It’s been known for years that multiple concussions, or repeated head trauma, can have long-lasting, severe consequences. Learning about former pro soccer players suffering from advanced dementia and other medical issues brought the problem into the public view. The soccer concussions suffered by high school or college players have not been totally ignored, by any means, but have not received nearly as much attention.
Players Under 25 are Most at Risk
Players under 25 are particularly at risk, as their brains are not fully developed and can sustain permanent damage. Younger players have more severe symptoms and neurological disturbances compared to players over 25. Multiple concussions can cause cognitive impairment, sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, and numerous other difficulties.
Young soccer players are every bit as dedicated and hard-playing as their professional idols. The outstanding victory of the American women in the World Cup made fans of people who don’t usually watch soccer games. However, the sheer guts and toughness of those young women points up a lesser-known fact: female soccer players are twice as likely to have soccer concussions as their male counterparts. The reason for this disparity is not known.
Many Concussions Go Unreported
Players and coaches share much of the blame for unreported concussions in soccer. Players tend to “tough it out,” and coaches tend to take a player at his or her word when they say that they’re “OK”. At times, neither may even be aware that the player had a concussion since less than 10% of sports-related concussions involve loss of consciousness. Most (78%) of concussions happen during a game. The most common symptoms are dizziness and headaches, but players don’t notice any symptoms in half of all concussions.
The Right Headgear is Essential
Very few schools and even fewer non-sanctioned teams can afford to provide effective soccer headgear for their student athletes. Even more discouraging for the school, parents of an injured student will sue that organization. Purely aside from the financial incentive, no schools want to see their young players injured. Providing the best impact protection possible in soccer helmets, combined with education in identifying soccer concussions and insisting that injured students take the necessary time off, is essential.
Gamebreaker headgear offers maximum protection and comfort for soccer players and other sports as well. Although it covers your head, it doesn’t affect the trajectory of the ball when headers are executed making it an ideal protective solution. It can be customized, offers 100% peripheral vision, and can be custom fit to each player’s head. Order your soccer headgear today!
Gamebreaker’s uniquely designed padded & soft padded soccer headgear is FIFA COMPLIANT via RULE 4.