Concussions and Soccer
Soccer is considered a fairly safe sport but recent findings on the dangers of concussions has brought some issues up to think about.
American football is known to be very hard on the brain. Many players have early symptoms of dementia and Alzheimers. When doctors examine the brains of players who have died, the brains show huge amounts of trauma. This article explains a bit more about it.
But what about soccer? There are two main issues with head collisions in soccer. The first is when two players collide and knock their heads together. If this happens coaches and parents need to take it very seriously. The players should be taken out of the game and observed for at least 24 hours. They should refrain from any contact or potential contact for at least a week.
The second occasion is when heading balls. This is what really scares me because there is very little research on the damage that heading a soccer ball can do. My feeling is that it is more severe than we suspect.
A regulation sized soccer ball weighs almost one pound. If a player heads that ball when it’s traveling at 40 mph (an average speed) that is a lot of force that is being produced. Even though the ball yields and gives a lot of that energy must be directed to the players head.
For young players with undeveloped brains, the risk could be substantial.
Another concern is the daily practice of heading. It’s the repeated blows to the head which seem to cause the most damage.
What can coaches and parents do? Here are some suggestions:
1. Be very aware of the dangers of concussions. If there is an injury on field, take it seriously. Take the player out and keep him under observation. Take him to be examined by a doctor as soon as possible.
2. When practicing and learning headers, use a light ball. A foam or Nerf ball will give players the ability to track, trap and direct the ball with minimal risk of brain injury.
3. Do exercises to strengthen the neck and shoulders. Back and front bridges are ideal.
4. Practice heading every other day or every third day. This gives the brain time to heal itself.
If I come across any more information about soccer concussions I will be sure to post them up.
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