Concussions in soccer

Much has been talked about football players and concussions. You often hear about the many concussions that quarterbacks face in the NFL. A concussion is basically a blow to the head that impairs / effects your mental capabilities. This football injury may result in dizziness, confusion, memory dysfunction, headache, and/or blurred vision. We are not totally sure about the long term effects of minor concussions, so it is best to use caution before going back into play. Also, it is wise to have all players perform a basic baseline cognitive test and then have them perform the same test again to determine the extend of some of these symptoms. There are many pieces of software that help run this test. Symptoms could come and go in few minutes or take a week to disappear.

Obviously, concussions are one of the main reasons that players are expected to wear high quality helmets. Paying more for a good helmet that is designed to minimize concussions, is obviously worth every dollar. It is estimated that an astounding 10-15% of high school football players suffer from concussions each year (some of these are very minor). It should be noted that in some self-reported students from players this number decreases, not suprisingly, to 5%.

Many parents would like to know which positions are the most prone to getting a concussion. Well in football injuries it seems as if the concussions comes most for nearly all defensive players and those offensive players playing on the offensive line. Football injuries across the board do not necessarily reflect these same numbers, as often different football injuries come at different times in the game in different football situations.