VICTORIA – It was announced today that The Victoria Grizzlies, Junior A Hockey Team (BCHL) have partnered with the Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic, a neuro-performance center that is at the forefront of helping athletes prioritize brain health in new ways, and optimize cognitive performance.
With concussions impacting young athletes more and more each year, The BCHL has taken steps to ensure that more is being done to help prevent and better treat these incidents; The Grizzlies’ are going a step further to ensure their athletes’ brain health are optimized and taken care of with their partnership with The Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic and their proprietary technology.
‘The Grizzlies organization is very fortunate to have this partnership. Player safety is first and foremost in our minds. This partnership allows us to build on our knowledge and understanding of the brain and if we have a better view on what is happening it puts us in a much better position to make sure players are 100% ready to go. This new technology is not only going to benefit the safety of players; as well there is room to grow and optimize their cognitive performance. It is a Win Win for us, I just have to thank our ownership for partnering with the Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic and taking this positive step forward toward player safety.’ Craig Didmon, Head Coach and GM
“Coach Didmon and The Victoria Grizzlies have taken pivotal steps towards enhancing their team’s brain and body performance. They are leading by example to shape the future of hockey in BC through demonstrating the importance of investing in the cognitive brain health of their athletes. We are excited to work with the Grizzlies to help their athletes optimize their brain potential and keep them safe.” – Dr. Ryan D’Arcy, Neuroscientist and Chief Science Officer
The Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic’s Brain and Body Performance Optimization Program [BBPO] was designed by leading neuroscientists and performance clinicians to extensively assess the brain health and cognitive function of athletes using their proprietary technology, and to use that data to implement optimization strategies and training into each athlete’s program. This data also allows the team’s medical staff to make more informed decisions on return to play, and enhance their post-concussion protocol.
“Our organization identified a major gap in how athlete’s train with a lack of emphasis placed on addressing cognition. We witnessed athletes who had sustained concussions focus on their brain health only up to the point of being deemed safe to return to play, and then would cease. Additionally, little to no cognitive programming was prescribed to athletes during their off-seasons. Given the resources available to our organization and our partners, we developed an innovative and evidence-based program to fill that need.” – Balraj Dhillon, Manager of Team Partnerships
The Victoria Grizzlies and Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic are excited to jointly bring awareness to brain health and enhanced concussion management to junior hockey. Their partnership will focus on optimizing performance and injury prevention during the season, as well as ensuring their athletes leave the organization cognitively sound with sharp and healthy brains, whether that’s to the NCAA or other avenues.
In recent years, the BCHL has demonstrated their commitment to addressing concussions through their partnership with HeadCheck Health. This partnership serves as a complimentary adjunct to the services provided by HeadCheck Health, allowing for additionally informed and comprehensive return to play decisions and protocols. Together, with both partnerships, we demonstrate a commitment to keeping our players safe.
