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    Headgear

    This article was posted in another forum with some additional information regarding headgear that I'll post separately.



    The MUHC is out on the playing field with an innovative study on soccer headgears

    Montreal, QC, July 13, 2007 - From small scrapes to hospital emergencies, playing soccer can be painful, and even dangerous. To avoid head injuries and concussions the only effective solution is wearing a soft protective headgear, as shown by Dr. Scott Delaney, Research Director of Emergency Medicine at the MUHC, in a new study published in the July issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

    In the first attempt to rely on results from the field instead of the lab, this innovative study was carried out just after the 2006 soccer season and included the 268 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years from the Oakville Soccer Club. Although only 52 of them wore a headgear during this period, the results are significant: the risk of concussion was 2.65 times higher for players who were not protected. In fact, 52.8% of the adolescents who did not wear a headgear reported being injured compared to only 26.9% of those who did wear one. These results are indeed noteworthy, particularly since approximately 80% of sports-related injuries are not recognized or reported. Prevention is therefore an essential means of protection.

    Interestingly, though the headgear protects efficiently the areas of the head that are covered, there were no differences in the number of cuts and bruises on the areas of the head and face not covered by it. "This was important to examine as many people fear that the use of soccer headgear may make players more aggressive and more prone to other injuries. At least for these injuries, it may show that wearing a headgear does not encourage people to play more aggressively," stated Dr. Delaney.

    Unfortunately, adolescents who regularly wear a headgear are not the rule and do not represent the majority of young athletes: most of them are young girls or adolescents who have already been injured. "Girls, in general, are more prone to concussions in soccer and they may be more aware of the possible benefits of wearing a headgear," remarked Dr. Delaney, who also practices at the McGill Sports Medicine Clinic. Since 2002, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has authorized soft headgears during official matches but has not made them mandatory. "This study may help convince parents and players that soft protective soccer headgear can be an effective part of a comprehensive plan to reduce the number of head injuries and concussions in soccer.," confirmed Dr. Delaney.

    The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University - the Montreal Children's, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge.
    Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.

    #2
    I know the whole issue of head gear causes quite a bit of controversy among coaches, but I thought you might find the following of interest.

    Yankee United is now including the Full90 Head Gear as part of their uniform package.

    The Bangu Tsunami GU13 team was the Region II Champions this year and they all wear the Full90 Head Gear. Coaches in another forum who have seen them play say they are especially good in the air. Their coach keeps a blog on the team's experiences and also maintains statistics.

    http://www.roadtoregionals.com/display/ ... T23:59:59Z

    He indicates that 50% of the goals at Regionals (4 of 8) were off headers and that 13% of the seasons total were off headers (11 of 85). He also includes this comment:

    People can laugh and talk negative all they want about me mandating the Full90 Head Gear for the players. We were by far the most aerial dominant team I saw this year. And guess what? Heading is an important part of the game. We scored 11 goals from headers and gave up 0 (lending to the thought that we were good in aerial battles on defense). 4 out of 8 goals at Regionals were scored by headers, this is against arguably the top regional teams at our age group. I teach the technique, the head gear gives the girls the confidence. People laugh at us, I laugh at the people laughing at us.
    http://btfc.squarespace.com/storage/u13g_r2_champs.jpg
    Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Headgear

      Originally posted by FSM
      This article was posted in another forum with some additional information regarding headgear that I'll post separately.



      The MUHC is out on the playing field with an innovative study on soccer headgears

      Montreal, QC, July 13, 2007 - From small scrapes to hospital emergencies, playing soccer can be painful, and even dangerous. To avoid head injuries and concussions the only effective solution is wearing a soft protective headgear, as shown by Dr. Scott Delaney, Research Director of Emergency Medicine at the MUHC, in a new study published in the July issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

      In the first attempt to rely on results from the field instead of the lab, this innovative study was carried out just after the 2006 soccer season and included the 268 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years from the Oakville Soccer Club. Although only 52 of them wore a headgear during this period, the results are significant: the risk of concussion was 2.65 times higher for players who were not protected. In fact, 52.8% of the adolescents who did not wear a headgear reported being injured compared to only 26.9% of those who did wear one. These results are indeed noteworthy, particularly since approximately 80% of sports-related injuries are not recognized or reported. Prevention is therefore an essential means of protection.

      Interestingly, though the headgear protects efficiently the areas of the head that are covered, there were no differences in the number of cuts and bruises on the areas of the head and face not covered by it. "This was important to examine as many people fear that the use of soccer headgear may make players more aggressive and more prone to other injuries. At least for these injuries, it may show that wearing a headgear does not encourage people to play more aggressively," stated Dr. Delaney.

      Unfortunately, adolescents who regularly wear a headgear are not the rule and do not represent the majority of young athletes: most of them are young girls or adolescents who have already been injured. "Girls, in general, are more prone to concussions in soccer and they may be more aware of the possible benefits of wearing a headgear," remarked Dr. Delaney, who also practices at the McGill Sports Medicine Clinic. Since 2002, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has authorized soft headgears during official matches but has not made them mandatory. "This study may help convince parents and players that soft protective soccer headgear can be an effective part of a comprehensive plan to reduce the number of head injuries and concussions in soccer.," confirmed Dr. Delaney.

      The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University - the Montreal Children's, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge.
      How much stock does Dr Delaney have in the company that makes the headgear?

      Comment


        #4
        with that many goals off headers, I wonder if the gear gives them a new found sense of security in attempting more headers. Hopefully, they keep self preservation in mind if they one day play without headgear.

        Comment


          #5
          This was also on NBC News this week.

          http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/sport ... wanted=all

          October 2, 2007
          Girls Are Often Neglected Victims of Concussions
          By ALAN SCHWARZ

          WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Hannah Stohler sat beside the piano she could no longer play, in the living room that spun like a carousel, in the chair in which she tried to read but could not remember a word. Ten months after her third concussion while playing high school soccer knocked her into a winter-long haze of headaches and dizziness and depression that few around her could comprehend, Stohler recalled how she once viewed concussions.

          “I thought they were a football injury — a boy thing,â€￾ said Stohler, a junior at Conard High School in West Hartford, Conn. “Those guys are taught to hit hard and knock people to the ground. But anyone can get a concussion, and I don’t think a lot of girls recognize that. They have no idea how awful the effects can be — it changes your life.â€￾

          Stohler, 16, has more company than most people know. While football does have the most concussions (and controversy over their treatment) in high school athletics, girls competing in sports like soccer and basketball are more susceptible to concussions than boys are in the same sports, studies show.

          According to a study to be published in the Journal of Athletic Training, in high school soccer, girls sustained concussions 68 percent more often than boys did. Female concussion rates in high school basketball were almost three times higher than among boys.

          Girls also consistently took longer for their symptoms to resolve and to return to play. The study, conducted by researchers at Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, examined data submitted by 425 certified athletic trainers across the United States during the 2005-6 academic year. According to the National Federation of High School Sports Associations, a million youngsters play high school basketball and 700,000 play high school soccer each year; male participation is only slightly higher than among girls.

          Fatal brain injuries in high school sports outside football are exceedingly rare, but post-concussion syndrome — in which dizziness, lethargy and the inability to concentrate can cost teenagers weeks or months of school — is a growing concern, doctors said. They added that it was just as common among girls as boys and even more misunderstood.

          “Generally speaking, the medical profession does not do a very good job in recognizing that female athletes sustain concussions at an equal or even higher rate as males,â€￾ said Dr. Robert Cantu of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, one of the nation’s leading experts in concussion management. “It’s flying under the radar. And as a result, looking for concussions in women is not pursued with the same diligence, and it’s setting girls up for a worse result.â€￾

          Hannah Stohler twice slammed her head against the turf while playing soccer last fall, both times experiencing the disorientation, blurred vision and nausea that are telltale signs of concussion. She said her neurologist at the time told her that when her headaches subsided, she could play again.

          “I really didn’t think it was a big deal,â€￾ she recalled, adding that she returned a few weeks later before her other symptoms had cleared. “Soccer is everything to me. I identify myself as an athlete.â€￾

          In November, Stohler collided with another player, could not get up for 10 minutes, and left the field with her vision totally black. Her eyesight returned, but she experienced headaches and disorientation for three months, could barely read and was forbidden to exercise for fear of causing further damage.

          “I was the freak at school who could only do half days and had to go home all the time,â€￾ said Stohler, whose reading comprehension and memory remain slightly impaired. “I didn’t feel like myself — ever. I was miserable. It takes the life out of you.â€￾

          Another young female victim of post-concussion syndrome lives just 20 miles up the road from Stohler. Kate Pellin, a standout basketball player in Suffield, Conn., has sustained at least four concussions, three times being knocked unconscious while diving for balls or being slammed to the hardwood by other players. “I get offended when people say girls don’t play sports as hard as boys,â€￾ she said.

          Pellin’s last concussion, in April, caused such lingering headaches, sensitivity to light and noise and constant dizziness that she ultimately missed the rest of her junior school year.

          “My teachers couldn’t understand why I couldn’t do my homework,â€￾ Pellin said. “I didn’t have crutches, where everyone can see you’re hurt. It’s a hidden injury. Boys would tell me, ‘You should wear a head brace!’ like ha-ha, and I was like, ‘Maybe that’s what I should do for you to take me seriously.’â€￾

          According to the study to be published in the Journal of Athletic Training, football has the highest rate of concussions in high school sports, with 47 such injuries per 100,000 player games or practices. Girls soccer was second highest with 36 per 100,000, followed by boys soccer (22) and girls basketball (21).

          Most soccer concussions are caused by hard falls to the ground or collisions with other players. Heading the ball is not a primary cause, studies have determined, because the impact is not of sufficient force to send the brain crashing into the skull.

          Attempts at heading do engender many concussions, however, as players’ heads collide in battles for the ball. This has led to the increased use of padded headbands designed to lessen the forces of many blows, but their effectiveness remains the subject of debate.

          One study published this summer said that such headgear appeared to reduce concussions among soccer players, but some coaches and doctors fear that their use could foster more aggressive play. Hannah Stohler said she wore one only temporarily. “It was really distracting,â€￾ she said, “and I didn’t feel it was going to make much difference.â€￾

          Doctors are also uncertain as to why documented rates of concussion among high school girls are consistently higher than among boys in the same sports. The primary theory is that girls might be more honest in reporting injuries — though experts are confident that many girls, just like boys, hide injuries either because they are not aware of the risks or because they simply do not want to miss playing time. Other rationales include the fact that girls’ neck muscles are less developed than boys’, providing less shock absorption during impact.

          After sustaining her second concussion playing high school basketball in Ohio, Sarah Ingles kept playing the rest of the game because, she said, “I didn’t really realize it had happened.â€￾ On the bus ride home she began asking friends, “Where are we? What’s going on?â€￾ She did not know she had played basketball two hours before, let alone been knocked hard to the floor on a layup.

          Ingles missed six weeks of school. Now at Ohio Wesleyan University, she found her dizziness and nausea return two weeks ago by merely bumping her head on a bed frame. She is sitting out her freshman field hockey and basketball seasons on the advice of a neurologist.

          “Girls are just as competitive as boys, and they’ll push through concussions just like boys would,â€￾ Ingles said. “For every one of me, who ends up getting treated, there are maybe four or five who keep playing because they don’t want to admit they’re hurt. It’s easier not to do anything. It’s really going to mess them up further.â€￾

          The decision over whether to stop playing competitive sports can be agonizing for high school girls and their families.

          Kate Pellin planned to serve as basketball captain this winter, in part because several colleges her parents could not otherwise afford — Colgate, Iona, Lehigh — were considering her for a full basketball scholarship. But her headaches have persisted for five months. She still has trouble reading and transposes numbers in math, signs that her brain has not yet recovered and remains susceptible to greater injury.

          Pellin decided only recently not to risk playing basketball anymore, in large part because of news media coverage of concussions’ role in long-term brain damage among professional football players. She sat on her living room couch, a seemingly healthy teenager, and broke into tears.

          “I don’t want to have Alzheimer’s when I’m 40,â€￾ Pellin said. “I want to know who my husband is. Who my children are. I never knew this was such a concern. In the long run, I’ll be glad I stopped now.â€￾

          The decision was less clear-cut with the Stohlers. Sherry Stohler said that she and her husband spent many hours talking with Hannah about whether her soccer career should end. Half-seriously, she said, “It’s like she can have depression when she’s older because of the concussions, or be in therapy now because she hates her parents.â€￾

          Sitting beside Hannah, she said: “It’s a nerve-racking decision when your child’s identity is so wrapped up in something she’s played since she was 5 or 6. To snatch that dream of playing high school sports away is a pretty large burden to carry. It’s very hard to take away something they treasure.â€￾

          Hannah looked at her mother and said defiantly: “There was no way I wouldn’t play. I know I’m not going to be a professional soccer player, but I’m good at it, and the team atmosphere is something I love. It’s not something I’m willing to give up easily.â€￾

          She did not. The next evening, having convinced her neurologist and her parents that her remaining symptoms were minimal, Hannah Stohler wore No. 22 and played defensive midfield as Conard High played rival Windsor High.

          As Sherry Stohler watched from the stands, leaning forward slightly every time No. 22 hit the turf during a slide tackle or rough play, old images of her daughter lying motionless were superimposed over the new.

          “As long as she gets up and keeps playing,â€￾ the mother said with a sigh, “it’s a good night.â€￾
          Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.

          Comment


            #6
            It's Onthree. Am I understanding correctly? In the study cited, in one club, 98 of 196 athletes suffered concussions? From my experience, I find that number highly suspect. Or does the study include any head injury? For example, a player reported that s/he bumped his/her head and it hurt when it happened. Statistics have a way of managing truth.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Anonymous
              It's Onthree. Am I understanding correctly? In the study cited, in one club, 98 of 196 athletes suffered concussions? From my experience, I find that number highly suspect. Or does the study include any head injury? For example, a player reported that s/he bumped his/her head and it hurt when it happened. Statistics have a way of managing truth.
              In six years of coaching HS soccer and with perhaps 150 different players that I was responsible for - I had 4 players who had one concussion each and 1 player who had 2 conussions in one year. I worked closely with her doc and sat her out until she was given clearance by two separate docs. Ankle injuries were by far the most common. I can remember 1 broken foot, 1 broken ankle, a half dozen severe ankle sprains, and 1 separated shoulder. The only knee injury that my players experienced was a blown out ACL by one of my defenders playing club during the spring who missed her subsequent fall HS season.

              I think that the headgear issue should be all or nothing. Either everyone is mandated to wear or nobody is allowed. Personally I am against it just as I am against batters wearing cages in softball at the HS level. If your reaction time is so bad that you can't get out of the way of a pitch you should not be playing at that level. Watching college players use it is ridiculous. It takes all of the fear out of batting which is one of the edges that pitchers use to their advantage.

              Comment


                #8
                My daughter is a keeper who has suffered 4 concussions in the past 3 years. The worst occured during an indoor game on a boarded field almost 3 years ago and she took a foot to the head in a premier game about 6 weeks later. That one gave her post concussious syndrom which keep her out of the rest of her U13 spring season. She has been wearing a full 90 since then. Can I say that the full 90 has reduced the risk of injury to her head - no, I can not say one way or an other. She does wear it religiously now, she will not even practice break aways without it. Personally, my biggest issue with the soccer community and head injuries is that coaches are not educated properly on what to look for. As the NY Times article says and my daughter also did this, this girls will tell the coach they feel fine within a few minutes and they get put back in the game. The risk of a second, more serious injury occures when the player is put back in the game before they are ready. Coaches need to take head injuries more seriously and let go of the "win at all costs" mentality. Is it worth risking a permanent brain injury to win at state cup at 15?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Alter Ego
                  My daughter is a keeper who has suffered 4 concussions in the past 3 years. ?
                  She has only one brain. No matter how much she loves soccer, she should pick another sport with little or no risk to her head. Head gear or no head gear, especially as a keeper!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Alter Ego
                    My daughter is a keeper who has suffered 4 concussions in the past 3 years. The worst occured during an indoor game on a boarded field almost 3 years ago and she took a foot to the head in a premier game about 6 weeks later. That one gave her post concussious syndrom which keep her out of the rest of her U13 spring season. She has been wearing a full 90 since then. Can I say that the full 90 has reduced the risk of injury to her head - no, I can not say one way or an other. She does wear it religiously now, she will not even practice break aways without it. Personally, my biggest issue with the soccer community and head injuries is that coaches are not educated properly on what to look for. As the NY Times article says and my daughter also did this, this girls will tell the coach they feel fine within a few minutes and they get put back in the game. The risk of a second, more serious injury occures when the player is put back in the game before they are ready. Coaches need to take head injuries more seriously and let go of the "win at all costs" mentality. Is it worth risking a permanent brain injury to win at state cup at 15?

                    If she has had 4 concussions over 3 years, headgear or not, she should not be playing at this time.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Cujo
                      I think that the headgear issue should be all or nothing. Either everyone is mandated to wear or nobody is allowed. Personally I am against it just as I am against batters wearing cages in softball at the HS level. If your reaction time is so bad that you can't get out of the way of a pitch you should not be playing at that level. Watching college players use it is ridiculous. It takes all of the fear out of batting which is one of the edges that pitchers use to their advantage.
                      Actually going to agree with Cujo and I am not drinking or anything. Either do it or dont. Theres a huge difference between the sports that require them and soccer; most obvious is the ball and the speed in which it travels

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I think that the headgear issue should be all or nothing. Either everyone is mandated to wear or nobody is allowed.
                        It should be an individual choice.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Headgear

                          Originally posted by FSM
                          Although only 52 of them wore a headgear during this period, the results are significant: the risk of concussion was 2.65 times higher for players who were not protected.
                          What is the yearly rate of concussions in youth soccer ? One in a hundred players ? One in fifty ?

                          Unless its 1 in two or three, there is no way this study has statistical significance. With only 52 individuals enrolled in the study arm (wearing headgear) and 268-52 = 216 in the control arm, the study is woefully underpowered to draw any conclusions.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I have been involve with Girls youth soccer for 8 years now and I have seen a total of 4 concussions and that is all. In the last four years I have seen 17 ACLs and many MCLs and those are just the ones I remember. I understand that any concussion is serious and I am not making light of it but this study suggest some really outrageous numbers and I don't believe it at all.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I am not sure of the effectiveness of the head gear. What it does do is embolden timid players to be more aggressive heading the ball. For GU13's who tend not to want to head, the head gear probably gives them more confidence.

                              I can see how a GU13 coach would use these to encourage more aggressive play in the air. It is not clear that this was done for safety. It appears more for a competitive advantage.

                              The players that I have coached wearing them have had problems keeping them properly in place. If it is to allow a player recovering from a concussion to play then the player does not belong on the pitch.

                              Coaches should have some first aid training and be able to recognize the potential for ongoing problems.

                              With respect to the more serious injuries, the head gear provides no protection. An impact that would cause a cervical spine injury is not changed by the use of head gear.

                              In other sports, e.g. hockey and football, there is serious research being performed to change the nature of the head protection. The goal being to not allow its use as a weapon, but rather to better protect the brain.

                              Comment

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