Concussions are a frequent occurrence in both amateur and high-performance snow sports. As we head towards the domestic winter season for 2022, Snow Australia, the national governing body for Alpine, Cross country, Freestyle, Para snow sport, Park & Pipe and Snowboard disciplines in Australia, have teamed up with Complete Concussion Management Inc. (CCMI) to help improve the detection and management of concussion within the sport. With this partnership, Snow Australia joins the likes of Alpine Canada, Snowboard Canada and Freestyle Canada in best practice when managing concussion injuries.
Ben Bond (Talent, Health and Performance Coordinator) from Snow Australia stated “The initiation of this partnership provides us with the opportunity to offer a user friendly framework not only for our broader Snowsports community on a recreational level, but also our Emerging Talent Program athletes. The CCMI model of care, and being able to engage with practitioners in different locations, is particularly useful when our community and athletes are located in various regions around Australia and are often involved in extensive travel both domestically and abroad for participation, training or competition.”
The CCMI Program was successfully piloted by Snow Australia’s Emerging Talent Program (ETP) throughout the 2021/22 international season, allowing for the remote management of athletes on the road and at home.
Ben indicated that the CCMI software will prove very valuable at the Pathway Club level, enabling team managers to remain across what is going on with all athletes, from pre- and post-injury tests to ongoing symptoms. This will lead to better decision making with respect to returning an athlete back to training or competition after a suspected head injury. “Removing the element of ‘grey’ in concussion is something our coaches and parents have really welcomed, knowing that all decisions regarding diagnosis and management are signed off by a trained healthcare professional in consultation with their Primary Care Physician.” (Ben Bond – Snow Australia)
Aside from the concussion software tools, this partnership will also see standardised and ongoing concussion training for all medical and allied health staff, as well as concussion recognition training for coaches and training staff.
This is one of the first national sport partnerships involving CCMI in Australian winter sport. “We are very excited to be working with Snow Australia for the 2022 season,” said CCMI president, Dr. Cameron Marshall. “These are tremendous athletes who fly down mountains, complete spectacular jumps and attack courses at high speeds. We are extremely proud to be involved in helping to keep them safe.”
The Snow Australia ETP athletes have already completed their pre-season concussion testing and are ready for the domestic season ahead prior to heading back overseas. To find out more about the CCMI network and how to access testing and treatment, visit our Find-A-Clinic page today.
CCMI is a global concussion research and clinical management network that was originally founded in Canada. The network includes more than 450 clinic locations, providing concussion testing, management, and treatment services across three continents. Through evidence-based training programs and integrated healthcare technologies, CCMI empowers multidisciplinary teams to provide standardised care to those impacted by concussions. CCMI serves to improve the collective understanding of the prevention, management, and prognosis of concussion, while providing accessible, patient centred care based on the latest scientific and medical research.
For more information, visit www.completeconcussions.com
To find a clinic near you, visit www.completeconcussions.com/find-a-clinic
Snow Australia is the nationally and internationally recognised National Sporting Organisation (NSO) for competitive snow sports in Australia.
Snow Australia is affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS), the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), Paralympics Australia (PA) and recognised by Sport Australia (SA).
Snow Australia manages athlete pathways, conducts events and programs in Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboarding, Para-alpine, Para-snowboard and specialty sub discipline activities within each.
Snow Australia has the overarching responsibility for the entire national athlete pathway, from entry level through to elite, across all disciplines. To meet this responsibility, Snow Australia engages with many different organisations including ski resorts, Federal & State Governments, State Sporting Organisations, Clubs, sporting institutes and industry peak bodies.
For more information on the partnership, visit www.snow.org.au/info-hub/concussion
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