Soccer Links

Heading

Numerous parents have asked me about the hazards of heading. I'm not an expert so you need to assess the literature on your own. There have been several studies conducted in recent years.* Head injuries (as well as neck and facial injuries) due to heading a soccer ball (or an opponent's head, a goal, etc.) are of course possible in youth soccer. The most recent studies indicate that children who use improper technique or head the ball excessively are at the greatest risk (see the reference below*).

While the best approach to teaching heading to youth soccer players, as well as the real effects of heading, are still under debate, we will error on the side of caution. To insure that our players understand how to head a ball in the safest and most technically correct manner, we will have at least two practices during the year dedicated to the technique of heading. We will not have practices requiring excessive heading of hard driven balls. However, we do believe it is essential that players be technically competent. Players who must wear glasses will be limited in what they can do during practices.

Hint: An excellent way to practice heading at home is to use a volleyball rather than a soccer ball.

Note: There are now a number of head protection devices on the market for soccer players. While I don't think such devices will ever see wide spread use, they may be very useful for practicing headers. See for example, http://www.soccerdocs.com/. The head gear may look a bit odd, but it's better to look stupid than to be stupid....

U.S. Youth Soccer does not feel that head gear is needed, and may actually pose other hazards. For their statement go to http://www.fysa.com/Discussion/helmet.htm.

Your comments and interpretation of the literature are welcomed

*The most recent and comprehensive study on the effects of heading is D. T. Kirkendall et al., "Heading and Head Injuries in Soccer," Sports Medicine, 31 [5] 369-386 (2001). The research was conducted at University of North Carolina. It is a must read article. If you'd like a copy I can provide you with one.

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