Right now, all we have is How do you feel? He may be feeling fine but the brain is still in the process of trying to heal, he said. This is a fantastic tool to help determine when a player is ready to return, but its just a tool, its not the only thing. Players will also have to be assessed by a doctor from CMRG before returning to play. Even though the program is being put in place to protect play- ers safety, Gunner said there is bound to be resistance at some point. In the past a player may have returned in as little as two days. With the procedure that must be followed, he said a player will be out of action for at least a week. Despite all the attention concussions have received because of high-profile NHL cases such as Sidney Crosby and Marc Savard, Ouellette said there is still much to learn. We want to create a better under- standing, because it is a mystery what it (a concussion) is, how does it occur, what are the lasting effects? Part of MOHAs initiative will be to educate pa e ts, coac es, p aye s a d r n h l r n trainers about concussions. Also as part of the program, MOHA began document- ing the circumstances around each injury even extending beyond concussions compil- ing information such as the time in the game, the equip- ment the player was wearing, how it occurred and whether there was a penalty on the play. Ouellette said once they have built a database of informa- tion, MOHA can start to look at ways to possibly prevent injuries. Ouellettes research told him that over the course of a hockey season, one in 10 players will sustain a concus- sion. That means in MOHA, his sons would have been one of 265 concussions suffered that year. I think that might be a little high, but somewhere between the 100 to 200 mark, Ouellette said, I wouldnt say thats out of line. And while the program wont reduce those numbers, it should increase player safety. Baseline testing doesnt prevent con- cussions, Ouellette said, but we can p gmake sure were not com oundin an injury by allowing some to play. Bentley said a 15-year-old minor midg- et player suffered the organiza- tions first concussion of the season Friday night. He said the player visited the Etobicoke clinic for an assessment either Monday or Tuesday. The player will take the test again on Friday and will only be allowed to return if his test matches his original baseline test and he receives approval from his doctor. Ouellette said many minor hockey organizations have hesitated to imple- ment testing because there is still debate about its effectiveness. He concedes that no system is foolproof. But we cant sit in the weeds and wait for something that is 100 per cent posi- tive, he said. And its better than what we were doing before, which was noth- ing. d Herb Garbutt can be followe on Twitter at @Herbgarbutt Fall back... into a family that cares. When: Sat, Oct 2nd - Rain or Shine Time: 9am-12pm Where: PARKSIDE FARMS 519 Parkside Dr., Waterdown (Near Evans Rd. & Parkside Dr.) FREE Pumpkins, Hayrides, Haunted House, Story Book Forest, Corn Maze & Petting Zoo Cathy & Tanya Rocca Sisters, Best Friends... Partners RSVP via email by Thurs, Sept 30th to roccahomes@royallepage.ca In support of the FOOD SHELTER - please bring a non-parishable food good 2009 905-335-3042 roccahomes@royallepage.ca www.roccasisters.ca The Rocca Sisters Team presents our Annual FREE FALL FAIR Event In support of the Partnership West Food Bank - Please bring a non-perishable f od item When: Sat, Oct 1, Rain or Shine Time: 9am-12pm Celebrate the Harvest with the Rocca Sisters Team! 2007-2010 To RESERVE tickets for you and your family & for LOCATION DETAILS, visit www.roccasisters.ca/fall2011 before Thursday, September 29th, 2011. (behind Terra Greenhouses, Hwy. #5) 2273 Hwy. #5 905-336-7725 Plus a large selection of rockery and flagstone www.burlingtongardens.ca 1 YardSoil SacsDELIVEREDStarting at$109 (plus taxes& deposit) Top Soil Triple Mix Manure Pebbles Manured Loam Black Loam Mulches Aggregates Grass Seed Top Dresser & Bins for Rent Delivery or Pickup Available 2 5 Thursday, Septem ber 22, 2011 O A K V ILLE B EA V ER w w w .in sid eH A LTO N .co m l l k fP ayers must sit out at east a wee a ter concussion Baseline testing doesn't prevent concussions, but we can make sure we're not compounding an injury by allowing some to play. MOHA executive member Louis Ouelette Continued from page 24