Ban Girls Soccer Due to Concussions

Teenage Girls Soccer Concussions

Some groups are calling the growing number of concussions in girl's soccer a crisis. Former players, parents, and medical experts, among others, say girl's soccer should be banned due to the number of concussions being suffered by young female soccer players. The number of girls soccer concussions is on the rise in youth leagues and at the high school level. Medical statistics show that girls at these levels are experiencing twice as many concussions as boys. Players that suffer these injuries experience headaches, nausea, blurred vision, memory loss, and slurred speech, among other medical symptoms. This is causing many to sound the alarm to ban girl's soccer.

Proponents of a Girls Soccer Ban Say

Statistics from the Brain Injury Research Institute say that 20 percent of high school players sustain brain injuries. Proponents of a girls soccer ban say too many serious head injuries are reason enough to end girl's soccer. They argue when the brain gets jarred, it suffers too much unnecessary damage. According to studies, girls also seem to take longer to recover from brain trauma than boys do. Medical findings also indicate girls take longer to recover than boys. Medical case studies show that concussions can leave lifelong symptoms in some cases. This is especially true when secondary concussions occur.

Proponents of a girls soccer ban also cite medical data that document changes in the brain due to concussions. Researches studying head trauma concluded that concussions cause chemical and physical damage to the brain. When a person's head collides with an object or another person's head, it twists and slams against the skull. This can cause scarring that can lead to long-term damage of brain function. Occasionally soccer players have head to head collisions that can cause this kind of brain damage.

 Don't Use Your Head

Players do can also incur injury to their brains by heading soccer balls. Heading is when a player uses their head to strike the soccer ball. The damage caused by heading can be hidden if there are no apparent outward symptoms of a concussion. Additional blows to a players head after a hidden concussion, can lead to more severe brain trauma. Some soccer leagues have outlawed heading in an attempt to end girls soccer concussions. Coaches are also stressing proper heading technique to reduce the number of injuries from heading.

 Soccer Helmets

Opponents of banning the sport are proposing wearing soccer helmets as a stopgap measure as opposed to banning girl's soccer. They point to the fact that some pro soccer players have worn helmets while playing. But some opponents say this is the rare exception and not the rule among professional players. To those that want the sport banned, soccer helmets aren't the answer because players would still make the head to head contact that jars the brain. They cite professional football, where concussions are a growing problem, as an example of helmets not doing enough to protect players from brain injuries.

 Hard Heads

It's clear that something has to be done to end girls soccer concussions but in the mean time, banning soccer is being vigorously resisted. Some groups have noted that soccer is a collision sport and that concussions will happen as long as the sport is played. But for now, the call of former players, parents, and medical experts to ban girl's soccer is getting louder.