Comments on: Concussions and Risk of Youth Sports http://onthepitch.org/2009/01/06/concussions-and-risk-of-youth-sports/ Thoughts on Youth Soccer from a Soccer Dad, Fan, Coach and Administrator Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:59:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Soccer Dad http://onthepitch.org/2009/01/06/concussions-and-risk-of-youth-sports/comment-page-1/#comment-51421 Soccer Dad Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:30:45 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/?p=1253#comment-51421 The heading debate is interesting. The problem with the studies are that they generally revolve around adults or professionals who have headed the ball all the time. I'd love to see numerous studies done that followed kids through to adulthood that tracked brain development and function and was there an impact in, say, the teenage years and beyond among youth soccer players. Like you, my son heads the ball in matches. 99% of the time it is not in a direct challenge to another player (but that will come as he gets older) Is there a risk? Yes. But there's also the risk of him getting kicked in the head or hitting his head on a goal post. As for shin guards? It's not just a broken leg, but a shattered leg. I would never let kids play without them. I agree 100%, it's a great way to get them to not go in so hard and use more skill. BUT - all it takes is one overzealous kid and you'd have a severe injury. They finally instituted rules here in NC that allowed refs to card the bench if a player was on the field without proper shinguards because kids were using cardboard. Way too dangerous. Another interesting part of any study would be is it just the general concussion of a header? Or is it those done improperly? Or head to head collisions. Oh and the main thing that bothers me? Match balls that are rock hard. I've seen WAY too many matches where kids will outright REFUSE to head a ball in an away match because the balls are overinflated. Most referees try to ensure there is some give, but not always. So coaches - ALWAYS make sure your soccer balls have some give and aren't hard as a rock. The heading debate is interesting. The problem with the studies are that they generally revolve around adults or professionals who have headed the ball all the time. I’d love to see numerous studies done that followed kids through to adulthood that tracked brain development and function and was there an impact in, say, the teenage years and beyond among youth soccer players. Like you, my son heads the ball in matches. 99% of the time it is not in a direct challenge to another player (but that will come as he gets older) Is there a risk? Yes. But there’s also the risk of him getting kicked in the head or hitting his head on a goal post.

As for shin guards? It’s not just a broken leg, but a shattered leg. I would never let kids play without them. I agree 100%, it’s a great way to get them to not go in so hard and use more skill. BUT – all it takes is one overzealous kid and you’d have a severe injury. They finally instituted rules here in NC that allowed refs to card the bench if a player was on the field without proper shinguards because kids were using cardboard. Way too dangerous.

Another interesting part of any study would be is it just the general concussion of a header? Or is it those done improperly? Or head to head collisions.

Oh and the main thing that bothers me? Match balls that are rock hard. I’ve seen WAY too many matches where kids will outright REFUSE to head a ball in an away match because the balls are overinflated. Most referees try to ensure there is some give, but not always. So coaches – ALWAYS make sure your soccer balls have some give and aren’t hard as a rock.

]]> By: Soccer Enthusiast http://onthepitch.org/2009/01/06/concussions-and-risk-of-youth-sports/comment-page-1/#comment-49937 Soccer Enthusiast Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:40:08 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/?p=1253#comment-49937 An old school soccer sage was putting some of us old men through our paces a year or so ago. He had an interesting perspective on risk to kids. In his opinion youth players would be better off playing without shin guards. Kids should not be going in so hard that shin guards are needed in practice, but rather they should be developing the skill to win the ball without a hard challenge. So shin guards would maybe be game day only equipment, or not used at all if the other teams are like minded. But as for youth heading the ball, he said there has simply been too many studies since his playing days that suggest it may be a bad idea. He would err on the side of caution and not have young players head the ball. There is just too much at risk, to take that risk; compared to brain damage, a broken leg is nothing. In my view, heading is one of the easiest soccer skills to develop and can be left a later age. The only reason to develop it at a young age is for a team's competitive success. But that's probably a little too much to give to the team. My own son has been heading the ball since about age 10, so my fingers are crossed. In club practices he generally does not use shin guards anymore (they play skillfully) but in High School practices he does use shin guards. An old school soccer sage was putting some of us old men through our paces a year or so ago. He had an interesting perspective on risk to kids.

In his opinion youth players would be better off playing without shin guards. Kids should not be going in so hard that shin guards are needed in practice, but rather they should be developing the skill to win the ball without a hard challenge. So shin guards would maybe be game day only equipment, or not used at all if the other teams are like minded.

But as for youth heading the ball, he said there has simply been too many studies since his playing days that suggest it may be a bad idea. He would err on the side of caution and not have young players head the ball. There is just too much at risk, to take that risk; compared to brain damage, a broken leg is nothing.

In my view, heading is one of the easiest soccer skills to develop and can be left a later age. The only reason to develop it at a young age is for a team’s competitive success. But that’s probably a little too much to give to the team.

My own son has been heading the ball since about age 10, so my fingers are crossed. In club practices he generally does not use shin guards anymore (they play skillfully) but in High School practices he does use shin guards.

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