OTTAWA -- A group of former professional football and hockey players say there is a desperate need for a national standard to diagnose and treat concussions in sports.
Former National Hockey League player Eric Lindros says one blanket protocol for the country could be taught in schools and help young athletes recognize a head injury.
He says there is no need for a patchwork of protocols across provinces: a concussion in Vancouver is no different than a concussion in Quebec.
Former Canadian Football League quarterback Matt Dunigan says young athletes and even those at the professional level need to know it's OK to take themselves out of a game if they have a head injury.
The duo were on the first panel in a day-long conference organized by Governor General David Johnston focusing on head injuries in sports.
The message to those at Rideau Hall is a call for social changes to help coaches better identify concussions and push athletes to take head injuries more seriously.
