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Curling Canada urges clubs to implement helmet policy for young curlers

Click to play video: 'New Curling Canada policy recommends helmets for young and beginning curlers'
New Curling Canada policy recommends helmets for young and beginning curlers
WATCH ABOVE: Curling Canada approved a motion at its annual meeting on Sunday that endorses helmet use for the sport’s youngest players. It encourages curling clubs and facilities to implement ‘helmet-use initiatives’ for players 12 and under. David Boushy reports – Jun 20, 2017

Curling Canada says it’s continuing to take steps to encourage young and beginner curlers to wear head protection after a vote during its annual meeting on Saturday in Cornwall, Ont.

Representatives from the group’s 14 member associations approved a motion that “endorses the immediate release of a Curling Canada statement to encourage Canadian curling clubs and facilities to acknowledge a concern about head injuries and concussions.”

READ MORE: Canada captures gold and silver at World Curling Championships in Lethbridge

“We can’t order [curlers at] curling clubs to wear helmets…all we can do is strongly recommend that this is a good idea for beginner curlers,” communications director Al Cameron said. “Then it’s up to the clubs—because they’re privately owned.”
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The organization will urge clubs and facilities to “implement helmet-use initiatives in beginner and novice curling programs,” with a focus on the under-12 age category.

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Cameron said the information approved by the member associations will now be passed down to the clubs.

Calgary Curling Club general manager Robert Laycock said his club has required curlers 10 years old and younger to wear helmets for many years.

“We would have no problem moving to 11 years old,” Laycock wrote in an email to Global News on Tuesday. “Some of our most severe injuries we have in all ages is the head-to-ice or head-to-rock fall. As younger curlers get more accustomed to walking on ice, the recommendation makes sense.”

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