By Kate Snow, Sarah Koch, Deirdre Cohen and Jessica Hopper
Rock Center
Fifteen-year-old Allison Kasacavage, once a rising soccer star in Pennsylvania, is slowly recovering after suffering debilitating concussions while playing the game she loved.
“It’s almost like I need a sign on my back saying, ‘My head is broken.’ And you can’t see it. It’s like not visible and it’s like not many people understand, “said Allison in an interview with Rock Center’s Kate Snow.
Allison, who lives with her family in Chester Springs, Pa., has had at least five concussions. She is only able to attend school four hours a day. Her room is lit with soft blue light to ease her headaches and her family now eats dinner by candlelight.
She is one of hundreds of girls across America each year who suffer concussions while playing soccer.
“People who think of concussions as only being present mostly in guys and mostly in the sport of football are just plain wrong,” said Dr. Bob Cantu, who is chairman of the surgery division and the director of sports medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass. “Soccer is right at the top of the list for girls.”
With the steady popularity of youth soccer, more girls are playing the game than ever before. Girls make up 48 percent of the more than 3 million kids registered in US Youth Soccer leagues.
Cantu said that the country is in the midst of “a concussion crisis” and that studies show girls are reporting nearly twice as many concussions as boys in the sports they both play.
‘Concussion Crisis’ impacting girls’ soccer
The number of girls suffering concussions in soccer accounts for the second largest amount of all concussions reported by young athletes, according to the American Journal of Sports Medicine. (Football tops the list.)
“What’s happening in this country is an epidemic of concussions, number one, and the realization that many of these individuals are going to go on to post-concussion syndrome, which can alter their ability to function at a high level for the rest of their lives,” Dr. Cantu said.
Allison still remembers when she suffered her first serious concussion in October 2008. It came when she collided with another player on the field.
“When I like got up, my head was like pounding,” Allison said. “There was, like, a pulse in my head. It was like the strangest thing. There was a heartbeat in my head and I had no idea what it was and why it was there. I have never felt that before and I was just so confused,” she said.
Click here for more on concussion symptoms
After Allison had apparently healed from the concussion, she returned to soccer. She’d been a star player since she was six years old, working her way up to one of the top teams in Pennsylvania. She said that her identity had been wrapped up in the game and she felt pressure to please her coaches.
Allison said that she was nervous about heading the ball, but continued to do it.
“If you didn’t head the ball, you were like the weakest link,” Allison said.
When heading, players attempt to use their foreheads to direct the ball, often jumping with opposing players, a move that can lead to collisions between players, bumped heads and strained necks. Dr. Cantu says that the act of heading is one of the most dangerous parts of soccer because players often collide.
Allison suffered a third concussion in her final season of soccer and another two off the field, the latter because her spatial awareness had been impacted from her previous concussions and she hit her head on a table and other furniture, her mother said.
Her parents said that they knew about the danger of concussions in sports like football, but it wasn’t until Allison had her first serious head injury that they realized what a big problem concussions can be in soccer.
“I think that we were blind to what was going on around us because, yes, it was about the team. It was about the winning. It was about all the, it was almost like a routine of, like I said, an awful lot of practices and you just went through it and really your lives rolled by with soccer being the most important thing,” said Lex Kasacavage, Allison’s father.
Sports psychologist Richard Ginsburg says that enthusiasm for the game and the kids by parents and coaches, while well-meaning, might be making the concussion crisis worse.
“We get wrapped up,” said Ginsburg, the author of ‘Whose Game is it Anyway?’ “We want success for them and so sometimes we get, we lose perspective. It doesn’t make us terrible people. It just makes us human. “
NBC News
Kimmie Zeffert
In Allison’s town of Chester Springs, about 30 miles from downtown Philadelphia, she is not alone. She has bonded with at least five other 14 and 15-year-old girls who have suffered concussions while playing soccer.
“My main friends are actually people that have head injuries,” said one of the teens, Kimmie Zeffert, 14. “I’ve become so close with them because I can relate to them. They understand what I’m going through.”
Kimmie had her first concussion when she was 12.
“I took another head ball and then I don’t even remember,” she said. “The next thing is I got, apparently, got elbowed in the back of the head. But (when) the coach asked me if I wanted to come out, I was like, ‘No, I’m going, I’m going to stick it through.”
Those hits -- heading the ball and being elbowed by a player in the head -- ended her soccer career.
Kimmie’s teammate Jenna Rohr made the same choice to continue playing in her game after getting hit in the head.
“I didn’t want to quit,” she said. “I didn’t want to let my team down because, like, so many people already had concussions on the team.”
Both Jenna and Kimmie have been unable to make it through a full day of school for almost two years. They still suffer from intense headaches, dizziness, nausea and vision problems.
Along with their physical ailments, several of the girls NBC News spoke to have struggled with depression since leaving soccer. Some have taken anti-depressants. One teen soccer player, who is returning to the sport after suffering a concussion, said that she felt so terrible at one point that she even thought about suicide.
Despite their experiences, the teens still love soccer and say they don’t discourage their former teammates from the sport.
“I think like speaking for all of us, like we would do anything to just be able to play one more game,” Jenna said.
Should heading be banned from girls’ soccer?
Dr. Cantu has made the bold proposal that heading be eliminated from youth soccer under the age of 14. He said girls, because of their anatomy, may be especially vulnerable to concussions.
“Girls as a group have far weaker necks,” Cantu said. “The same force delivered to a girl’s head spins the head much more because of the weak neck than it does the guys.”
New research suggests some body types may be more at risk than others.
“We believe that individuals with very long, thin necks may be at greater risk,” Cantu said.
With this evidence, Cantu said, “I would hope it would not only make parents look at their daughters, but make every one of those parents insist their daughters are on a neck strengthening program if they’re playing a collision sport.”
Brandi Chastain, the Olympian who helped the United States win a World Cup, strongly disagrees with Cantu’s proposal to eliminate heading from girls’ soccer.
“It’s a part of the game and I think it’s an important part and I think it’s a beautiful part of the game, to be honest with you,” she said. “I would never want to see that go away, but there’s a right way to do it. There’s a protective way to do it.”
Chastain said that girls need to be taught to create protective space around their bodies. She says heading isn’t dangerous if it’s done correctly.
“I circle back to education and preparation and I put that on parents and coaches because the kids don’t know any better,” Chastain added. “You know, they just want to go out there and play, but if we can educate them in a fun environment that’s safe, that teaches them the skill and gives them the confidence to try it and then they can put it into practice in the game.”
Back in Pennsylvania, the girls and their families are trying to educate people based on their own experiences. Despite their concussions, though, they say they don’t want to discourage girls from playing soccer.
“Please don’t go and not play soccer because it’s such a great opportunity for the girls to just prove themselves and challenge themselves and make friends and travel,” said Wendy Zeffert, mother of Kimmie. “But be aware.”
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...and PS -> my daughter has worn headgear while on the field for TCU - is graduating this weekend and is NOT a sissy! it was the smart thing to do and she knew it!
I debated whether or not to reply, but here's some insight and some solutions from an insider. First, it's not about sports or even how the head injury occurred. What has not been mentioned in the article or the comments, is that the brain heals very differently than an ACL, broken bone, or most injuries that most people are familiar with.
My first and only concussion occurred 19 months ago from a slip and fall. The same injury can occur in a car accident (even if your head does not hit the windshield), a soldier in a combat zone, or in ANY sport, whether male or female, young or old.
Your brain controls all you do and the impact of the injury also depends on whether the injury is on the left side or right side. My injury was left-sided. Initially, I lost my short term memory, suffered debilitating migraines, was sensitive to light and noise, could not read, and other symptoms. I slept 12 hours per night. Sleep is the body's way of letting the brain rest so it can heal.
About 6 weeks after the injury, I started stuttering and struggled to string words together in sentences. Two months after the injury, my neurologist identified that my gait wasn't steady. Understand that if you break a bone or have an ACL injury, once it's set and/or repaired, "new" stuff doesn't start happening. You heal and life goes on. However, new symptoms can appear weeks and months after a brain injury.
As for keeping a child with a concussion home from school, it may be needed based upon the advice of the doctor. I literally could not read even though I have two earned Master's degrees, including an MBA from an Ivy League school. I'm also an award-winning author and could not read the book I wrote! I started stuttering even though I had appeared on live TV for 3 years!
If someone had a heart attack or heart problems, no one would push them to perform. Yet, the brain controls the heart and the brain is injured! The solutions...#1 parents know your child! If your child plays a contact sport and they act THE LEAST BIT outside of their "normal" character within 48 hours after a game or practice, take them to the doctor and have them checked for a concussion. You are not overreacting and it doesn't matter what the coach says! This is YOUR child!
#2 when your child is old enough (in their teens I believe), have a baseline neurological exam done so that if they do suffer a head injury their normal brain functions are documented and you know when they are fully healed. I've seen where they cost as little as $20. Get it done! For that price and the value of the test results if it's ever needed, insurance is not an issue!
#3 read and be educated! The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and many sports medicine units in hospitals have excellent online resources that parents should be aware of BEFORE there is a head injury. Hopefully you will never need the information, but just having the knowledge may allow you to help someone else (regardless of their age or how they got their head injury - including car accidents and our soldiers in combat zones!).
As for me, 19 months later I'm learning to live with my head injury and make accommodations for the things I can no longer do. After 19 months, 4 neurologists, neuro rehab therapy, and physical therapy (for headaches) I have recovered to the 90th percentile of my old self. I do not know if I will recover 100%.
Read the second paragraph of the article again. The girl says people can't understand...and it's true! We understand Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' injury and subsequent issues because she was shot in the head. However, some concussions pose just as many issues without any physical outward signs.
The answer is not helmets or banning sports. The answer is for parents and coaches to properly educate themselves on ALL aspects of concussions: awareness, diagnosis (2 doctors initially misdiagnosed me), treatment, aftercare, and proper training (i.e. how to head a ball, strength training, etc.). Plus, parents must know their child and take action if they act out of character!
As an insider to head injuries, there is a lot of misinformation in the comments, mixed in with some sarcasm, about a situation that most readers cannot understand but a situation that can completely alter anyone's life forever...including the injured child and the parents who love them!
I hope this post helps at least one reader!
My Story....
My name is Mindy Morneault. I am 25 years old and I live in Northern Maine. On September 12, 2010 , I recieved a concussion, that like some of these girls ended my soccer career and changed my life ENTIRELY. I was a goalie and grew up playing goalie. My first set of cleats came hand in hand with a pair of goalie gloves. All decisons i made in life, were based around soccer. I went to college to play soccer. My
summers and falls were filled with training, tournaments, pasta parties, games.
With winter came a little break and then spring training, indoor, indoor
tourneys. Im sure you get the point. Anyways I had transferred back home and
figured i'd play soccer for the University of Maine at Fort Kent. My senior year we had travelled to Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine. I knew this was my last year playing but what i didn't realize was that was going to be the last soccer game I would
ever get to play in. To this day, my last memory, which I will never forget was
standing in goal waiting for the ref to blow his wistle for the game to begin.
It was taking forever because we had some girls on the team forget to remove
their earrings.......my next memory is being in the hospital. Apparently 20
minutes or so into the first half, there was a ball played through my defense
and so I can out of the 18 and because goalie's cannot use their hands outside
the box, I had to clear it with my feet. I was running towards the ball and
someone from the opposite team was on a dead sprint from half, and after i
cleared the ball, she collided with me. Her shoulder area with the left side of
my head. I fell to the ground. (A couple months after my accident i was able to
watch the video) Afterwards I was air lifted to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Me where i spent a couple of days before i was released to return home. Our athletic director would tell me at a later date, how scared he was becasue this was the closest he thought he has ever come to losing an athlete. No i wasn't dying but that day my life changed.
The person who i used to be, is no longer who I am. I used to be a very
outgoing person, the life of the party, I was a full-time college student who
could juggle soccer, work and school work. This all changed. I had and still
have to this day post-concussive headaches, daily. My head can no longer handle
large crouds of people, it gets very confused, so easily. I had to withdraw
from classes, extending my last year of school. I couldn't focus long enough to
go to class. Lights, people talking to me at the same time, noise, crowds,
stress and many things I was once able to handle. I could no longer cope with.
I didn't have the energy to hangout with friends, processing conversations, let
alone having conversations all became a task for me that wore me out and made
my headaches worse. I spent a lot of time in my room, with the shades down,
lights off, complete quiet. Not by choice, but because thats all my head could
handle. My head was broken, and because I looked good on the outside, a lot of
people did not understand. Actually I can honestly say no one understood. I
started having to deal with new emotions of depression and anxiety, that i
never thought i'd ever feel. I was always in a state of confussion, and i
didn't understand why i wasn't back to "normal mindy". Feelings of anger, and not knowing how to deal with the anger. The inability toexpress myself. Friends would always ask me how come they never see me and why i don't go out anymore. Or would make comments like "stranger" or "oh man where on earth have you been". I would never know what to say so i would just laugh it off, little did they know, what was actually going on.
I spent all my time and energy, seeing doctors, trying to
finish the couple classes I had left for my degree and coping with the idea
that I would no longer be able to play the one sport that I loved. Nor would I ever again be able to experience the feeling of flying through the air to make a nasty save, only to stand up with the ball in my hand and look at my teammates who stood there in awe, like how on earth did you do that, just to smile and say, “I have no idea.” Or feeling part of a team, being a strong captain and helping my team make it to the next level. Feeling like I have no purpose for my life, or that I would never be better enough to do anything, or maintain relationships in my life.
Its been now 20 months since my accident. My mom drives me all over the State for therapy. I still cannot live independently. I cannot work. I can’t take care of my finances, my mother does. Still have headaches and breakdowns, daily, weekly. I cry all the time, its almost ridiculous, considering before I wasn’t a crier. I recently
started having “seizure-like” activity/convulsions. I still cannot multi-task. I need constant rest or I get exhausted which worsens all of these symptoms. And the
list goes on…………
I am not sharing all of this because I want people to feel sorry for me. thats the last thing I want,
I am sharing this because like these girls, that last concussion, changed my life. Permanently. I think that concussion awareness is so important.
Across the board. Not only in college level sports, not only in football, but in all sports and at all levels. Not only the players but the coaches, the parents, the referees. In my case had the ref not been “having a bad day” and not making calls he should have been, all of this would have never happened. And if I could do one thing honestly, it would be to talk to the ref, and tell him how his “off day” changed my life, so maybe the next time he will blow his whistle in order to protect another goalie, and maybe prevent someone else from getting knocked out.
I also think that it is important for medical persons to know the extent and injury like this can cause. And know what therapies are needed and where
the patient should go next. I know personally for me this has been a hard one.
I didn’t get therapy for a long time because I thought that “I was getting better”. I had to crash and burn to see that I wasn’t. It’s not the doctor’s fault I didn’t get therapy right away. I am from a very small town and dealing with severe concussions and
everything that comes with it, is not something these doctors see everyday. My mother had to go online and research doctors who specifically just deal with head injuries and have our doctor do referrals so that I could get the right treatment.
I feel as though the last yr and a half has been the roughest time of my life,
but I can say that I have learned so many things I can now share with others. For example the importance of early intervention, seeing doctors who are familiar with brain injuries specifically, what programs are out there for assistance.
Also the importance of educating families with someone who has had a
brain injury, on what to expect. Support groups for families and for injured, because not only can this change the person’s life with the injury, but it also changes the lives of those around. The do’s and don’ts. Its just crazy. I could go on, but I won’t. With this being said, I now have a purpose for my life. To help others who are going
through what I am. To let them know that they are not crazy, their head just needs proper treatment and healing time. I am in the process of designing a t-shirt, that I am going to sell to raise money for people with brain injuries. Eventually I’d like to start an organization, to help people who although they may look ok on the outside, their head is “broken”. And when no one else understands, I will , because I’ve been there.
Thanks for sharing! I'm 19 months post concussion. I know you can't push yourself, so simply set small goals and work on achieving them one at a time. There are online support groups and a weekly brain injury radio show that airs on Blog Talk Radio every Monday night. You're doing the right thing by researching and reading! Come down to Boston if you have to because they do have more experience with brain injuries there.
Good luck with your continued healing! I learned that the brain will continue to heal itself for 5 years or more so don't give up! You have more healing!
I hope the both of you continue to do better, and my sympathies. It irks me how some people seem to have no concern for the welfare of these girls or others like them. If nothing else, I hope your stories in the comments section will help to add a more human touch to the subject of this article.
good story, thanks for sharing. The best way to change the sport is to eliminate heading and wear a small helmet (and allow for the use of hands ;)
Ug1, while I understand the need for safety and possible changes to the sport, I had a few objections to some of your suggestions. Still, keep in mind these are just my opinions, so don't put too much weight on them.
1. Eliminate heading: no objections there. On the other hand, that could just be because I was the worst at heading the ball on the soccer team I played for.
2. Wear a small helmet: Sounds like a good idea at first. But then, some helmets get freaking hot, especially when playing outdoors in spring or summer. Some people are more sensitive to heat than others, and that increases the risks of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Also, not all concussions are from direct blows to the head. Also: helmet + glasses + contact sport has, historically, not worked out well at all for me.
3. Allow for the use of hands? But... that kinda... defeats the purpose of it. It's called "football" for a reason. And I think the challenge of blocking and overcoming instincts is fun... Yes, it would make the game safer, but we need to balance safety and fun...
Still, you made quite a few good points.
hey, just my opinion, but why do Americans think soccer is such a boring spectator sport? One reason is you can't use your hands. Imagine if you could use your hands instead of your head. You couldn't catch the ball or run with it but you could deflect it. Seems a lot more fun to me. Who in there right mind wants to stick their face in front of an object speeding towards them?
Soccer is a boring spectator sport? Well, in my opinion, it's pretty boring to watch... but it's entertaining for some people, like me, when they're actually playing the game.
And yes, my safety sense tells me that allowing hands for deflection would make things a lot safer without significantly affecting the game play. That said, all of those who play soccer would have to change their conditioned responses in order to accomodate the new rule... and that would be a real pain.
Who in their right mind wants to stick their face in front of an object speeding towards them? Personally, I can't think of anyone. None of the people on my team who were actually good at heading the ball did it for fun.
Let me put it this way; in that moment when the ball is speeding towards me, my first thought is my dedication to not let that ball get to the (often unreliable) goalie; my second thought is "I don't wanna get hurt!"
And, like it or not, this mindset has pervaded all the sports I've played. Team first, individual second. I'm not the greatest athlete, but because I play defense (except for those few ill-fated times I played goalie) and I will stop at nothing to keep the ball from getting closer to our goal, the coach and team had respect for me.
But then, I can't go off criticizing society too much, can I?
Anyways, thanks for the discussion!
I was like on the golf course, like yesterday, and like this guy like hit a ball like right at me, like from the other like, fairway. Tomorrow, like, i'm gonna like, petition the course to like, make everone like, wear a helmet. P.S. Mindy, like, why don't you like, write a book.
They just did.
Stand in front of a wall and keep banging your head against it then be amazed when you receive concussions. Dumba$$es
Like, like,like,like get an education and speak english.
What these kids are doing is far from standing in front of a wall and banging their heads against it. There is an inherent risk in "heading" the ball, yes, but there is an inherent risk in just about everything.
Also, would you please refrain from trying to be an editor when your own syntax is far from perfect?
I coached soccer in a local league for 8 years during the 1990s. Back then I did not allow the kids on my teams to head the ball. You are crazy if you allow your child to take constant hits to the head from a soccer ball plus risk the head to head smashes that often occur when kids try to head the ball. Some parents complained, but stopped when we won. I had 8 straight winning seasons (including one undefeated season) and won 3 league championships without heading the ball. It made no sense to me then, and makes less sense now in light of what we know about concussions and head trauma. And don't call me a wimp, both my younger sons now play high-school football at a high-level. My Junior is being actively recruited by Division 1 schools. My freshman is 6-2, 240 and still growing...fast and the coaches already told him he'll start on varsity as a sophmore. In my view, they are safer playing football than playing soccer.
It's a worthless sport, anyway. If they want to bash their brains, let them do it, but on their own dime. Don't let them use insurance and jack rates up for the rest of us.
Knee-jerk reaction: Then don't make the rest of us pay for your medical costs with your increased risks of chronic conditions (diabetes, heart disease, etc.) from staying still.
Thought-out reply: "On their own dime"? These are just girls, just children. They don't have the resources to pay for their own medical bills
especially since medical bills are so ridiculously high. While I can understand your desire to keep what you rightfully earn and not have to pay for another person's misfortunes, please have a little sympathy for these children.It's the parents that are responsible, sure. They should know better for their children.
Ehh... I personally find that statement kind of ambiguous, possibly because I'm over-thinking this, but I think you're right.
It's unfortunate that so many girls are suffering from concussions, but that's no reason to resort to drastic measures. I hear rumours of a headband of some sort to lessen impacts... hey, go for it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
But don't make too much of a big deal out if it. Accidents happen. They're unfortunate, but there is risk in everything. We can try to minimize that risk, but there will always be risk. Go into soccer understanding those risks, but get out there and have fun.
And I hope those girls recover from their symptoms.
Mindy,
Although I have not had a concussion as severe as the one you had, I have had a few too many. I've had about five, four of which also came from soccer, a sport that I used to love so much too. I have been diagnosed with post-concussive syndrome, something that not only I don't fully understand but neither do the doctors. The major thing that has effected me is that I can no longer concentrate. I used to be able to sit in the middle of a crowded room and read a book with no clue as to what was going on around me. Now, I can be sitting in class and someone will flip a page and I'm gone. I also don't really sleep now. My doctor sent me for a sleep study and they told me: You take a long time to fall asleep, You don't get a restful sleep, and You wake up easily... But we don't know why. My concussions started in high school and my last one happened just after yours. I didn't know they were that big of a deal. I didn't know that once you get a concussion, it becomes easier and easier to get another one. I didn't know that I had to take them seriously. No one ever told me. Things are different now for me too. Like you said, I do feel a little crazy. Nothing appears to be wrong with me, but somethings just don't feel right. I can feel the difference in myself, but don't know exactly what it is or how to fix it. I can't sit and do homework for long before I'm lost, which has made school so much harder. This was something that I never had to deal with before. School was easy for me. Now, not so much. I have also had trouble exercising. The one thing that I did find out about post-concussive syndrome is your brain has a hard time to unconsciously regulate your breathing and heart rate which makes it hard to do cardio. I also tend to get headaches while doing ab workouts. I used to enjoy working out, but now it is a lot harder and leaves me feeling like crap. And now every time I bump my head, even lightly, its almost as if I can feel my brain rattle. I have to blink a few times to try and clear my head. I was told that there was not much I could do: Stay away from contact sports, stay away from things that give you headaches, find different ways to get homework done, and try not to hit your head. This may or may not go away, they told me. It is something that I will just have to live with. I'm not sure if it is from the concussion, but I don't feel the same way about soccer as I used to. Maybe it is because I didn't know much about concussions in high school, but I never let one stop me from playing. But someone should have, and maybe I'd still be able to play today. But now, I don't want to play. Maybe I'm scared to play again, but I don't think my brain can handle another concussion, with out causing even more serious damage. I would love to help you with raising money. You can count me in for a t-shirt or two. I think it is sooooo important to get this information out there. If I had known about the seriousness of concussions, then maybe I wouldn't be in the position I'm in today. Let me know how things turn out with the shirts and money, and if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. We have to do something about this. ♥
I agree with you in that we should get more awareness out there.
When I started playing soccer, no one ever mentioned the possibility of concussions. No one mentioned the possible repercussions of anything in soccer. No consequences for not warming up...
Even when I was kicked in the head while playing goalie, hard enough to bend my glasses out of shape, no one mentioned anything about the possibility for any injury. While I was fortunate and was not injured, if I had been, it most likely would have gone unnoticed and unreported.
Granted, this was... around a decade ago, but I can't imagine things would have changed so drastically since then.
Some people may say "just work through it" or call you a wimp. Don't listen to them. That "just work through it" mentality can lead to serious repercussions down the road.
Best of luck.
Lots of topics covered in the blogosphere on this one. Injuries are part of sports and should be taken into consideration when deciding to participate. Good training is a necessity and common sense is a must. My thought is that with the explosion of soccer in this country there are not nearly enough skilled coaches. While moms and dads mean well they are rarely qualified. This is acute in soccer and chronic in baseball and football. Parents have mistakenly believed that soccer is safer relative to other sports.
By the way, knee (joint) injuries are on the rise not because of poor conditioning but because the forces generated by heavier stronger athletes are putting terminal stresses on ligaments and cartilage. Research will likely show that bigger, stronger, faster has the unintended consequence of greater not lessor injury incidence with severity increasing disproportionately to occurrence.
Girl warrior athletes? What does the term warrior have to do with concussions? Dial down the drama Kate. If parents aren't aware their children could get concussions playing any sports, then they shouldn't be allowing their children to participate. Why this is a story I'll never know.
soccer is kind of moronic
what is the first thing your instincts tell you to do when a large ball comes speeding towards you? .... stick your head out to deflect the ball?? Yeah right. The truly brave are the ones willing to change the sport and eliminate heading the ball, or better yet allow the use of hands!!
Allow he use of hands? Please.
yeah, allow the use of hands, not to catch the ball but to deflect it. Who made up the rules for the game anyways? A bunch of kids a long long time ago who were thinking up of a street game. Don't you remember changing the rules for a game when you were a kid and it was A LOT more fun?
Being able to see someone just like me was awesome. I really enjoyed learning about an athletic teenager who got a concussion and then is not allowed to play again. I've had 5 major concussion in the past year 1/2 and i was finally told that my days of lacrosse and field Hockey are over. The things i loved to do, the things i know. My life has changed i can no longer run in the backyard with my younger sister and play soccer without having to stop because my head is pounding. When she says we dont know what its like. I do, i hate it and now i can get a concussion so easily.
How can NBC discuss a global sport and NOT seek out data from other countries around the world? Is this American media hysteria? Or is only a problem worse in the USA? If the latter, why?
Concussions can be properly treated and secondary symptoms can be prevented with the PROPER MEDICAL COVERAGE. Hire an athletic trainer. Athletic Trainers are licensed health care professionals who are trained in recognizing the symptoms, diagnosing a concussion, and following a gradual return to play progression that ensures they will only return to play once their symptoms are completely 100% cleared.
Athletic Trainers are the simple solution. I am in shock that nothing was mentioned about them.
"Would you drop your child off at a pool with no lifeguard? Why would you drop your child off at an athletic field with no Athletic Trainer?"
So agree with you!
So as an Licensed Athletic Trainer, where are the athletic trainers at these schools. I run an IMPACT preseason baseline test and if any athlete has symptoms of concussion they are retested and not let back into competition until cleared by the test and a neuro physician. There has to be a better way for these girls to be monitored.
This story seemed to be directed at travel soccer where an ATC may not be present. ImPACT is a great system and very helpful in the return to play process however I do not think that it has made much of a public debut to the layperson. I think a lot of people do not understand it.
Mickey Collins, et. al. creators of the ImPACT test have specifically stated that the ImPACT test does not indicate whether the brain can tolerate another concussion. It is more of an aid at keeping the athlete off the field when the coach, trainer, athlete and the athlete's parents have no other way to make a Remove from Play decision.
There are already many examples where a player who has been cleared by the ImPACT system has reinjured soon after returning to play. They then risk a far worse level of injury that will likely have prolonged or permanent symptoms.
ImPACT creates a false sense of security.
I am only 22 and have had 10 concussions... Soccer lacrosse and basketball were my main sports... I still support sports but I do not feel the story is overreacting on the situation. I have chronic migraines and chronic nerve pain, severe pain attacks that put me in the hospital for days and make me unable to walk for weeks after. It has ruined my quality of life and my hope to become a physical therapists. I have been in the best hospitals across America and no treatment helps and doctors still seem to be lost... This is not overreacting it is a miserable situation, I made the choice to stay in sports and I lied to my parents, coaches, and teammates continue playing... Precautions in sports need to be taught, coaches need to be taught to not let players to continue with concussions and how to recognize them... I loved the story, they weren't against the sports but trying to be smart about the situation that is so often overlooked.
I am only 22 and have had 10 concussions... Soccer lacrosse and basketball were my main sports... I still support sports but I do not feel the story is overreacting on the situation. I have chronic migraines and chronic nerve pain, severe pain attacks that put me in the hospital for days and make me unable to walk for weeks after. It has ruined my quality of life and my hope to become a physical therapists. I have been in the best hospitals across America and no treatment helps and doctors still seem to be lost... This is not overreacting it is a miserable situation, I made the choice to stay in sports and I lied to my parents, coaches, and teammates continue playing... Precautions in sports need to be taught, coaches need to be taught to not let players to continue with concussions and how to recognize them... I loved the story, they weren't against the sports but trying to be smart about the situation that is so often overlooked.
A high school girl in my area is trying to pass a law in Michigan regarding concussions for a school project, she suffered a horrible one herself. She still is in need of a lot of signatures on her petition.
here is a link, feel free to share. Let's get her lots of signatures!
Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate: Pass House Bill No. 4396 and pass Senate Bill No. 716
on change.org
Our daughter has had 2 concussions. One from soccer (her first) and one from volleyball. She is very competitive and very skilled. Because of the possibility of getting another concussion along with the fact that she loves her sports the only option we gave her was to wear protective gear. She now wears protective head gear that if she were to be hit in the head the gear would absorb 50% of the impact reducing the chance of concussion. She has had many head balls in soccer and has been completely fine, however....she does watch herself and does not take any risks that would prevent her from playing either sport. She wears Full 90 head gear and we believe all soccer and any back-row volleyball player that plays for aggressive teams should wear them. My email is dragonfly1367@yahoo.com if anyone has questions.
I have to say I played soccer from the age of 5 and rode horses from the age of 8. I am only 20 years old and I can say that I have had a total of 13 head injuries. I walked away from the sport that I loved because I knew that my symptoms were getting much worse and my coach did not know about half of the injuries.
I was a goalkeeper from 8th grade until my sophomore year in high school when I walked away. That sophomore year as a goalkeeper and playing just a little on the field I suffered 3 head injuries 2 of which came from kicks to the head that did not get called. Walking away was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I miss it all the time. I am currently a sophomore in college and I still have mild headaches on a regular bases.
I also Barrel race horses and have fallen off many times and been hit in the head from the horses many times but I have had fewer head injuries with horses than I have ever had in soccer. Soccer players have drilled into them to never quit and don't let your team down, so we tend to just play on evern when we are injured without telling others because we do not want to look weak or have to quit the game we love.
For all those girl soccer players out there your health is more important and sometimes you have to walk away from the things you love the most no matter how much it hurts you to save you own life.
What I would have really liked to see - and hope to see in a follow-up story - are some solutions! My son has suffered a concussion in his first year of JV High School soccer. The coach and school have been very pro-active in concussion awareness and treatment but there has been ZERO information about prevention; I can't find anything reliable online. The doctor recommended neck-building exercises; like what? There are various pieces of headgear available; do they work? The Brandi Chastain heading video is great but is just a start. If you're going to identify a problem, why not identify some solutions to it?
It's a well-done story, NBC...you just need to finish it.
I have to say I agree with this 100%
Although, in my soccer days (which weren't too long ago), there wasn't even too much concussion awareness. Luckily, it seems so many studies in the past year or so have worked well to raise awareness, so I'm glad that's improved.
And I wish your son luck!
My daughter suffered a concussion while playing indoor rec soccer in January and hasn't been the same since. Last year, she injured her back playing soccer. She's done playing soccer...it's just not worth all that she's been through and continues to go through. That being said, hopefully the article/televised segment will stress the need to play the sport more safely by taking the stigma out of wearing protective head gear. The real reason kids aren't using the equipment is because it's not cool or tough. Make protective gear an acceptable part of playing soccer. It's that simple.
brian smith's report on soccer induced concussions was heart throbbing! my husband, portuguese born, and soccer raised, has an unmatched passion for the game. toni is now 56, a self-employed, very accomplished chef. i spent my day trying to schedule his appointment for deep brain stimulation surgery. toni has parkinsons...diagnosed about 6-7 years ago. toni, still playing, as his time allows, is, i am convinced, as a victim of soccer "head banging". this is a sport that must be re-evaluated...i.e. proper head gear and equipment (a no brainer, pun not intended). we have been very compfortable, tax paying, insurance paying, hard working citizens that will now lose everything (surgery costs) because of a passion for soccer. this is not just limited to girls/women...we are victims many years later. this sport should be open for a lot more discussion.
I thank you an advance for any response.
sincerely,
becky pais