a start, women’s sports get a real low key when it comes to media coverage, and this is how these inferiorities are usually built and accepted. Through this prejudiced account, the realities of the risk of being exposed to female athletes are sadly hidden away, and the attempts to lessen the level of danger within women’s hockey are narrowed down. Nevertheless, this topic is the same with the social perception of femininity and sports as they may inhibit female athletes from reporting or seeking treatment for concussions. Hence, the problem escalates. Women’s hockey players often come face to face with the phenomena of low visibility, which in turn has a global effect on the number of reported injuries. Through the support and releasing of the voices of female athletes and encouraging their welfare, stakeholders can thus prepare a path to have significant changes in the attitude toward concussions of both the high and low echelons of the sport
The obstacles in the form of biased attention and low resources must be tackled on an institutional and a societal level by adopting an enactment approach. Returning to the previous issue of inadequate education and awareness, we suggest a campaign that illuminates the large number of concussions in women’s ice hockey and plans to change stereotypes and biases. Female athletes should be protected by sports organizations such as collegiate and professional leagues through developing a concussion protocols program and conducting research on the intricate concussion factors that are inherent in female athletes. Moreover, advocacy programs need to be more supportive of ddiscussingwomen’s health issues in sports, reduce the stigma,, and promotetransparency and accountability. The power of female athletes to get the balance that places their health and well-being first gives rise to a culture of resilience and accountability that will not only be advantageous to women but also toother gender identities in sports and consequently the whole of the sports community. Using the Identification of gender, health, and sports as intertwined, stakeholders can further advocate for systemic changes that put athletes’ safety as much a priority and counter cultural norms for gender disparity in health-related sports.
Reference
Vox. (2018, February 14). Why women’s ice hockey has a higher concussion rate than football [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIfXsxtnGr4
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