24 januari Invitation expert meeting Head injury through sports
Activiteitendata
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- Online via Teams
Blows to the head and head contact are common in sports such as combat sports, soccer or rugby. Falls in other sports, such as cycling and skating, can also lead to brain damage. There is increasing attention worldwide for professional athletes who have dementia-related complaints later in life, which may be related to their sports career. But repeated blows to the head do not only pose a potential risk to the brain health of professional athletes. Amateur athletes are also at risk. And for (young) children whose brains are still developing, every blow to the head seems to be one too many.
Request for advice from the Netherlands Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport of the Netherlands has asked the Health Council of the Netherlands and the Netherlands Sports Council (NLsportraad) to issue advice on repetitive head impacts (RHI) through sports. The Health Council will present the scientific situation regarding the risks of serious brain injury and proven effectiveness of measures to prevent brain injury. Based on that, the NLsportraad will draw up an advice on action perspectives of the parties involved, such as governments, sports organizations, coaches and athletes. In its advice, the NLsportraad will also discuss the roles and responsibilities of these parties. In formulating action perspectives, the NLsportraad will consider different aspects such as the relation of these measures with e.g. sports participation, the international structures and regulations for competitive sports and the different levels of professionality of the parties involved in professional and recreational sports.
Analysis of current national and international measures
To answer the question of the Ministry, the NLsportraad started with making an analysis of current national and international measures taken to diminish the risks of brain injury through sport. The NLsportraad notes that there is growing attention for all kinds of measures preventing brain injury or diminishing the effects of a blow to the head such as adjustments to the rules of the game, development of protective equipment and protocols for immediate treatment and return to play. At the same time, the NLsportraad notes that there are differences between these measures within various sports and between countries, like different age limits to prohibit heading in youth soccer or a ban on blows to the head in youth martial arts. What is the reason behind various measures and what are the opportunities and obstacles for implementation?
International expert meeting
Therefore, the NLsportraad is very interested in hearing more about the measures taken internationally to prevent brain injury and to diminish the effects of a blow to the head. That is why we would like to invite you to an online meeting on January 24 from 9 to 11 am (CET).
In this meeting the NLsportraad would like to hear from other countries and federations about the measures taken, the implementation of these measures and the effect of the measures. We would also like to discuss with you the various roles and responsibilities when it comes to preventing serious brain damage.
The NLsportraad uses the results of this meeting and other meetings to work out action perspectives for various parties involved in brain injury through sports in the Netherlands. The Health Council and NLsportraad intend to issue the advice mid-2025.
We hope you can join our meeting and look forward to hearing your experiences. Could you please let us know whether you can join our meeting before the 17th of January? This can be done by sending an e-mail to info@nlsportraad.nl.
For any questions, do not hesitate to contact Annet Tiessen-Raaphorst (annet.tiessen@nlsportraad.nl).