How to Protect Your Young Hockey Player

Body checking is a hockey maneuver in which players use their hips or full body to knock into opponents and take possession of the puck. Some hockey experts urge young players to body check. But medical experts disagree. One study found that kids were much likelier to suffer concussions or fractures in leagues that allowed body checking.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that kids younger than age 16 not be allowed to body check. To help protect your child, check the league’s rules on body checking.

Pediatrics, Vol. 117, No. 2