Rock Center
Brandi Chastain, the star soccer player who helped the United States win a World Cup, is on a mission to get out a message to young girls playing soccer: the best way to avoid concussions is to sharpen their skills.
A growing number of girls are getting injured from concussions on the soccer field. Some experts have questioned whether the act of heading – when players attempt to use their foreheads to direct the ball – should be removed from youth soccer. Chastain strongly objects to that idea.
“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 told Rock Center's Kate Snow. “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 along with learning how to properly head a ball, girls need to learn how to create a protective space around their bodies when they play soccer. In this online exclusive, Chastain demonstrates techniques that can keep young girls safe on the field.
Click here for more of Kate Snow's reporting on the growing concussion crisis in girls' soccer.
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I was born at night but not last night. If there are that many girls on that team having that many injuries. The program is at fault not the game. I think you should check the facts on your future reality stars. Waste of a show you could have shown that could be serious
I agree, seems like the Coach and staff are not doing their jobs to train these girls the right way, but I still don't understand why parents think one more injury is okay.
I know, I cringed when I heard the dad say, "just one more and we'll quit". That next hit could kill her or have her end up a vegetable. Sad...I made the decision with my daughter on her 5th that she end her basketball career as a sophomore in college. That was a life altering journey for her and for us as her parents. My heart goes out to these girls but they have to understand when we as parents make the decision to end something that has been your life, all your life, that we are having to be your parent and think of your health and your LIFE, not whether you can play a sport again. Bottom line, we love you, you will get through it and you will eventually realize it was the best decision.
where is the head gear? our high school used to use it for a couple of seasons. what happened? too bad what the kids think. this is their brain. the whole show i just watched did not mention head gear at all. what is up with that?
word son
Listen, girls soccer is not a hardcore sport. These girls just have weaker bodies and can not take a hit from a soccer ball. Stop interviewing these girls who are week and go interview real athletes. Next time ask them open ended questions instead of leading questions.
Listen my daughter has been playing competitive soccer since she was 8 and a full time goal keeper since she was 11 and now she is16 with 4 concussions it is a hardcore sport and wishing she would stop playing
I do not appreciate your comment Joey Hawthorne. It is about time the media is reporting on the problem with High school aged kids. Soccer needs to take steps to protect these girls. With your post, you have proven that people need to be better educated about concussions.
I was born at night but not last night!!!!!!!!!!! If this many girls on this team have that many injuries from the game of soccer. Its the fault of there program not the Game Of Soccer. These future reality stars (not athletes) stories & injuries should be checked for facts
I believe that there should be additional things in place to protect these girls. If safety measures are not made mandatory by the sport, then individual teams will not take the extra measures to protect their team. No one is suggesting that soccer should no longer be played. The suggestion is to find ways to keep the players safer during the game.
We have some very stupid people in this country that think that it's okay for our Kids to have head injuries and think if the next one happens they are out of the game? Why wait? The next head injury could kill them! As for Girls being weak at the sport it's not true, many men soccer players get hurt also, doesn't mean a person is weak, Too bad ignorance over runs common sense.
If these concussions are as serious as you are reporting then what is wrong with these girls that are still playing.... It is also ridiculous that they put their headache pain at a 6 to a 7 all the time. Obviously don't know what serious pain is.
Wow. You really need to educate yourself on concussions. Unfortunately, when you live with chronic pain, like these girls, you get very good at rating pain. You also become very good at adjusting your life and doing things while living with the pain.
Why are there not athletic trainers at these schools!
There are athletic trainers at these schools. I think the issue is this; coaches want kids to hit the ball with their head in soccer, in basketball coaches want their players to "take charges" but what these coaches don't sem to be doing is showing them HOW TO PROPERLY take a charge or how to hit the ball with their head. How about the Athletic Department of these schools step up to the plate and make sure his/her coaches are teaching the correct techniques! It is sad this many kids are altering their life for a sport that more than likely, in the scope of everything, is really nothing. But, to them it is their life, their teammates are their family and friends so after years of having them in your life, and all of a sudden they are taken away from you, it is clear why they would get depressed. I feel for each one of them.
These girls will have headaches for the rest of their lives. For their parents to tell them just "One more bump" is like saying "just get hit by a car one more time." I have had a concussion /migraine caused headache forever. My life has been hell. I am now 57 years old, on disability and livinvg with my parents and on 10 medications just to keep the pain at bay. Those girls better stop now. They are already gone. They need to listen to the doctors. It is sad and heartbreaking and at times I did want to just kill myself from the pain and depression. But I found the right doctors at the Jefferson Headache Center and I am able to lift my head off of my pillow and smile. It sickens me to hear them say they want to go back on the field. They are making the biggest mistake of their lives.
I am really glad you were able to find the right doctors for you.
Hi I'm brazilian and everyone know how much we love soccer, also I'm coach at Annapolis High School, ( Annapolis MD ) the question is: where is the problem ? I can tell you, is not on soccer, is not on kids the problem is on the way american see soccer and how you chose people who are in charge of it, coaches referies.
THE REFERIES
1- first, on field the referie has to protect the integred of the kid
2- unnecessary roughness ( the some love the girl talk about to win any way, have to used to enjoy the game dosan't matter who win. )
3-Coaches & Referies are not prepered to be on field.
Basicaly, when Brand Chastain said we have to tell the kids how to protec thenselves, more important is teach the kids to understand the game to reconized the unnecessary roughness and used your brain to play or still the ball at the moment that you are not going to put you or your opponent in Dangerous.
How to stat to change ?
For everyone who wants to play and enjoy soccer; MAKE YOUR FRIENDLY & SAFE SOCCE LEAGUE WITHOUT unnecessary roughness
As a team manager in year around club soccer, as a father who's daughter has had a concussion, and as a Physicist who understands energy conservation, elasticity, collisions, coo and contra-coo (the movement of the brain subjected to collisions inside the skull); I applaud 30 ROCK for doing a great job.
Neck strengthening and teaching proper heading techniques are great initiatives. Lets get the soccer community educated on these and make sure they are teaching our kids!
However, where is the research on improving soccer balls? Lets get the manufacturers to actually tighten up their specifications for ball inflation. Lets get soccer coaches to use high quality pressure gauges to actually set their balls to the right pressure; Lets get the officials to ensure the balls are not over pumped.
Today's soccer ball inflation specifications are all over the place. It appears that the manufactures just print some numbers. Balls seem to be specified with too much pressure, making them harder then they should be.
The collision between a player's head and the ball is known as an inelastic event. In such an event, the energy brought to both objects gets transferred or changed into other forms of energy inside each object. It doesn't take a genius to see that if more of the energy could go into deforming the soccer ball, then less would be distributed into the player's head, neck and body...
We have all felt this ourselves, a pumped up ball hurts far more then a slightly deflated ball. Where is the research from the ball manufacturing community that shows the optimum balance between ball pressure that is safer for the players , but not to low that it dulls the responsiveness of the ball's action in the game???
Lets get the Neurologist's, Coaches, and soccer ruling bodies together with the ball manufacturers to do the science and RE-THINK the ball pressure standard! Such a simple little change can reduce the soccer concussion injury rates and effects more quickly then any other course of action currently available.
This part of the answer is simple when you apply the science of elementary physics to the problem, now who's going to lead the charge to get the community interested in scientific research?
...US Soccer Federation, where are you on this? The ball is in your court!
I have gone through many concussions. My last one I was taken out of basketball season and missed regionals sectionals and everything fun about the season. I even missed 2 months of my track season. I understand what these girls are going threw it is hard! To give up something to you is not easy. I struggle everyday with little tasks still. I have been told by doctors that if I get another one I am done with every sport. These are very serious issues and nothing to joke about. What the girls said is true, no one understands because no one can see it. You don't understand until you have been through it. It's sad to say but very true.
Concussions in youth sports is a HUGE concern! Kate could do an entire series of what researchers are finding out in relation to dementia, short term memory loss, etc... due to concussions. What baffles me is why we are not talking about protective head gear for our athletes? We make them wear shin guards, mouth guards, but nothing to protect their brain. It makes no sense. The Forcefield sweatband is a protective headband that absorbs up to 80% of the impact. It looks like a headband and is actually, a good teaching tool in teaching an athlete how to head the ball properly! Nothing will prevent concussions completely, we found that out through the NFL, but WHY are we at least not TRYING to be PRO ACTIVE by having them wear something that is approved by FIFA and developed to absorb impact? www.forcefieldheadbands.com
My daughter (17 yrs old) suffered multiple concussions 2 years ago, not playing sports. she loves sports but knows that she will never play the games she loves again. I am glad I took her to good Dr's in Pittsburgh, PA and she understands that her health is more important. She still has symptoms, probably always will. She has put her focus on her future. I pray that these girls in this story focus more on their health and their futures.
I have gone through many concussions and I am the same age as these girls. I had a big one at the end of my basketball season this year and missed Regionals, sectionals and the best part of the season. It is very hard. My concussion continued into track and I just started to come back in time for the end of the season. I have had a hard time. School and daily tasks have become difficult for me. This is not a joke and needs to be taken seriously. The hardest part is sitting out and getting jealous of everyone having the ability to compete, but the hardest struggle is to come back so out of shape and try to catch up. I am to the point where I am so frustrated and can't handle much anymore. I was told if I get another one I will be done with sports. I couldn't do it, it may be just a game but to me it's all I know. I understand these girls and what they are going through it is very hard. It is hard for people to grasp because you can't see it and many people hide it. (like me) It is easier for people to understand after they have had a concussion. It's sad but that is how it is.
It's about getting concussions. Every sport has them, whether they are girls or real athletes as Joey says. Are girls getting concussions any less important than real athletes? Concussions are a health hazzard of sports and parents have to be able to parent their child and say, no more contact sports. As a sophomore in college and a basketball player, she received her 5th lifetime concussion and we had to finally say, no more contact sports. 8 months after the hit to the head, she is just finally having fewer headaches. Parents need to monitor thier child carefully in any sport, not just soccer, and not just girls. And, I agree with the thought of not being able to head the ball before the age of 14. Just saying.
I attended a TEDx conference a few weeks ago (on Education), and a young inspiring high school student, Sophie Altcheck, spoke eloquently about her concussions playing soccer. She is no longer able to play contact sport, but devotes her energy to spreading awareness.
Good for her...she is using her energy and focusing on what she CAN do and not what she CAN'T. That is really hard for a young person so good for her!
PLEASE be careful girls, I suffer from migraines from a head injury and I am on disabilty for it. I have headaches 24/7 balance issues for 12 years (I am 51 years old) . I suffer from bright light stuff, loud noise , hard to go in and out of grocery stores.
I go to the best Vertigo / migraine doctor(number 3 in U.S) in la jolla (san Diego) and take some meds that help alittle with the bright light stuff,,,,, but it is a living hell .
warpony2310@yahoo.com if you want more info on my doctor ,good luck joe
Brandi has it all wrong. She is the exception to the rule about heading the ball. The soccer player who heads the ball will test at a 9 point lower IQ than the average. The skulls of soccer players develop thicker bone mass as a result of the many traumas. The brain can not be strengthened.
And, Dr Cantu, who I have great respect for, is dead wrong about strengthening necks to become more tolerant of concussions. This idea started in football and was used to explain the problem girls have.
The more likely problem is the low progesterone levels athletic girls have. Progesterone is a known neuro-protectant. Males have higher progesterone that stays at that same level. Women and girls have progesterone that drops to zero except for one week per month. Those who have no periods due to their athletic efforts may be at or near zero the whole month.
And, contrary to the oft repeated lie, nobody ever recovers fully from a concussion. There is always residual damage. Much of it will not be evident until the person reaches their 40's. The cumulative effect of multiple concussions will be a very high price to pay for a few seasons of soccer.
The issue not mentioned is just as important. Sub-concussive impacts cause as much damage or more that full concussions. Every header is a sub-concussive impact that accumulates to damage the brain. There are many NFL players who have CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, brain shrinkage due to injury) but have never suffered a diagnosed or even suspected concussion.
The coach/dad is an outright idiot. His daughter will not know who her dad is by the time she is 50 at the rate she is going. Those who had/have suicidal ideations will be the same as NFL players Defensive Back Junior Seau, Safety Ray Easterling, Defensive Back Safety Dave Duerson, and the NHL's Tough guy Wade Belak, Enforcer Derek Boogaard, Forward and fighter Derek Boogaard who ended their lives due to the dementia they developed.
btw, I have lived with a deteriorating brain since my sophomore high school soccer season in 1970. I can now get a concussion from a simple car ride down a rough road.
The saying goes,
A fool does not learn from their own mistakes.
A smart person learns from their own mistakes.
A wise person learns from OTHERS mistakes.
Our grandaughter suffered a concussion from being hit in the temple by a kicked ball during a match-5 months ago. She is still having problems-just like the girls described. She is 13 & an A student. This is so scary.
I just can't believe there was NO MENTION of head gear at all in the whole story. Not even after the story in the conversation afterwards with Brian and Kate discussing their own kids playing. Head gear is not concussion-proof but is certainly pro-active in help of prevention. With two girls playing and one of them having several concussions and not playing anymore (due to concussions and other injuries), the other will certainly be wearing headgear as pro-active...and she's not even opposed to it. While the story was very good, I just think it was incomplete journalism that the point of headgear was not brought up and even discussed with doctors/experts as how much it helps (or not). It will certainly not stop concussions, but will certainly help prevent. I think Rock Center and Kate need to do a follow up on this. This is sooooo important to get the data out on headgear.
I too was amazed that there was NO MENTION of head gear. Headgear and soccer needs to be studied by neuro-surgeons. It should be endorsed by soccer organizations so it is a required piece of equipment to play the sport, just like a pair of cleats and shin guards. I would rather my child protect her head then her shin.
I agree with Gary on the headgear question. My wife and I said the same thing last night. Our daughter, 13, plays goalkeeper on a select team. Her style of play is aggressive, and because of this her coach told her she must wear a headgear. She has never had any type of head injury, but it is a precautionary measure.
I think the show missed a great opertunity. they did not discuss the first signs of a concussion. The kids are a team and need to act as such. If one of your team mates is showing signs of a concussion, tell someone. at the middle school and high school levels, it should not be win at all cost.
I think the report failed to educate on the symptoms of concussions. These are team sports, were are their team mates and coaches. they are the ones that see the injured team mate 1st. speak up for each other and support each other if you think a team member is hurt. at the middle school and high school level it should not be win at all cost, it should be about working together as a team, and learning skills.
Rock center did a great job in bringing the topic to light, but definitely needs a follow up to include the topics of headgear, neck strengthening exercises, psi air pressure in the soccer balls, not to mention the responsibility of the referees to keep the games from getting so rough! Anyone who thinks girl's soccer is not an aggressive, full contact sport has never watched it. I have two daughters that have played for years- my 13 yr old is a goal keeper and at the insistence of her coach now wears a Full 90 head gear. My 18 yr old plays right mid and though we've been head injury free, we have seen countless head injuries, most of which have been from collisions, not headers! Rock Center, please follow up!!
I see others have commented on helmets. I was so mad at your show talking about banning heading when you should have pushed for all youth to wear helmets. It used to be bikers in the tour de france did not wear helmets because it took away from tradition...now everyone wears one. It used to be snowboarders did not wear helmets because it was not cool...now you can not compete without one. You should propose that the US soccer federation should not just allow protective head gear, it should require it.