Concussions become serious issue in soccer
Kathryn Beck
Almost everyone has heard about how damaging head injuries are to football players. However, there is little talk about head injuries sustained by soccer players.
When it comes to head injuries related to soccer players, the majority of the injuries are concussions.
These head injuries can come from running into other players while trying to head the ball or from hitting the ground after tripping.
“We typically see about 1 to 2 concussions per season between the men’s and women’s teams,” said Andrew Guarneri, women’s head soccer coach.
While the amount of concussions to soccer players at MCC is low, the number of concussions are more common among young female soccer players.
According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine, concussions in young female soccer players are only second to head injuries in football players.
“There was one year that we had 4 or 5 head injuries in soccer and most of them were female soccer players,” said Cummins.
Cummins said that females have less body control and they have weaker necks compared to male soccer players.
If a player does sustain a concussion during a game, Cummins and her staff follow a protocol that is in place.
“We test their brain function and ask them a series of questions and then we check for any physical signs they may have,” Cummins said.
The protocol that the training staff uses is the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool which helps determine how severe the concussion is and what physical signs to look for such as dizziness and neck pain.
If the player has a concussion, then they do not return to the game and have to follow up with Cummins to see if their getting better or worse.
“That’s why I think it’s good to get to know the players so that if they act different then we can better determine if they are improving or not,” said Cummins.
Guarneri said that before the season, his players have to test for concussions and that they have to pass them before they can step on to the field.
“The protocol we have is for every kid because we don’t to risk a player’s health,” said Guarneri.
