For the first time, soccer has overtaken hockey as the most-played sport in Canada, according to a Department of Canadian Heritage study.Blacklock's Reporter says the shift comes amid increasing scrutiny of hockey-related concussions, particularly in junior and recreational leagues, which have been linked to long-term brain injuries.The Physical Activity Monitor report found that 26% of Canadians had participated in a sport in the past year, with soccer leading at 19%, followed by hockey and basketball, both at 15%. The findings were based on surveys conducted with 11,060 Canadians, commissioned by Léger Marketing Inc. for $119,859.Hockey remains more popular among Canadians over 35 but has seen a decline in participation among younger adults. Other popular activities included golf (13%), volleyball, swimming, and tennis (9%), with baseball, football, and bicycling trailing behind.This shift comes on the heels of Commons investigations into the dangers of hockey-related brain injuries. In 2018, the Commons health committee highlighted hockey as a leading cause of sports-related concussions, with data showing minor hockey was responsible for three times as many concussions as school football. “This is a topic of discussion in almost every community where there are sports played, and especially with young people,” said then-Liberal MP Bill Casey (Cumberland-Colchester, N.S.), chair of the committee.A 2013 review by the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program found that 44% of minor sports concussions occurred in hockey, far outpacing other sports like soccer (19%), football (13%), and rugby (6%). Despite the risks, more than 500,000 children play hockey in Canada.Testimonies during the 2018 hearings painted a stark picture of the long-term impact of concussions. Ash Kolstad, a University of Calgary student, recounted how a severe concussion sustained as a Peewee player in 2009 disrupted his life. "I became a very sad and irritable person who suffers from depression and anxiety daily," Kolstad testified, describing how the injury caused him to miss an entire year of school for rehabilitation. “The player who body-checked me only received a two-minute penalty for elbowing, while over nine years later I’m still affected by post-concussive symptoms.”Between 2011 and 2017, the Public Health Agency recorded 4,479 concussion-related hospital admissions for boys in minor hockey, more than double the admissions for soccer (1,770) and school football (1,754).Anna Phair, mother of junior goalie Carter Phair from Weyburn, Sask., testified that her son suffered six concussions in three years, despite using top-grade protective equipment. “Too many times in an arena I hear bigger cheers for body checks than I hear for pretty goals or great saves,” she said, questioning the culture that glorifies violent hits over skillful play. “What message does a young player receive when highlight packages on TV show hits that cause injury?”
