Lindsey Straus Lindsey Straus   IN: Top Stories, Prevention & Risk Reduction, Effects of Concussion and Repetitive Head Impacts   Tagged: , ,  
  • Lindsey Straus

    Author: Lindsey Straus is an award-winning youth sports journalist, practicing attorney, and has been Senior Editor of SmartTeams since its launch as MomsTEAM in August 2000. She can be reached at lbartonstraus@MomsTEAM.com.

  • Lindsey Straus

Heading in Soccer: The Debate Continues

Praise for soccer heading ban

Commenting on the new rules in the same NBC News article[50], CLI’s Nowinski said the new rules fell short because they left middle school-age players vulnerable.

“From that perspective, we still have a ways to go,”  Nowinski, said.

But Nowinski also told NBC News that it was a good sign that U.S. Soccer that willing to draw a line somewhere. “For soccer to even set an age is a big step,” he said.

Concussion Legacy Institute co-founder Cantu predicted that the new rules would cut the number of concussions among the youngest players and shorten the time when those children are at risk for experiencing “sub-concussive hits” that can cause brain injuries later.

Children between the ages of 10 and 12 are most susceptible to concussions because their brains are underdeveloped and their necks are not strong enough, Cantu said.

By delaying the introduction of headers, Cantu asserted, U.S. Soccer “is avoiding the most injurious time period for the brain – and you’re also shortening the total amount of trauma somebody takes,” he said.

________

* In the interest of transparency, and to avoid any suggestion of bias in reporting this story, it should be noted that Dr. Comstock, Professor Webbe, and Dr. Koutures are uncompensated members of MomsTEAM Institute’s Board of Advisors, which is developing best practice youth sports health and safety checklists, including youth soccer, for the Institute’s SmartTeamTM program.  It remains to be seen where the Institute will ultimately come down on the issue of the age at which heading in soccer can safely begin, or whether, as banning heading is the best way to reduce concussions at the youth level, as SLI proposes and Professor Webbe supports, or via better rules enforcement, enhanced education of players, and better coaching, as Dr. Comstock recommends.

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