Girls are twice as likely to sustain a concussion as boys in matched sports, especially soccer. In fact, women’s soccer has the 4th highest concussion rate of any sport, following closely behind football. Despite the evidence, researchers at the University of Wisconsin – Madison are struggling to find willing participants for a new study involving protective headgear in soccer. There are a variety of theories as to why soccer seems to be more resistant to helmets than football. Tim McGuine and Allison Brooks are passionate about preventing athletic injuries, more specifically concussions, which led them to head the upcoming study on head protection in soccer. The study, funded by a $300,000 grant from the National Operating Committee on
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It is not designed to prevent heading the ball or injuries that result from this. The goal is to involve 3,000 high school soccer players, both boys and girls, from 88 high schools across Wisconsin. Half of the teams will be assigned to a control group, and will continue to practice and compete without the protective headgear. The other half will be included in the intervention group, meaning they will wear the soft helmets whenever playing. At the end of the study the two groups will be compared to determine if wearing protective headgear can reduce the rate of sports-related concussions (SRC). Before this comparison can be made, however, researchers must figure out how to attract teams to participate in the study. Currently, many players are hesitant to using a helmet while playing soccer due to a variety of different reasons. The most common complaint is that the helmet would affect the player’s ability to head the ball. Freshman soccer players from Oregon High School all agreed they felt it would get in their way. One player said, “I head the ball in a very specific location, having a helmet on would change the way I play the …show more content…
Wearing headgear itself isn’t necessarily a fashion statement, and hairstyles would have to be adjusted to accommodate the new equipment. Despite the push-back, decreasing SRC rates could be worth adding protective headgear to the uniform. Jennifer Hietpas, a former high school soccer player, had to quit the game after sustaining four concussions during the course of two seasons. Since then, she has dealt with a variety of problems, including the inability to focus for long periods of time and chronic headaches.
When asked about her thoughts on the use of the protective headgear in soccer, Jennifer had a strong response. She said, “Despite how ugly they may be, I would try them just for a little extra protection from concussions. Kids that age don’t realize how dangerous injuries to the head are and soccer can get very physical so just having a little extra protection could pay off.”
Parents of soccer players seem to be willing to try anything that could help their kids stay safe. One mother said, “I think anything that can be used to protect our bodies is a good
It is not designed to prevent heading the ball or injuries that result from this. The goal is to involve 3,000 high school soccer players, both boys and girls, from 88 high schools across Wisconsin. Half of the teams will be assigned to a control group, and will continue to practice and compete without the protective headgear. The other half will be included in the intervention group, meaning they will wear the soft helmets whenever playing. At the end of the study the two groups will be compared to determine if wearing protective headgear can reduce the rate of sports-related concussions (SRC). Before this comparison can be made, however, researchers must figure out how to attract teams to participate in the study. Currently, many players are hesitant to using a helmet while playing soccer due to a variety of different reasons. The most common complaint is that the helmet would affect the player’s ability to head the ball. Freshman soccer players from Oregon High School all agreed they felt it would get in their way. One player said, “I head the ball in a very specific location, having a helmet on would change the way I play the …show more content…
Wearing headgear itself isn’t necessarily a fashion statement, and hairstyles would have to be adjusted to accommodate the new equipment. Despite the push-back, decreasing SRC rates could be worth adding protective headgear to the uniform. Jennifer Hietpas, a former high school soccer player, had to quit the game after sustaining four concussions during the course of two seasons. Since then, she has dealt with a variety of problems, including the inability to focus for long periods of time and chronic headaches.
When asked about her thoughts on the use of the protective headgear in soccer, Jennifer had a strong response. She said, “Despite how ugly they may be, I would try them just for a little extra protection from concussions. Kids that age don’t realize how dangerous injuries to the head are and soccer can get very physical so just having a little extra protection could pay off.”
Parents of soccer players seem to be willing to try anything that could help their kids stay safe. One mother said, “I think anything that can be used to protect our bodies is a good