Tragic Accident
This tragic case [Western High player dies after soccer injury] is an example how precious life is and what we take for granted. It appears that this young man was an excellent all around kid, well-liked, a good athlete and a good student. Because of a freak accident, his life has been cut short.
But how common are soccer injuries and should we be doing more to protect the kids from injury?
According to a review in the March 2000 issue of the journal Pediatrics, about three million children are registered in high school and youth soccer associations in the US. Reports on its popularity show an annual increase in participation of up to 22% percent. Of the approximately 150,000 soccer-related injuries that occur each year, 45% occur in participants under the age of 15.
Because a study of adult soccer players in Norway [Entrez PubMed ] showed potentially serious consequences of "heading" the ball, there has been concern about children heading the ball. While further study is needed, children under the age of 12 probably should not be encouraged to head a soccer ball. Use of soccer headgear to prevent head injuries has been advocated by some non-medical organizations.
This same Norwegian study found that 35% of 69 Division I soccer players had abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns. This is more than twice the rate of abnormal EEG patterns in control subjects. Retired soccer players had several brain abnormalities including reduced cortical tissue and increased lateral ventricle size.
Soccer players also seem to perform more poorly than control subjects on some types of IQ tests and many former players (81%) suffer from problems with attention, concentration, and memory. Players who typically head the ball have also been found to have more neurological problems than non-headers. Compared to goalies and midfielders ("non-headers"), forwards and defenders ("headers") performed more poorly on some memory, visual perception and planning tests.
For those of you with kids or grandkids playing soccer, consider the information and help your kids make informed decisions about the dangers of “heading the ball” in soccer.
But how common are soccer injuries and should we be doing more to protect the kids from injury?
According to a review in the March 2000 issue of the journal Pediatrics, about three million children are registered in high school and youth soccer associations in the US. Reports on its popularity show an annual increase in participation of up to 22% percent. Of the approximately 150,000 soccer-related injuries that occur each year, 45% occur in participants under the age of 15.
Because a study of adult soccer players in Norway [Entrez PubMed ] showed potentially serious consequences of "heading" the ball, there has been concern about children heading the ball. While further study is needed, children under the age of 12 probably should not be encouraged to head a soccer ball. Use of soccer headgear to prevent head injuries has been advocated by some non-medical organizations.
This same Norwegian study found that 35% of 69 Division I soccer players had abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns. This is more than twice the rate of abnormal EEG patterns in control subjects. Retired soccer players had several brain abnormalities including reduced cortical tissue and increased lateral ventricle size.
Soccer players also seem to perform more poorly than control subjects on some types of IQ tests and many former players (81%) suffer from problems with attention, concentration, and memory. Players who typically head the ball have also been found to have more neurological problems than non-headers. Compared to goalies and midfielders ("non-headers"), forwards and defenders ("headers") performed more poorly on some memory, visual perception and planning tests.
For those of you with kids or grandkids playing soccer, consider the information and help your kids make informed decisions about the dangers of “heading the ball” in soccer.
posted by Anonymous at 4:27 AM
1 Comments:
Fascinating stuff. Tribune, pay heed.
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