Concussions are a common injury suffered by ringette players.
Ringette is a team sport where players use sticks to maneuver a blue ring on the ice. Gym ringette is the indoor floor version of ringette. Originating in Canada, the sport is governed locally by Ringette BC, and is more popular among females than males. Unlike ice hockey, ringette does not allow intentional body checking at any level. Common injuries in ringette include concussions, and injuries to the upper and lower extremities.
(see Section 04 - Prevention)
Concussions are a common injury suffered by ringette players.
The upper extremities are common areas of injury in ringette players.
The lower extremities are common areas of injury in ringette players.
The information below is based on data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP), mostly among young females (up to 17 years of age).
Ringette has the lowest number of Canadian children up to 17 years of age presenting to emergency departments participating in CHIRPP for sports-related injuries. The most common injuries in ringette include soft tissue injury, head injury, sprains and strains, and fractures.
It is estimated that...
Although body checking is not allowed in ringette, over half of ringette injuries are caused by body contact (both intentional and unintentional). Body contact is more likely to be the cause of injury among older age groups as compared to younger age groups.
Contact with the playing stick can result in injuries to the upper extremities, specifically soft tissue and minor injuries.
Training and regular practice are expected of athletes, but how much is too much? Your risk of injury can increase if you train too much or improperly. Learn more about how to find your training load “sweet spot.”
Some muscle soreness or joint pain is expected when increasing your level of physical activity. It is important to listen to your body for persistent or worsening pain, and to know when to rest. Learn more about how to prevent injuries in ringette.
Talk to your coach or organization about the prevention strategies below and how they might be incorporated into training and policies.
Proper skills training can help reduce your risk of injury in ringette.
Use of proper protective equipment can prevent against injuries in ringette. Mouthguards are recommended for use during play.
Concussions are a common injury in ringette, so it is important to be aware of concussion signs and symptoms and know what to do if concussion is suspected. The Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) an online resource for players and parents to learn more about how to recognize, prevent, and manage a concussion. CATT also includes resources on how to respond to a potential concussion situation, as well as detailed Return to School and Return to Sport protocol.
The risk of all lower body injuries may be reduced by up to 50% by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
The Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre has developed a neuromuscular training warm-up program that can be adapted to many sports. Incorporating a warm-up program like this one into your training program at least two times per week has been associated with a significant reduction in lower body injuries.
Click here to view poster.
Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
Adopt strength training exercises designed to prevent injuries to the lower extremities. The Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre has developed exercises that specifically help keep the legs strong and reduce the risk of hamstring and knee injuries. This resource includes videos and PDFs for download.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent hamstring injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent knee injuries.
For more exercises, visit http://fittoplay.org/.
Ringette Resources
Ringette BC equipment standards requires that youth wear regulation shoulder pads. Mouthguards are recommended for use during play.
Ringette Canada provides information on:
Sleep, Vigilance and Sport Injury Prevention
Being successful in physical activity requires a high degree of alertness, also known as vigilance. Sufficient sleep helps your body to recover, allows you to achieve your goals, and reduces your risk of injury. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep can increase your rate of injury by up to 70%! Watch this video to learn more about how sleep and vigilance are connected.
Sport-related Physicals
Ringette can be a physically demanding sport and some pre-existing conditions may increase the risk of injury. A sport-related physical evaluation at the beginning of each season ensuring fitness to play can help to reduce risk of injury. KidsHealth provides information about what sports physicals are, why they may be appropriate and where you may go to get them.
Learn more about Kids Health Sports Physicals.
Talk to your organization or school about the prevention strategies below and how they might be incorporated into training and policies.
Enforcement of policies regarding body contact can reduce the risk of injury in ringette. Ensure you are up-to-date on the latest rules and policies in your local ringette league.
Concussions are a common injury in ringette, so it is important to be aware of concussion signs and symptoms and know what to do if concussion is suspected. The Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) is an online resource for coaches and teachers to learn more about how to recognize, prevent, and manage a concussion. CATT also includes resources on how to respond to a potential concussion situation, as well as detailed Return to School and Return to Sport protocol.
Use of proper protective equipment can prevent against injuries in ringette. Mouthguards are recommended for use during play.
The risk of all lower body injuries may be reduced by up to 50% by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
The Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre has developed a neuromuscular training warm-up program that can be adapted to many sports. Incorporating a warm-up program like this one into your training program at least two times per week has been associated with a significant reduction in lower body injuries.
Click here to view poster.
Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
Adopt strength training exercises designed to prevent injuries to the lower extremities. The Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre has developed exercises that specifically help keep the legs strong and reduce the risk of hamstring and knee injuries. This resource includes videos and PDFs for download.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent hamstring injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent knee injuries.
For more exercises, visit http://fittoplay.org/.
Gym Ringette
Teachers can implement gym ringette into their physical education curriculums.
Ringette Canada has a Teacher’s Guide for Gym Ringette; and Move Think Learn, Ringette in Focus. This series of activities is easy to implement and is targeted to children in Grades 4 through 9.
The Ontario Physical Education Association (OPHEA) provides recommendations for safely implementing gym ringette in secondary schools.
Learn more about implementing gym ringette.
Ringette Resources
Ringette BC has information on
Ringette Canada provides information on:
Sport-related Physicals
Ringette can be a physically demanding sport and some pre-existing conditions may increase the risk of injury. A sport-related physical evaluation at the beginning of each season ensuring fitness to play can help to reduce risk of injury. KidsHealth provides information about what sports physicals are, why they may be appropriate and where you may go to get them.
Learn more about Kids Health Sports Physicals.
Talk to your coaches, teachers, organization, or school about the prevention strategies below and how they might be incorporated into training and policies.
Enforcement of policies regarding body contact can reduce the risk of injury in ringette. Ensure you are up-to-date on the latest rules and policies in your local ringette league. Proper maintenance of ice conditions prior to the start of the game can reduce risk of injury.
Concussions are a common injury in ringette, so it is important to be aware of concussion signs and symptoms and know what to do if concussion is suspected. The Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) is an online resource to learn more about how to recognize, prevent, and manage a concussion. CATT also includes resources on how to respond to a potential concussion situation, as well as detailed Return to School and Return to Sport protocol.
Ringette Canada has a concussion policy and concussion management guidelines.
Use of proper protective equipment can prevent against injuries in ringette.
The risk of all lower body injuries may be reduced by up to 50% by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
The Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre has developed a neuromuscular training warm-up program that can be adapted to many sports. Incorporating a warm-up program like this one into the coach’s training program at least two times per week has been associated with a significant reduction in lower body injuries.
Click here to view poster.
Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
Adopt strength training exercises designed to prevent injuries to the lower extremities. The Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre has developed exercises that specifically help keep the legs strong and reduce the risk of hamstring and knee injuries. This resource includes videos and PDFs for download.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent hamstring injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent knee injuries.
For more exercises, visit http://fittoplay.org/.
Ringette Resources
Ringette BC has information on
Ringette Canada provides information on:
Gym Ringette
Teachers can implement gym ringette into their physical education curriculums.
Ringette Canada has a Teacher’s Guide for Gym Ringette; and Move Think Learn, Ringette in Focus. This series of activities is easy to implement and is targeted to children in Grades 4 through 9.
The Ontario Physical Education Association (OPHEA) provides recommendations for safely implementing gym ringette in secondary schools.
Learn more about implementing gym ringette.
Sport-related Physicals
Ringette can be a physically demanding sport and some pre-existing conditions may increase the risk of injury. A sport-related physical evaluation at the beginning of each season ensuring fitness to play can help to reduce risk of injury. KidsHealth provides information about what sports physicals are, why they may be appropriate and where you may go to get them.
Learn more about Kids Health Sports Physicals.
The role of health professionals in preventing ringette injuries has two main components:
Concussions are a common injury in ringette, so it is important to be aware of concussion signs and symptoms and know what to do if concussion is suspected. The Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) is an online resource to learn more about how to diagnose and manage a concussion. CATT also includes resources on how to assess a potential concussion, as well as detailed Return to School and Return to Sport protocol.
Use of proper protective equipment and enforcement of policies regarding body contact can prevent against injuries in ringette. Encourage players, parents, teachers, and coaches to educate themselves on the latest rules and equipment standards.
The risk of all lower body injuries may be reduced by up to 50% by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
The Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre has developed a neuromuscular training warm-up program that can be adapted to many sports. Incorporating a warm-up program like this one into your training program at least two times per week has been associated with a significant reduction in lower body injuries.
Click here to view poster.
Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
Adopt strength training exercises designed to prevent injuries to the lower extremities. The Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre has developed exercises that specifically help keep the legs strong and reduce the risk of hamstring and knee injuries. This resource includes videos and PDFs for download.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent hamstring injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent knee injuries.
For more exercises, visit http://fittoplay.org/.
Sport-related Physicals
Ringette can be a physically demanding sport and some pre-existing conditions may increase the risk of injury. An annual sport-related physical evaluation ensuring fitness to participate can help to reduce risk of injury. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides information about preparticipation physical evaluation.
Learn more about Preparticipation Physical Evaluation.
Ringette Resources
Ringette BC equipment standards requires that youth wear regulation shoulder pads.
Ringette Canada provides information on:
