Concussion Training

Heading a soccer ball is risky even if concussions rare, researchers say
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-soccer-headers-concussion-met-20150428-story.html

Soccer heading can lead to brain damage and mid-life dementia — here's what should be done
http://www.businessinsider.com/soccer-heading-brain-damage-dementia-study-2017-3

"The researchers studied 14 retired soccer players who died having been diagnosed with dementia, and 12 out of 14 of them had advanced dementia. Their neurological symptoms began in midlife, only 15-20 years following their retirement from play.

The researchers obtained permission to study the brains of six players. Under the microscope, all six brains showed evidence of the abnormal tau protein accumulation typical of Alzheimer's dementia, and four of the six brains revealed the classic damage associated with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)."

Even when your older "Heading a soccer ball causes instant brain changes, study finds"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...n-changes-study-finds/?utm_term=.69e974837a31

I wonder if the headaches, concussion syndrome from repetitive headers is under reported or just missed? I have to think they do add up eventually after so many years of doing them in games, practice, etc.
 
I saw a 12 year old girl head the ball last weekend in one of my daughter's games. It was off a keeper punt I believe. The contact impacted her. I don't know if she caught some of her nose on the ball or it was just the impact to the head, but it was clear that she was affected. I don't know if the ref saw it, but she should have come off the field. Long term damage to the brain is something we should all be concerned with.
 
MyDaughtersAKeeper said:
I saw a 12 year old girl head the ball last weekend in one of my daughter's games. It was off a keeper punt I believe. The contact impacted her. I don't know if she caught some of her nose on the ball or it was just the impact to the head, but it was clear that she was affected. I don't know if the ref saw it, but she should have come off the field. Long term damage to the brain is something we should all be concerned with.
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Yeah the keeper punts that are headed are the most common form of head trauma I've seen over the years.

Our daughter is U17 now and several of her teammates just don't head the ball at all anymore, too much pain in the past so the avoid them now. One of the girls she played with up until U15 basically quit do to concussions from heading. She was/is a honor student and would find it harder to concentrate at school after the weekend games and didn't think it was worth it anymore.
 
younothat said:
Heading a soccer ball is risky even if concussions rare, researchers say
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-soccer-headers-concussion-met-20150428-story.html

.
Click to expand...

Kirkendall, who is on U.S. Soccer's medical advisory committee, reviewed the scientific literature in 2001 and determined that concussions, which came primarily from players' heads colliding or hitting the ground, were the likely cause of cognitive deficits found in some studies — not heading the ball.

"My opinion hasn't changed," he said this week. "I don't think purposeful heading is an issue."​
 
Personal experiences - I got a concussion playing soccer from falling awkwardly and slamming the back of my head onto the ground (actually an artificial-turf carpet over asphalt). My older son got a concussion in a game when he was 19 from a head-to-head collision with another player when they were both going after a ball coming down from high in the air. My younger son got a concussion when standing in a defensive wall, hit directly from 10 yards out. That covers about 80 man-years of play.

I have found that if a player heads the ball properly and cleanly, there is little impact felt by the head - kind of like hitting a baseball or golf ball on the sweet spot.
 
Had an interesting incident today. Girl gets bumped by another player pretty good. Along the touch line. Girl falls out of bounds and hits her head on a spectator from the opposing team. Not sure if the player hit the knee or the chair of the spectator. The spectator was only about 3-4 feet outside the touch line. Much to close in my opinion.
With all of the heavy metal umbrella holders out there, it could have been a lot worse.
I think our player will be ok, but she did not return to the game.
The parents of the hurt girl were livid at the sideline and referee for not being more mindful. And after the accident, nobody moved back an inch. SMH.
 
jpeter said:
Yeah the keeper punts that are headed are the most common form of head trauma I've seen over the years.
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I'm sorry but I've seen my share of games and head injuries and I've never seen trauma resulting from an intentionally and PROPERLY done header. IMO the big risk here, if someone intends to play a sport that requires heading, is not developing good technique at an early age. That study regarding intentional headers cited here earlier is flawed, in that they used amateur players.
Once in a while I'll see an amateurish header. Makes me sick to my stomach, as does seeing a player remain on the field after a real head trauma, invariably from impact with a pole, another head, or a maybe a ball strike while unaware. The way the brain heals after trauma, staying on the field is like waiting for the next hurricane before recovering from the last one.
 
The problem with heading that I have seen is:
1. Improper heading
2. Proper heading only to be shoved slightly and thereby causing improper heading.
3. Kids not going straight up but at an angle to head and thereby more likely to have head to head collision. Not enough refs call this one.
 
Fact said:
The problem with heading that I have seen is:
1. Improper heading.
Click to expand...
Bit of a Catch-22 here. If you don't know how to head a ball you shouldn't. But then heading is an integral part of the sport.
Guys, take the palm of your hand and push back against the upper part of your forehead. Thick bone there, and lots of muscle supporting it. Take that same palm and push down on the top of your head, then from the sides.
 
ray8 said:
Bit of a Catch-22 here. If you don't know how to head a ball you shouldn't. But then heading is an integral part of the sport.
Guys, take the palm of your hand and push back against the upper part of your forehead. Thick bone there, and lots of muscle supporting it. Take that same palm and push down on the top of your head, then from the sides.
Click to expand...

You can learn heading technique with special light-weight balls. They will not cause injury if played incorrectly in practice, but they are not durable enough to use in a game.
 
coachrefparent said:
You should message Fact and ask him/her.
Click to expand...
I have accidently done that in the past where you quickly go to hit on of the icons and notice you clicked the wrong one, sadly too late . I could not figure out how to undo the click and just figured that since it was in a tab that doesn't make sense to disagree/ dislike/ etc that anyone looking would figure out my mistake. If one knows how to undo this, please post I would have liked to know. It wasn't me this time , but with your post the only logical explanation would be a miss click --- or not.
 
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