CelineVezina

ProfessorMaryGomrad
ENC1102
27February2015
ResearchProposalforConcussedNHLPlayers
Introduction
Asubcultureisdefined,accordingtoWolframAlpha,asasocialgroupwithina
nationalculturethathasdistinctivepatternsofbehaviorandbeliefs.Nowwhenitisput
thatway,itsonlynormaltothinkofhowmanysubculturesexist.Theyexistfrom
religion,fandoms,theschoolastudentattends,tosports.Asportthatstandsouttome
wouldbehockeysincewithinthisculturetherearemanysubcultures.Now,whenmost
peoplethinkhockey,theythinkofhardhitting,alotoffighting,andthefactthatitsa
prettytoughsportoverall,yetwhatalotofpeopledontrealizeisthattheamountof
concussionsthatoccurovertheperiodofaseason(OctoberApril)isquitehigh.Thisis
exactlywhyIchosetostudythesubcultureofconcussionaffectedNHLplayersthatare
currentlyintheNHLorhaveretired.ThoughthisisoccurringintheNationalFootball
Leaguetoo,whatshappeningintheNationalHockeyLeaguehasmadeheadlinesmore
recentlyduetothedeathsofafewhockeyplayerswhomwerepersonallyaffectedmy
multipleconcussionsintheirplayingcareer.
Subculture
IntheNHL,playerscanrangefromtheageofeighteentomidthirties,yetwhena
playersuffersmorethanoneconcussiontheirplayingcareerisusuallycutshort.Thisis

topreventfurtherdamage.ThoughIamnotamemberofthisgroup,Ihavebeen
watchinghockeyforaprettydecentamountoftime,andIhavebeenabletoseewhat
happenstoplayerswhogetaconcussionormultipleheadinjuries.Themainproblemthat
isoccurringinthisgroupisthefactthatmanyofthelongtermeffectsofaconcussion
areunknown,orthelongtermeffectsseemtoaffectmanyplayersdifferently.Thereare
manywaysthattheproblemcouldbesolved.Itcouldbeanythingfromthenumberof
concussionsreceivedbeforethehockeyplayerisrequiredtoretire,theamountof
concussionpreventingequipmenttheyrerequiredtowear,thelengthoftherecovery
period,oreventhemedicalattentionthathasoccurred.
PlanandSchedule
TherearemanydifferentaspectsthatneedtoberesearchedsothatIcan
accuratelyanswerthequestioninvolvingthelongtermeffectsofconcussionsinthe
NationalHockeyLeague.First,Iwilldosomebasicresearchonconcussions.Thiswill
includewhattheyare,whatcausesthem,thesignsandsymptomswhilesomeonehasa
concussion,andhowtheyrebeingtreated.Iwillalsoresearchhockeyequipment.WhatI
reallywanttofindoutisdoesthebrandthatmakestheequipmentmakeitsaferforthe
players,andIalsowanttolearnwhatpiecesofequipmentprotecttheplayermorethan
others.TofindthisinformationwhatImgoingtousetheUCFLibrarysOneSearchto
searchsomejournalsandarticlesonconcussionstudies.AlsotheresagroupofexNHL
playersthatwerepersonallyaffectedbyconcussionsthatareinalawsuitagainstthe
NationalHockeyLeague.Iplanondoingmoreresearchintowhattheyfound,suchas
videos,documents,andplayerstatements.AnotherthingthatIwanttodoisinterviewa

fewhockeyplayersthatIknowthathavebeenaffectedbyconcussionsthatledthemto
haltingtheirplayingcareertemporarilytorecover.Imgoingtoaskthemhowtheyfelt
whentheywereintheconcussedstage,howtheycurrentlyfeel,andhowlongtheywere
outfor.Outsiderscancommunicatewiththisgroupbecausetheoutsideobservesthe
subculture.Forexample,fanswillgotogamestowatchhockeyplayersplaythegame
theylove,andintheprocesstheycanwitnesssomehugehits,somethataresobadthata
playerwillhavetobemovedofftheiceusingastretcher.
GraphicalElements
Iamgoingtoincludepicturesofbrainscansofanormalbrainandcompare
themtobrainscansofpeopleaffectedmymultipleconcussions.Also,Iwillinclude
picturesofhitsthathaveoccurredthateventuallyledtotheNHLplayerdevelopinga
concussion.
WritingProcess
Duringmyfinalproject,thewritingprocesswillalreadybestarted.Using
assignmenttwoandthreeasplanning,Iwillmoveontotheresearchaspect.Usingthe
librarysOneSearchforinformationonconcussions,theinternettoresearch
informationontheNationalHockeyLeaguevsConcussionvictimslawsuit,andIam
goingtobeinterviewinghockeyplayersthatIknowwhomhavesufferedaconcussionor
multipleconcussionswhileplayingthegame.Afteracquiringallmyinformation,Im
goingtowritemyroughdraftsummarizingallthenewinformationthatIvelearned
about.Afterrevisingitandediting,alongwithhavingotherslookitovertoo,Iwillwrite

myfinalcopyofmyresearchonconcussedNHLplayers.Thiswillincludeallthe
graphicalelementsthatIhavefoundtoo.
Resources
WhileIwasinpsychology,Irememberedthatmyprofessormakesususethe
LibrarysOneSearchdatabasetofindarticlesand/orjournalsoncertaintopics.Usingthis
previousknowledge,Iamgoingtousethisdatabasetoresearchthecauseandeffectsof
concussionsonpeople.UsingpriorknowledgeonInternetresearch,Iamgoingto
researchthelawsuitthatiscurrentlyhappeninginvolvingmysubcultureandtheNational
HockeyLeague.Mymediasourceswillbevideosofplayersgettingmajorconcussions,
usuallyrecordedbypeopleoutsideofthesubculture.ThenIwillconductafew
interviewswithsomehockeyplayersthatIknowwhohaveacquiredconcussionswhile
playing.Illdothisaswellasconductasurveytosendouttomybrothershockeyteam
thatwillaskbasicquestionsinvolvingthegameandheadinjuries.
InterviewQuestions

Howlongagodidyoureceiveyourconcussion(s)?
Whatwereyoursignsandsymptoms?
Howlongwasyourrecoveryperiod
Doyoustillfeelconcussionsymptomsfromtimetotime?Ifso,whichones?
Howmanyconcussionshaveyoureceived?
Doyoufeelthisaffectshowyouplaythegametoday?

SurveyQuestion(withtheanswerchoicesbeingstronglyagreethroughstrongly
disagree)

Concussionshavealonglastingimpactonahockeyplayerwhoacquiresone.

Conclusion

Throughoutthelengthofthispaper,Iwasabletogetintotheseamsofthelawsuit
betweenmysubculture,concussionvictimsoftheNationalHockeyLeague,andthe
NationalHockeyLeague.Usingtheinformationacquiredinthislawsuit,Ifoundout
someofthelongtermeffectsthatconcussionshaveonexandcurrenthockeyplayers.I
justreallywantedtoaddresstheproblemthatishappeninginmysubculture,which
involvespeoplenotexactlyknowingthelongtermaffectsofaconcussion.Thisleadsto
manyplayersfuturesbeingputindangeriftheycontinuetoplayafterhavinga
concussion.Withtheeffectsbeingknown,manylivescanbesaved,andtheonesthat
couldntbecanfinallybeputtorest.

Activity
Analyzerhetorical
situation

Description/Details

Startby
2/16/15

Completeby
2/18/15

Chooseasubculture
Dopreliminary
research

2/16/15
2/16/15

2/18/15
2/18/15

Comeupwitha
researchquestion

2/16/15

218/15

ScheduleUWC
appointmentfor
literaturereview
Findandreadlibrary
andWebsources
WorkonLiterature
Review
Scheduleinterviews
andotherfield
research
Dofieldresearch
Writeoutdraft1of
thefinalproject
Peerreview
Doanyadditional
research

2/22/15

4/24/15

2/28/15

3/27/15

2/28/15

3/27/15

2/28/15

3/27/15

2/28/15
3/27/15

3/27/15
4/5/15

4/6/15
4/9/15

4/8/15
4/12/15

Revise
Prepareaworkscited
list
Checkintext
citations
Edit
Preparefinaldraft
Proofread
Submitfinaldraft

4/12/15
4/12/15

4/15/14
4/19/15

4/12/15

4/15/15

4/12/15
4/15/14
4/20/15
2/16/15

4/15/15
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